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A Historical Analysis of the Megamusical Boom of the 1990’s
Musical theatre is an immensely popular performing arts streamform. Stemming from
Operettas of the early 20th- century, the American musical has gained momentum as a masterpiece
of performing art. Combining music, dialogue, and dance into one titanic exposition, musicals have
grown into prodigious pieces of spectacle. Commercialization of the art form has led to an escalation
in public interest for many musical theatre works, and the emergence of the megamusical. Rising to
prominence in the 1980’s in New York and London, megamusicals have made a global n
intercontinental impact as ‘cultural events, marketed with unprecedented force’1. The term
megamusical was first used in the 1980’s by theatre critics at the New York Times. It makes
reference to a large commercial musicals’ massive, spectacle- driven stylings. Defining
characteristics of a megamusical include large sets, plots, casts, music, and marketing 2, often making
them the most consumable, commercially-driven operations in the realm of musical theatre. In the
1980’s, a boom in the number of megamusical productions took place, with the most famous shows
blowing through the city of Toronto in the 1990’s. I chose to investigate how the megamusical boom
impacted Toronto’s musical theatre scene, and what marks it left on the city. Toronto, already being
Canada’s centre for all forms of English- Canadian theatre3, has played host to a number of different
Canadian, British, and American musical theatre works; most notably Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Cats
and The Phantom of the Opera, and Schoberg and Boubil’s Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.
According to Atkey, the city has laid claim to being third in the world, having sold over 7 million
tickets annually in past years4. Outfitted with over 5 large-scale theatre houses, a number of repertory
companies, and a diverse pool of performance talent from which to draw, the city of Toronto has
become a thriving place for commercial musical theatre productions. In tracing the history of
megamusical productions in the city Toronto, I discovered the immense impact that the megamusical
carried with it, and how it left Toronto in a vibrant social, cultural, and economic state.
1 Sternfeld, Jessica. The megamusical. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2006. Pg. 32 Ibid. 3 Atkey, Mel. Broadway north: the dream of a Canadian musical theatre. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2008. Pg. 234 Sternfeld, J. Pg. 3
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Cats: Commencing of the ‘Megamusical Boom’The first commercial megamusical production to be brought to Toronto was Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s Cats (first staged in 1980). Based on pieces of poetry from T.S. Eliot’s Old
Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (originally published in 1939), the show was developed and
marketed as a concept work, rather than a traditional musical. The show explores the whimsical
life of various cats, though an exhaustive and impressive amount of song and dance. A unique
attribute of the show is its’ use of environmental staging, partly due to the work of set designer
John Napier5. The entire show is set in the midst of a Junkyard. It takes place on the night of the
Jellicle Ball, where one cat is chosen to ascend towards the Heavyside Layer. No other plot
points are given away to viewers. The show ran for a record- breaking 18 years on Broadway at
the re-designed Winter Garden Theatre6. Having done well in the U.K., the show entered the US
with much momentum, breaking advance ticket- sale records at $6.2 Million before opening 7 (a
common trend for megamusicals of the 1980’s and 90’s). Prior to opening, producer Cameron
Mackintosh chose to advertise the show without any photos of the actors or staging, but rather
with a single pair of cat- like eyes on a black backdrop. This was a bold and innovative
marketing move that proved highly successful in luring audiences from 1982 to 1997, helping
the production break Broadway records for the longest-running show8. Immediately after
opening in New York in 1982, theatre critic Frank Rich theorized that the show would run for a
long time on Broadway due to its ability to “transport audience members into a world of pure
fantasy”9. The show would enter Toronto with the same momentum as it had on Broadway.
In 1981, the Ontario Government purchased the Elgin Theatre in downtown Toronto10.
The theatre was built as an opulent vaudeville house in the early 1900’s by architect Thomas
Lamb. In 1983, the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture invested over $19 million into a
renovation project, hoping to restore the theatre, and enhance Toronto’s attractiveness to tourists
5 Lundskaer-Nielsen, M. Directors and the new musical drama: british and american musical theatre in the 1980s and 90s. Place of publication not identified: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. Pg. 506 Sternfeld, J. Pg. 1137 Ibid. 8 Grimes, William. 1997. With 6,138 lives, 'cats' sets broadway mark. New York Times (1923-Current file), Jun 19, 1997. https://www.lib.uwo.ca/cgi-bin/ezpauthn.cgi?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/109784230?accountid=15115 (accessed August 24, 2017).9 Rich, Frank. 1982. Theater: Lloyd webber's 'cats'. New York Times (1923-Current file), Oct 08, 1982. https://www.lib.uwo.ca/cgi-bin/ezpauthn.cgi?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/121933106?accountid=15115 (accessed August 24, 2017).10 Atkey, Mel. Pg. 202
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as a major theatrical centre, in league with New York and London.11 In the early 1980’s,
producers Marlene Smith and Tina Vanderheyden of MTE productions acquired the rights to
Webber’s Cats in a breakthrough licensing deal for one of the most iconic megamusicals12. The
team was able to secure a lease on the newly restored Elgin theatre, and open on March 14,
198513. The entire cast of this large production was Canadian, meaning that it would be the first
time for large group of singers and dancers to contemplate home ownership of a megamusical
work14. The production was a dazzling spectacle. It ended up running for two full years and
surpassed $10 million in ticket sales in July of 1985, a record for Canadian musical theatre
productions. The same creative team that had designed the original London and Broadway
versions of the show staged this production, contributing to its perceived “authenticity.” While
Cats was only the first of many megamusicals to be brought to the city, it marks the
commencement of the Toronto’s own megamusical boom of the 1980’s and 1990’s15. The
production ended up closing and touring Canada in 1987, leaving Toronto with a new arsenal of
performance talent, a restored and usable theatre space, and a local thirst for musical theatre
productions.
Les Miserables: Mirvishs’ First Megamusical Sensation!
The next megamusical to sweep through Toronto after Webbers’ Cats was Claude
Michael Schonberg and Alain Boubil’s Les Miserables. The show originated from a French
concept album that Schoberg and Boubil had created in the early 1980’s. It was inspired by
Victor Hugo's original novel published in 1862. The heavy, sweeping plot would give this
megamusical its’ ‘mega’ qualities. The plot shadows the life of male protagonist Jean Valjean
through his pursuit of freedom and liberty amidst the French Revoluion people’s revolution of
France. The stage musical was developed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in London,
England. When it first opened at the Barbican theatre in 1985, the show clocked in at just under
three and a half hours in length, far longer than any other contemporary musical16. It was later
11 Fish, Susan.. Notes on the Elgin Winter Garden Theatre Project. December, 1983. Ministry of Citizenship and Culture of Ontario. Pg. 412 MTE Productions. “Cats” is Coming to Toronto. press release. August 8, 1984. 13 Atkey, Mel. Pg. 20314 Ibid. 15 Ateky, Mel. Pg. 20216 Sternfeld, Jessica. Pg. 189
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shortened to just under two and a half hours, but still stood as one of the longest- running
megamusicals ever produced. It was received well by the public in London, and eventually
opened at the Broadway theatre in New York in 1987. Critics raved about Schonberg’s score,
calling it “A mix of madrigals, rock, Bizet, Weill, and the worlds of ‘harpsichord and
synthesizer.’”17 In addition to its’ phenomenal score and sweeping plot, the musical acquired
many more of its “mega” qualities from its fierce marketing campaign. Producer Cameron
Mackintosh used the same marketing strategy as he had for used Webber’s Cats: oversaturating
the market with hype for the show prior to its opening18. The show’s iconic logo of the young
orphan Cosset would appear on marquis and billboards in New York and Toronto many months
before opening. The show went on the be the third-longest running Broadway show, closing 16
years after opening in 1987.
Producers Ed and David Mirvish, having had prior experience producing musicals in the
city of Toronto, worked with Cameron Mackintosh to secure the rights to do a Canadian version
of Les Miserables at the Royal Alexandra theatre. They were successful in obtaining the rights,
and opened house on March 14, 1989. Like the previous megamusical production of Cats, the
show’s cast was entirely Canadian. In my interviews with performers and others who were
involved in this momentous production, I learned that the show’s smaller theatrical venue
contributed to its success. At the time, he show was described as being very uniqueperformers
and audience alike described the shows as being very unique. The sets, sounds, lighting, and
staging remained exactly the same as the large Broadway production, though the smaller theatre
gave the show a much more intimate feel for audience members. The production was received
extremely well by critics, who commended performers such as Canadian tenor Michael Burgess,
and French- Canadian actress Louise Pitre. The show ran for two full years at the Royal Alex
before it was shipped off on a Canadian tour. This megamusical further enhanced Toronto’s
talent pool, and drew much international attention towards the city for its flourishing commercial
theatre scene. This show was the start of the Mirvish entertainment company’s rise to
preeminence in the Toronto musical theatre scene.
The Phantom of The Opera: Drabinsky’s LivEnt Empire
17 Ibid. Pg. 21418 Ibid. Pg. 189
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By the late 1980s, a pattern had started to develop in which mega musicals would open in
London, then transfer to New York, and then venture to cities like Toronto19. Another influential
show following this pattern was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of The Opera. The show
was based upon Gaston Leroux’s French novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, which tells the tale of a
murderous masked figure who haunts a Parisian opera house in nineteenth century France.
Directed by Harold Prince, Phantom opened in London on October 9, 1986 at Her Majesty’s
theatre to much critical acclaim. The show was “mega” in its grand emptionemotion, intriguing
characters, and dazzling set design. It combines operatic scenery with highly technical special
effects and lighting. The show went on to open at the Majestic Theatre in New York on January
26, 1988. Frank Rich, a famed theatre critic at the New York Times, wrote in his review, “Prince
and Bjornson’s dark images were so heartfelt that their passion for theatre itself was the real
romance here.”20 He commended the scenery and images of the show as being the real star of the
production. The show continues to play at the Majestic Theatre in New York City in its 1980 ’s
originality, making it a truly exemplary megamusical, and arguably the most successful British
theatrical import on Broadway.
In the late 1980’s, Canadian real estate and entertainment mogul Garth Drabinsky
acquired the Pantages theatre from Famous Players with Cineplex Odeon Entertainment group21.
He made plans to bring The Phantom of the Opera to Toronto by 1989. In order to acquire the
license for the show so soon after its Broadway opening, the theatre itself had to be completely
re-worked and customized for the show. The Pantages theatre was renovated to reflect the
spectacle and opulence of the show itself, fully immersing audience members into the world of
the opera. Live Entertainment—Drabinsky’s theatrical division—put together a large cast,
comprised of mostly Canadian actors and actresses, with the exception of some of the leads. The
cast trained under the supervision of the original Director Harold Prince, who had designed the
shows in London and New York. Prior to its opening, the production was marketed intensely,
similarly to the way that Cameron Mackintosh marketed Les Miserables and Cats. According to
Drabinksy, effective marketing means skillfully implanting in the public’s mind a strong sense
that an extraordinary event is taking place in their midst, which they must attend to fulfill their
19 Sternfeld, Jessica. Pg. 420 Ibid. Pg. 22621 Ateky, Mel. Pg. 205.
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cultural lives22. Viewers came across advertisements for the show all over the city: on public
transit board, on the sides of buildings, and on all media streams including television and radio.
The show opened on September 20, 1989, with Andrew Lloyd Webber's original choice of the
Phantom, Colm Wilkinson, in the title role23. The show was received well by critics and public
alike [?], and went on to become the longest- running musical in Toronto, finally closing on
October 31, 1999. The Pantages became one of the highest- grossing theatres in the world for a
continuous run of a show24. This megamusical production brought Toronto a large, restored
theatre space, and an immense boost in tourism, with a streams of busses operating between
Canadian and U.S. cities and Toronto just for Phantom25.
Miss Saigon: Mirvish and The Princess of Whales Theatre
Immediately after finishing Les Miserables, Schonberg and Boubil went to work on
another sociopolitical tragedy: Miss Saigon. Inspired by Puccinni’s opera Madama Butterfly,
Schonberg envisioned a contemporary musical that would shadow the story of Puccinni, but with
the backdrop of The Vietnam War. Like Les Miserables, the show is completely sung-through.
The massive emotional plot, relentless score, and large sets are what give this show its
megamusical attributes. The producers assembled an international cast, with many actors being
of South Asian descent. Rehearsals were intensive, and technical issues related to the sheer size
of the sets made it very difficult to stage. The show opened in London in September of 1989,
after many weeks of previews. Cameron Mackintosh, the show’s producer, broke box office
records in New York for the highest advance ticket sales for a musical: $30 million before
opening26. The show was received well on Broadway, with critics paying homage to the
Schonberg’s intense score in their reviews. A talented stage man with an operatic background,
Nicholas Hytner directed. The sets for the London and Broadway productions remain the most
expensive and elaborate pieces in musical theatre history. The production went on to play for ten
more years in London, closing in 1999.
22 Drabinsky, Garth, and Marq De Villiers. Closer to the sun: an autobiography. Toronto, Ont. McClelland & Stewart, 1995. Pg. 39323 Atkey, Mel. Pg. 20524 Drabinsky, Garth. De Villiers, Marq. Pg. 39525 Ibid. 26 Sternfeld, Jessica. Pg. 293
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Inspired by the successes of Miss Saigon in London and the U.S., and driven to compete
with Garth Drabinsky’s successful hit The Phantom of the Opera, David Mirvish struck and
agreement with the show’s producer Cameron Mackintosh. He would stage a definitive Canadian
production of Miss Saigon in a brand new, theatrical space, built to house it. Roused by
Drabinsky’s renovations to the Pantages theatre, and the recent restoration of the Elgin Winter
Garden theatre complex prior to the opening of Cats, David Mirvish hired a team of architects to
construct a band new theatre, which would be named the Princess of Wales. Mackintosh said, “I
feel about the new theatre that the Mirvish’s are building a bit of both flattered and in awe at the
risk that they are taking.”27 The show was directed by Canadian Mitchell Lemsky, and was
comprised of an almost all-Canadian cast and creative team. No expense was spared in both the
crafting of the production and the building of the new theatre. It currently stands as one of
Canada’s largest theatres, with a total capacity of 2,000 seats. Similar to what Drabinksy had
done with the interior of the Pantages Theatre, Mirvish had the every aspect of the theatre’s
interior be built to enhance the overall experience of the theatregoer. The show opened on May
26, 1993, and ran for a full two years. This megamusical left Toronto with a state-of-the-art
2,000 seat theatre, a large amount of design and performance talent, and like previous
megamusicals, a wide regard for the city’s growing musical theatre community.
Conclusion
Since the close of Miss Saigon, the number of long- term musical engagements has
decreased; but not for the worse. Productions such as Disney’s The Lion King and Beauty and
the Beast, and Mirvish’s Mama Mia have enjoyed successful and long runs, due partly to the
effects left by the mega-musical boom. A commercial theatre revolution allowed a number of
commercial, blockbuster megamusicals to venture directly to Toronto from London and New
York, and settle into lengthy runs in the city. A characteristic which all of the mentioned
megamusicals share in common is the element of spectacle. Katz and Dayan theorized that
spectacle implies a distinction between the roles of performers and audience members28, liken to
that of cinema. Further immersing viewers in the world of the show through the environmental
staging styles of Cats, the intimacy of Les Miserables, or the enhanced design of a theatrical
27 The Making of Miss Saigon at the Princess of Whales Theatre. Produced by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Canada, 1993. VHS.28 Bennett, Susan. Theatre audiences: a theory of production and reception. London: Routledge, 2009. Pg. 93
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facility like Phantom or Miss Saigon, appeals to a much larger bracket of viewers who might
otherwise be disinclined to visit the theatre. These megamusicals, due partly to their volume and
timing, gave the city of Toronto a boost in both musical theatre works and theatrical
infrastructure. According to performers who worked in Toronto during the boom, producing
homegrown commercial megamusicals with open-ended runs has become a thing of the past.
Toronto stands as an established and internationally regarded commercial musical theatre
community. Without the influences of these four distinct megamusical productions, the city
would not have a theatre district in its downtown core. The commercialization and growth of
these large shows foreshadows an even larger, global phenomenon of the megamusical’s
transcendence of borders. In reviewing the history of megamusicals, along with their status as
pieces of commercially successful musical theatre nowadays, one might presume that they will
continue to grow and spread musical theatre around the globe.
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