Looking to the past can influence and help shape the future, and that is no more apparent than in the art of the Broadway revival. With a revival, directors and choreographers are able to breathe new life into theatre classics, reinventing cherished theatre pieces for a new audience.
From faithful adaptations to innovative reinterpretations, revisit these 15 classic musicals and their most recent revivals.
Oklahoma! Playbill - Opening Night - Mar 1943
Cast of Oklahoma!
Courtesy of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization: A Concord Company
Oklahoma! Playbill - Opening Night
Cast of Oklahoma!
Little Fang Photo
The Color Purple Playbill - Opening Night
LaChanze in The Color Purple
Cynthia Erivo in The Color Purple
Matthew Murphy
Falsettos Playbill - Opening Night, May 1992
Michael Rupert, Chip Zien, Barbara Walsh, Jonathan Kaplan, Heather Mac Rae, and Carolee Carmello in Falsettos
Falsettos Playbill - Opening Night
Anthony Rosenthal, Betsy Wolfe, Tracie Thoms, Christian Borle, Stephanie J. Block, Brandon Uranowitz, and Andrew Rannells
Joan Marcus
Pippin Playbill - Nov 1972
Ben Vereen, John Rubinstein, and cast of Pippin
Martha Swope / The New York Public Library
Pippin Playbill - Opening Night
The company in Pippin
Joan Marcus
Company Playbill - Dec 1970
Dean Jones and Elaine Stritch in Company.
Martha Swope / The New York Public Library
Company Playbill - Opening Night
Katrina Lenk in Company
Matthew Murphy
Sunday in the Park with George Playbill - May 1984
Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters in the original Broadway production of Sunday in the Park with George
Martha Swope/©Billy Rose Theatre Division, NYPL for the Performing Arts
Sunday in the Park with George Playbill - Opening Night
Annaleigh Ashford and Jake Gyllenhaal in Sunday in the Park With George
Matthew Murphy
Annie Playbill - Feb 1980
Andrea McArdle in the original Broadway production of Annie
Martha Swope/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Annie Playbill - Opening Night
Lilla Crawford in Annie
Joan Marcus
Evita, 1979
Bob Gunton and Patti LuPone in Evita
Evita Playbill - Opening Night
Max von Essen and Elena Roger
Hair Playbill - May 1968
Cast of Hair
Friedman-Abeles/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Hair Playbill - Opening Night
Gavin Creel, Will Swenson, and cast of Hair
Joan Marcus
West Side Story Playbill - September 1958
Cast of West Side Story
West Side Story - Opening Night
Isaac Powell and Shereen Pimentel
Jan Versweyveld
Miss Saigon Playbill - Opening Night, April 1991
Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon
Joan Marcus
Miss Saigon Playbill - Opening Night
Eva Noblezada and Devin Ilaw
La Cage aux Folles Playbill - Aug 1983
Cast of La Cage aux Folles
La Cage Aux Folles Playbill - Opening Night
Cast of La Cage Aux Folles
Once on This Island Playbill - Opening Night, Oct 1990
LaChanze with the original cast of Once on This Island
Martha Swope / The New York Public Library
Once on This Island Playbill - Opening Night
Alex Newell, Hailey Kilgore, and the cast
Joan Marcus
Gypsy Playbill - Feb 1960
Ethel Merman in Gypsy
Friedman-Abeles/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Gypsy Playbill - Opening
Patti LuPone in Gypsy
Joan Marcus
Damn Yankees Playbill - May 1957
Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon in Damn Yankees
©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Damn Yankees Playbill - Opening Night, March 1994
Victor Garber and Bebe Neuwirth in Damn Yankees
Carol Rosegg
Carousel Playbill - Nov 1946
John Raitt, Jan Clayton, and cast of Carousel
Courtesy of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization: A Concord Company
Carousel Playbill - Opening Night
Jessie Mueller and Joshua Henry
Julieta Cervantes
