Old Timey Broadway Musical Fans: Is the form dead?

It seems like that in recent years, such a high proportion of the musicals that are created are not based on original material but rather derived from Disney animated flicks (Lion King etc.), or other nonoriginal material (movies etc.)

Is the proportion of original vs. derivative shows very low now, or has it always been thus?

Old and new.

But some of my old favorites (Singing in the Rain, for example) were movies before Broadway shows. Some (Fiddler on the Roof, 1776, Guys and Dolls) were the other way around.

I've found that, more recently, there does seem to have been an increase in Broadway shows based on other material/genres. Still, more recent musicals are among my favorites (Wicked, Spamalot, The Last 5 Years, and RENT, for example). While today's musicals are more often than not adapted from some other areas, I find older musicals to get pretty schmaltzy after a while. Today's musicals seem a bit more real, a little more off-the-cuff and daring. So there's a trade-off, good and bad points to each. I enjoy both at different times. :hi:

...but it'll wake up. But as for adaptations--remember "Show Boat". Remember "Prrgy and Bess". Remember "South Pacific". Remember "My Fair Lady". Adaptations have always been the rule, not the exception. But it'll come out of the doze--it's too vital a form to die. Meanwhile, we have "Wicked", as delicious a musical as there's ever been...

The "Hairsprays" and "Lion Kings" and such seem like Broadway musicals are mostly film adaptations. But there are some nice new musicals out there...for instnace, my partner and I are going to see "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" in a production here in Chicago (which I've wanted to see and has gotten some fabulous reviews)

and I think "Sound of Music" also.

are comfy with: Bach, Barber, Hayden etc, working in theater production i am able to confirm...much of a theater's receipts are brought in by the same, or similar classic or standard stage works. same grand old folks coming to the vintage, aged, comfy, easy to understand pieces. they have the money for the patronage, so they tend to drive the playbill too go figure...

few symphonies & theaters have a dynamic 'new works' program. i've seen what i thought to be great, progressive new works close in less than a week, for lack of interest :shrug: