Hit Parade: The Lullaby of Broadway Edition

Musical theater is one of America’s greatest cultural products—and in the mid–20^th century, it also dominated the Billboard charts, from My Fair Lady to West Side Story. But the rise of rock ’n’ roll in the ’60s sidelined show tunes on the radio. And even when Broadway tried to rock—from Hair to Jesus Christ Superstar—a new generation grew wary of characters breaking into song (unless they were animated mermaids, teapots, or lions). And yet, in the 21^st century, Broadway music has staged a cultural comeback: taking over our movie screens, making shows out of jukebox hits, and raising a new generation to believe they can rap like Hamilton and Lafayette. In this Tonys month, Hit Parade dances down the Great White Way to chronicle the tangled history of the Broadway musical on the pop charts.