Broadway of Today
Musical Theatre has undegone quite alot change from the times of the 1920's into the Golden Age to the Pre-Contemporary era of the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. Never has there been a more dramatic shift in the musical theatre landscape than was experienced at the turn of the century when the world was thrust in the Modern Age of Broadway. Modern times require modern stories and as audiences were growing tired of the mega musical, almost operatic style of some of the shows of previous decades, the need for more grounded, emotionally demanding work came to be. Musicals of the Modern Age typically (but not always) feature a smaller cast and orchestra, but much more emotionally rich and complex stories. This is also the time when more pop sound was making its way to the stage and Broadway started appealing to a much younger audience than ever before.
Modern Age Works
Whereas alot of Golden Age and Pre-Contemporary shows are considered legendary in stature and reputation, Modern Age shows have been lauded for their ability to relate to their audience and leave them feeling fulfilled and impressed by the immersive experience that has been at the forefront of the time. Some of the most heralded Modern Age shows include the likes of "Hamilton", created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which was Broadway's first real foray into including rap music onto a Broadway stage and tells the story of Alexander Hamilton and his role in creating and shaping the United States government, "Rent", created by Jonathan Larson, which tells the story of a gang of artists and misfits who are down on their luck and just tryng to survive in New York City amidst the AIDS epidemic, and "Wicked", created by Stephen Schwartz, which tells the story of the early life and times of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. All of these shows are not only musically impressive, but resonate on an emotional level as well.