Broadway History: The Absolute Drama of the 2010s

The History of Broadway: The Drama of the 2010s

Welcome to MsMojo, and today were going to serve the steamiest cup of Broadway tea, going through the drama, controversies, and scandals of the 2010s. Warning: There will be some spoilers!

The Scottsboro Boys, Blackface

It was perhaps inevitable that a musical based on the infamous Scottsboro Boys trial would attract controversy. This posthumous Kander and Ebb musical, premiering in 2010, drew criticism and even protests for its minstrel show framing. The minstrel show was meant by the creators to illustrate the evils of racism. Instead of white male actors, the performers in this show were all played by African-Americans. Still, many felt that the minstrel form was inherently racist and shouldnt have been done, regardless of the context. The musical was nominated for a whopping 12 Tonys, but won none. Was this a misfireor, like the duos Chicago, simply ahead of its time? Only time will tell.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Fiasco

This rare superhero musical had a score by Bono and direction by Lion King legend Julie Taymor. But the shows technical stunts led to many accidents and injuries. By the time it premiered in 2011, it set the record for both the longest preview run and being the most expensive Broadway musical in history. The musicals reviews were mixed at best, scathingly negative at worst. Despite easily making millions throughout its run, the show eventually closed at a loss due to its high budget. Of course, it attracted all the parodists to the yard. You know your musical is infamous when even Sesame Street joins in on the fun.

Rebecca: The Musical, Investor Fraud

The curse of the European-musical-to-Broadway transfer strikes again. Written by Sylvester Lévay and Michael Kunze of Elisabeth fame, this lushly haunting Austrian musical was initially conceived in English. Instead, its original 2005 production was a big hit in Vienna, garnering several international productions. Director Ben Sprecher attempted to stage a full English production first in the West End and then on Broadway only to become a victim of fraud. Thats right: Four of the shows investors never existed in the first place. Eventually, con man Mark Hotton was charged with fraud. Sprecher lost the rights. The musical opened off-West End instead, but its more spartan production did not wow critics much. This show is haunted more than Manderley.

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Casting Controversy

Many fans were disappointed when this cult favorite lost to the immensely popular Dear Evan Hansen for Best Musical at the Tony Awards. An even greater controversy concerned the musicals cast. After Josh Groban left the show, Okieriete Onaodowan took over as Pierre, with great praise from the critics. But the shows producers, wanting a big name for the role, chose Mandy Patinkin to replace Onaodowan. Fans were indignant at Onaodowan being replaced by a white actor. The backlash online was so great that Patinkin withdrew from the show two days later, expressing his support for Onaodowan. The show never fully recovered from this controversy, closing a month later.

Dear Evan Hansen, Plot & Tony Nomination Controversies

This Tony Award-winning musical is all over the map. Written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, it opened to massive popularity and mostly positive reviews regarding the shows handling of mental illness. As time went on, however, criticism of the shows plot grew more fervent. Evan Hansens lies to a grieving family about his fake friendship with their dead son struck many as horrifically exploitative. Others also felt he wasnt punished enough for his lies by the end. The film adaptation only exacerbated these critiques. Beyond that, the musical was compared unfavorably with Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 and Come From Away of the same year. Evan Hansen is a divisive figure indeed.

Slave Play, Racial Stereotype Controversy

This plays many controversies are no surprise. Written by Jeremy O. Harris, Slave Play tackles heavy themes of racism, interracial relationships, sexuality, and trauma. The play follows interracial couples as they try to improve intimacies by engaging in slave-master role play. While many critics praised the play for its incisive indictment of white supremacy, others were not as convinced. There were many protests and even an online petition urging the play to be shut down. These critics have claimed the play disrespects the history of American slavery and its crimes, even accusing it of being anti-Black. The plays performances for Black-only audience members, known as blackout, also drew criticism in London. The play earned 12 Tony nominations, but the discourse still continues.

Jagged Little Pill, Removing Non-Binary Characterization

This jukebox musical stirred quite the drama. A stage adaptation of Alanis Morissettes album by the same name, the musicals plot concerns substance use, LGBTQ+ themes, and even sexual assault. It was the change to one of its characters, Jo, that sparked the most controversy. Jo was initially portrayed as nonbinary in the original production in Cambridge. When the show opened on Broadway, Jo was referred to as a cisgender woman, with actress Lauren Patten confirming that Jo was meant to be cisgender all along. Following intense backlash, the production issued an apology, although Patten would still be playing Jo. The North American tour, however, had nonbinary actor Jade McLeod play the role, so it seems nonbinary Jo is here to stay.

Beetlejuice vs. The Music Man

Its rare for two musicals to battle it out like this. Beetlejuices premiere on Broadway in 2019 came with the proviso that the show vacate the Winter Garden Theatre in June 2020. This was done to make way for a revival of The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman. Music Mans producer, Scott Rudin, pushed hard to get the Winter Garden Theatre. Oddly enough, Beetlejuices premature closing had a salutary effect on its box office, making it earn $7.6 million in advanced sales. The musical also developed an online following, especially on Tumblr. There was even talk of Beetlejuice potentially moving to another theater. Instead, it closed three months early due to the pandemic, much to fans consternation.

Scott Rudin

Its time to talk about Scott Rudin. This notorious Broadway producer was known for his hot temper and high-handed ways, with film director Hugh Wilson admitting to having a bad experience with Rudin. It wasnt until The Hollywood Reporters exposé in 2021 that more serious allegations came to light. Rudin was accused of threatening employees and even physically assaulting them. He was also accused of illegally firing protected employees and generally producing an unsafe working environment. He was sued for unpaid pandemic work. On social media, Slave Play writer Jeremy O. Harris described him as loudly racist. In the wake of these allegations, Rudin finally stepped down as producer from his Broadway productions. What goes around comes around.

Which other 2010s drama set all of Broadway aflame? Let us know in the comments down below!