Musical theater has been an important aspect of America's history since the 1800's. Traditionally, musicals have story lines that have to do with both the internal and external struggles that people - and even animals at times, as seen in Cats - have dealt with. With classic musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story and Rent it's easy to see why both Broadway and off-Broadway shows have been so enduring and successful throughout the years.
The genesis of musical theater can be traced back as early as ancient Greece during the 5th Century B.C., where certain plays featured musical accompaniment with dancing. Performances by Clowns, along with Operas, molded what is known as a musical today. One of the most notable examples of birthing today's musical format was The Beggar's Opera (1728), which satirized traditional Opera by singing tunes based on popular culture.
Musicals didn't officially make their way over to America until 1852, where The Merchant of Venice was performed in Williamsburg, Virginia; the production moved to New York City in 1853. By the 1840's showman Phineas Taylor Barnum (otherwise known as P.T. Barnum) opened up a musical theater in lower Manhattan, which eventually moved to Times Square on Broadway in the 1920's and 1930's, thus providing that first glint of glitz and glamour that Broadway is associated with today.
niac
Oh, and you forgot Cole Porter too, while you're at it. Both had
/profound/ influence on Broadway music.
And GenieGurl738, I'd have to agree with you. It drives me bananas
when people say they're into Broadway, but they're only interested
in a) Rent b) Phantom or c) Wicked. You can't be a true Broadway
fan if you don't appreciate a broader view of all of the talent
Broadway has to offer.
I somewhat agree and disagree with what CreedStroke85 had to say.
I think it really depends on who you are. I.e. some people, why
should they even audition, they should stick to what they do best
and what they're famous for. Others enjoy branching out, since
they've had love for broadway musicals since they were a lot
smaller and even before they were even famous. One great guy for
Broadway, I'd have to say is Kevin Richardson (yes, the former
BSB). He's already had lots of experience acting in a theater
environment before he was a BSB. I haven't been able to see him
perform in Chicago except for a clip, but I've heard from others
that he has done a fantastic job (he did the role of Billy Flynn,
for those who aren't in the know).