The period of 1960 to about 1970 is referred to as that of Classic Musical Theatre – although many people still consider many of the musicals of the period to be decidedly Golden Age-y, particularly the last few written by that era’s composers in the 1960s
The musicals of the 1960s were transitory in nature – which is true of most of the art and culture of that era. The 1960s began with the election of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the youngest president elected – who was also a college classmate of Alan Jay Lerner, the composer of Camelot, which opened on Broadway just a little over 3 weeks after the election. Camelot is often associated with JFK, largely because that’s how Jacqueline Kennedy wanted it to be presented, but also because of the tragedy of both the show and the assassination of JFK – which was not the last tragedy of the era.
Musical and Cultural Influences
Everything was changing. I could list them all, but I made this handy-dandy chart a few years ago when I taught this in an online course, so see for yourself:
Also, sitcoms like The Odd Couple, That Girl, and the Dick Van Dyke Show featured Broadway actors and even opera singers, often playing themselves, so people started becoming familiar with these actors without having to go to New York and see a show. These same actors would appear on talk shows, like Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. And by the same token, when Broadway shows became movies, they often starred television and movie actors who did not create the role (and often couldn’t even sing – I’m looking at you, Audrey Hepburn).
The times, they were a-changing – and the things you heard on the radio were no longer traditional show tunes and the Great American songbook. Pop music was influenced by the British invasion, rock and roll, R&B/Soul, country, and the musicals began to be influenced by these styles as well as by the cultural influences described above.
While Richard Rodgers was still composing after the death of Oscar Hammerstein II, his musicals were still firmly stuck in the style of the Golden Age, and, with the exception of the movie version of Sound of Music, he never achieved the same level of success. His collaborations with other composers, most notably Stephen Sondheim, were marred by tension over changes in style and content that did not mesh with his established traditions.
(But oh, that collaboration with Sondheim had some real gems, like this one from 1965’s Do I hear a waltz; I staged this song twice in my Milwaukee studio, and boy, do I wish I had recordings of those performances.)
Songwriters from this era include:
- Harnick & Bock (post-1960)
- Kander & Ebb
- Schmidt & Jones
- Jerry Herman, who I’ve previously covered regarding his writing for the woman of a certain age
- Mitch Leigh
- Lionel Bart
- Bert Bacharach
From my recent presentation at Maryland Thespians, here’s a playlist of their work.
Vocal Styles
Although there were still holdovers from the Golden Age in some of the singing, the vocal styles were changing. In some ways, it was more like the jazz age; singers used brighter, more conversational mouth shapes. The approach to vibrato was the same found in pop music – late onset after a long straight tone. Phrases were long, but logical and more speech-like. The soprano leading lady was being phased out for the belter (although belting still never got that high), especially in the latter half of the decade.
Up Next
I could spend more time talking about the influence of pop and rock, and share things from Hair, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Bye Bye Birdie, but … I really hate the last piece with a white hot passion (except for the stuff Dick Van Dyke sings, because I’ve a crush on him since I was 4). So up next, we’ll move on to what I call The Concept Musical and the Mega-Musical, which will focus on the 1970s and the 1980s. So stay tuned!