Arguments among Broadway fans over the originality of musicals have raged for years. Recently, however, such arguments have become more widespread. Are these complaints really warranted, or is this just unjustified snobbery? 

As one affronted Washington Post writer writes, “Broadway no longer belongs to the playwright.” 

This argument stems from the increasing number of book and movie adaptations, as well as jukebox musicals, shows with a soundtrack composed of pre-released music, often of a certain artist or era, taking over Broadway, making original musicals few and far between.

One of the most popular musicals on Broadway right now, according to Broadway.com, is Wicked, a book adaptation. Another popular musical is The Lion King, a movie adaptation.

In addition to these longer-running adaptations, newer musicals include The Great Gatsby and The Outsiders, both of which were adapted from popular books that already have movie adaptations as well. An honorable mention is Hell’s Kitchen, a jukebox musical featuring music by Alicia Keys. 

No musical is truly immune to outside influence; even a musical like Hadestown cannot truly be considered original, considering it is based on a story from Greek mythology. 

This imbalance is likely here to stay, and the number of original musicals has been steadily decreasing. In fact, longtime Broadway producer Ken Davenport released a study that found that over the last 30 years, 82% of new Broadway musicals were adaptations of some kind.

Many Broadway fans are wondering why this is, considering there are undoubtedly many unknown playwrights with original musicals waiting for their time in the limelight. For example, In Pieces by Joey Contreras, which has been performed globally and has acquired a large fanbase, has still not made it to Broadway.

Perhaps their unknown quality is precisely what makes these musicals so unappealing. Even though In Pieces has garnered a large fanbase, it still has yet to make it to Broadway. Producers want a musical that they feel is going to make back their investment. With a well-known, popular movie, book, or even music from a particular artist, producers have a certain level of security due to an already established fan base. 

An original musical runs on average for 331 performances, roughly half of the average run for adaptations. In fact, according to Ken Davenport, “Of the original musicals produced in the last 30 years, 30% were open for less than a month.”

Additionally, 83% of Best Musical Tony Award winners over the last 30 years have been adaptations. 

Having a blueprint of characters and a story makes the choice enticing for many producers. The process is considerably easier for writers, lyricists, and composers.

Even with these solid reasons why one should produce an adaptation, some producers do take risks on original musicals, and Broadway fans should be grateful that they do. Without these risks, numerous critically acclaimed shows wouldn’t exist, including Book of Mormon.

Not everyone agrees with this practice of putting original musicals on a pedestal, though. For example, one blogger on Onstage Blog writes, “Originality is an admirable quality for a musical to have, but it is not as important to the quality of a musical as good character development, memorable music, or a coherent plot […] all art is based off other art in some form or fashion—we shouldn’t demonize musicals that are simply less subtle about this leap.”

All in all, producers will most likely continue to ignore original musicals in favor of easier, safer, and potentially smarter investments, but maybe this curmudgeonous complaining about it should be amended. Yes, without original musicals, Book of Mormon or A Chorus Line wouldn’t exist, shows that together have won 18 Tony awards. Yet also, without adaptations, there wouldn’t be The Lion King or The Producers, shows that together won just as many. 

There is no question that more new musicals should be let into Broadway; however, one of the great things about Broadway is its variety, and the balance of these adaptations and originals is what should light up the Great White Way.