Megamusicals WTF? The art and economics of Hamilton and Les Mis

Ask most people what they think of when they think of theatre and they'll probably point you towards Les Miserables, Wicked, The Lion King or Hamilton. In other words, musicals. But these aren't just musicals, these are megamusicals.

In his 2009 book, Theatre & Globalisation, Dan Rebellato argues that we can view such work in the same way we might view the opening of a new fast food restaurant, using the phrase McTheatre.

In this video essay, I seek to explore some of the current debates surrounding Broadway and West End mega musicals and McTheatre including what the effects might be for the ephemerality and "liveness" of contemporary theatre.

If you've enjoyed this video then please do check out the rest of my channel. I generally put out new videos every Tuesday and Friday discussing theatre and playwriting from the perspective of an aspirant and (some might say) emerging playwright, theatre maker and academic.

Twitter: @Tom_Nicholas
Website: www.tomnicholas.com

Thanks for watching!

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