A Brief History of Musical Theatre

Wed, Feb 12th 2025 at 12:40 pm - 2:00 pm

David Gray President Elect of Kilrymont Rotary

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Guest speaker was David Gray, President Elect of the Kilrymont Rotary Club, who spoke on the subject of ‘A brief history of Musical Theatre’. David explained the roots in the 5th century BC in the Greek theatre, then in the 18th century Ballad Operas using popular tunes of the day and adding new lyrics. The world of Music Hall was very popular and the Brittania Theatre in Glasgow, built in 1857, is the oldest Music Hall theatre in the world. At this time operettas such as La Vie Parisienne and Der Fledermaus became all the rage, and in the late 1800s Richard D’Oyle Carte set up his Savoy Opera group putting on the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. In early 20th century America entertainments featuring Burlesque Girls and Gaiety Girls led to the development of the American musicals of Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, Hammerstein, the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, etc.. The mid- to late-20th century saw Carousel, Hello Dolly, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific. Disney entered the story in the late twentieth century with Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Mary Poppins. In recent years Matilda, Wicked and Hamilton have been at the forefront in popularity. The global ‘greats’ of the musical world are Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Stephen Sondheim, and Cameron Mackintosh whose Les Miserables is the most successful musical ever with over 15,000 performances in 53 countries and in 22 languages raising over £130 million. David ended his talk with a picture quiz much enjoyed by the members, and Rev Ian Hamilton gave a humorous vote of thanks.