history and early days of the musical

Musicals have been around since around 1900. They have been regarded as a genre in their own right since the first half of the 20th century. But was the musical invented by chance, and where does it originate? What exactly is a musical, and what elements does it contain? This book attempts to examine the musical as a hybrid form comprising many different elements. The chapter on the prehistory outlines and describes the origins of the musical. These include the ballad opera and the extravaganza, the burlesque and the minstrel show, pantomime and vaudeville, the show and revue, jazz and operetta. The second chapter examines the breakthrough of the musical and its 'golden age'. Beginning with popular 'musical comedies', which are described as the precursor to the musical, this chapter concludes with a description of classic musicals such as 'West Side Story'.