Dating all the way back to the late 1800’s, Broadway influenced many people’s lives for many years. Broadway has brought tourists from all parts of the world to see live performances that take them into the story through music. Show tunes tell a story like no other. Consisting of twenty six theatres, Broadway will most likely never die out. The top five performances that are still currently running include The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, The Lion King, Cats, and Les Miserables.
The key to a great Broadway show is the show tunes. Without the music, the show would not have any heart in it. Broadway shows can have all different forms of music in them. Some shows can have rock, classical, hip-pop, and even music that you cannot even categorize. All Broadway musicals consist of at least some sort of a ballad, charm song, ‘I Am’ song, and an ‘I Want’ song. An ‘I Am’ song is any song explains a character, a group of characters, or a situation. An ‘I Want’ song tells us what the character desires. Ballads are mostly love songs, but they can also philosophize about any strong emotion. A Charm song lets the character entice the audience.
In order to compose an unforgettable Broadway song, there must be a detailed story behind it. “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables is sung by the character Fantine. She thinks back to happier days and wonders at all that has gone wrong in her life. This powerful piece of music is forever remembered because of the strong bridge in the middle of the song. According to The Washington Post, many dedicated Les Mis fans were not too happy with Anne Hathaway’s 2012 performance. They said it was too emotional and wobbly. Regardless of what the people had to say, Anne Hathaway’s performance brought tears to those who appreciated it. This part of the musical changes all expectations of any other Broadway production for every spectator watching.
Broadway is a timeless piece of structure. This style of theatre was created to bring people happiness and entertainment. The music never stops in any of the twenty six theatres of Broadway.