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!
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
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
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
