19 Musicals From The 1970s [Movies & Theater]

A Chorus Line

With music and lyrics by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban, A Chorus Line was the undisputed king of Broadway, running for more than 6,000 performances. It was the longest-running musical in Broadway history until Cats dethroned it in 1997.

In the show, 17 dancers auditioning for a spot in the chorus line of a Broadway show share their histories and struggles. A Chorus Line won nine Tonys, among them Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book.

Pippin

Pippin didn’t crack the 2,000-performance mark, closing after 1,944 shows, but the Fosse-directed musical won five Tony Awards, so it’s not like it was a flop. It told the story of a young prince named Pippin looking for his purpose in his life.

“No Time at All,” “Magic to Do,” and “Corner of the Sky” are just three of the fine songs from this show that help it work its way back to the stage via revivals again and again.

The Wiz

These days, the phrase “urban retelling” might be a little problematic, but that’s what The Wiz was— an update of The Wizard of Oz. The gimmick? It’s an entirely African-American cast. Making Dorothy anything but a little midwestern white girl was a stretch for some, but it worked.

Ted Ross, as The Lion, won one of the show’s seven Tonys, and the show featured innovative theater tech, including a moving bridge. It also had the murderously catchy song “Ease on Down the Road.”

Chicago

Another Bob Fosse show, Chicago, tells of Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, who are awaiting trial for murder in a Chicago jail. It’s a satire of the criminal justice system that starred Chita Rivera and the one and only Jerry Orbach.

It ran for 936 performances and has since been adapted into a film and enjoyed several revivals. The 1997 revival won the show its only Tony Award, but with songs like “Cell Block Tango,” “Razzle Dazzle, and “All That Jazz,” Chicago stands as an important piece of theatre that has demonstrated real staying power.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was directed by Peter Masterson and Tommy Tune, with music and lyrics by Carol Hall. The show is based on a real-life brothel in Texas called The Chicken Ranch and tells the story of the relationship between the local sheriff and the establishment’s madam.

It ran for 1,584 performances and scored a choreography Tony for Tommy Tune.

Jesus Christ Superstar

This Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera focuses on the interactions and relationships between Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene in the last days of Jesus’ life. At the time, many critics loved the music but were blasé about the show itself. Add to that the fact that many Christians took issue with a few things:

• Judas was too sympathetic a character.
• Jesus does not come back to life in the show.
• Some people perceived a real bias against Jews in the show, depicting them as the ones who murdered Jesus.

But it’s stood the test of time through revivals, national tours, and a live production on network television starring John Legend a few years ago.

Shenandoah

Set in Virginia during the American Civil War, Shenandoah follows a farmer who is determined to keep his family out of the conflict. John Cullum and Debbie Reynolds headed a stellar cast, and while the show did not win any Tonys, it was well-received. It ran for 1,050 performances and is known for its powerful message about the cost of war.

James Lee Barrett wrote the show, basing it on his 1965 film of the same name. It ran at the Alvin Theatre for 19 months.

Sweeney Todd

Stephen Sondheim gave us the demon barber of Fleet Street, and though this show is darker than deep space, it’s got iconic songs and an enduringly memorable plot. Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou starred in a musical telling of a 19th-century urban legend. In that tale, Sweeney Todd was a barber who murdered his customers and turned them into meat pies.

Notably, Sweeney Todd won eight Tony Awards. Furthermore, it has solidified itself as a beloved musical theater classic, with numerous revivals and adaptations, including a film with Johnny Depp as the titular hairstylist.

Follies

Follies is set in a crumbling Broadway theater about to be demolished, the scene of a reunion of former showgirls who performed there in the 20s and 30s. “Broadway Baby” and “Losing My Mind” come from this show, which brought home seven Tonys, but still somehow closed after only 522 shows.

It was a show about nostalgia and regret, so like some of Sondheim’s other shows, it wasn’t exactly a laugh-a-minute night at the theater. But it’s widely thought of as one of his top-tier works.

Best Musicals From The 1970s, Final Thoughts

Musicals— live or as films— remain an integral part of western culture, and while they date back to far before the 1970s, that decade gave us some shows with real staying power. The fact that you know the words to at least one of the songs listed above, even if you’ve never seen the show, is a testament to the power of musicals in general and these ones in particular.