Shakespeare Musicals |
Almost from the beginning, American musical theater took on the popular topic of Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s plays provided the plots, characters, and inspiration for numerous musicals. The best known are The Boys from Syracuse (1938), inspired by The Comedy of Errors; Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate (1948), based on The Taming of the Shrew; and West Side Story (1957), a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. But new, creative twists on the idea continue to appear, from rock musicals and cabaret shows to variations on Shakespeare with a jazz, hip-hop, or country beat.