The Megamusical

8 “Everything Is Show Biz”: The Megamusical and Broadway in the Twenty-first Century

334 8“Everything Is Show Biz” The Megamusical and Broadway in the Twenty-first Century Today, there are virtually no new musicals that, at first glance, fit the 1980s definition of the megamusical. But there are also no new musicals that do not, in at least some ways, reflect the influence of the 1980s megamusical. Without The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked would not be the same show, nor would The Producers. Some musicals are sung from beginning to end, or at least mostly sung. Others feature elaborate sets and spectacle. Some arrive on Broadway amid a great deal of pre-opening hype and publicity, or with substantial advance sales thanks to concept albums. Some are marketed using one simple, distinct logo. Some tell melodramatic, emotional stories; others make fun of such stories. In every case, one can trace a musical’s stylistic history back through the megamusical and beyond. A show might seem more Sondheim than Lloyd Webber, or more Golden Era than megamusical, but this too is an influence. Whatever one’s opinion of the megamusical—and we have seen that many people have strong opinions—the influence has been unavoidable and the legacy is felt in every new show. Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida Tim Rice, perhaps one of the three most influential forces in the creation of the early megamusical, returned to Broadway as the lyricist for Aida—or, as its full title runs, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida. John composed the music, having been inspired to write a new version of the story after reading a children’s book based on it by opera star (and legendary Aida) Leontyne Price. Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang wrote the musical’s book with the Price version in mind, as well as Verdi’s famous opera, but they diverged from the opera’s plot significantly. In this version, the story begins earlier: we see Aida arrive as The Megamusical and Broadway in the Twenty-first Century 335 a slave in ancient Egypt, having been taken from Nubia with many compatriots by the army leader Radames. It is clear to Radames that Aida is no ordinary slave, thanks to her self-assured bearing, but only later does he learn that she is Nubia’s princess. Aida becomes a handmaiden to the lovely princess Amneris, who is betrothed to Radames but cannot seem to win his sincere affection. Aida falls in love with Radames despite herself, and suffers the conflict of being torn between love for one man and love (and responsibility) for her country and its people. Meanwhile, the Pharaoh, Amneris’s father, is slowly being poisoned by Zoser, the evil prime minister who is also Radames’s father. Zoser has visions of a day when his son will marry Amneris and take over the country. Radames, disgusted by his cruel, power-hungry father and now regretful of Egypt’s invasion of Nubia, tries to help Aida and her people. She and Radames conspire to free her father the king, and both are sentenced to death for their actions. With no hope of preventing Radames’s execution and realizing that his love for Aida is genuine, Amneris asks that he and the Nubian princess be allowed to share their last moments of life together in a tomb. Amneris’s request indicates her sympathy for the doomed couple’s plight and highlights her transformation: whereas earlier she was concerned only with her appearance and social status, now she becomes a wise ruler and puts an end to the attacks on Nubia. Aida arrived on Broadway in megamusical style. The music relies on rock and pop styles primarily, though John wrote in an impressively wide range of styles, including blues, gospel, and songs much closer to theater music than to any pop genre. His mere association with the project gave Aida enormous amounts of pre-opening publicity; it received even more, though of the negative variety, when an early tryout in Atlanta in 1998 was a dismal failure. The creative team undertook major rewrites and were joined at this point by playwright David Henry Hwang and director Robert Falls. A large moving pyramid, central to the set design at first but difficult to work, was scrapped. The new set design, by Bob Crowley, featured simple but striking ideas. After another tryout and a few more rewrites in Chicago, the show moved to Broadway. Further attention fell on the show when John stormed out of...