As they say, "history repeats itself." Fast forwarding to three centuries later, the love for technology rose again when megamusicals began to take over West End and Broadway in the 1980s.
Megamusicals are "designed to evoke strong emotional reactions from the audiences" (Wollman, MacDermot, and Trask). The megamusical was born when Andrew Lloyd Weber's Cats opened in 1981. Despite the lack of story, this big-budget musical was an instant hit. What was it about Cats that made it such a success? It was a show filled with dazzling visuals, incredible dancing, and a highly energized cast. After the extraordinary success of Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber created another megamusical, The Phantom of the Opera. .
Though Phantom has a more complex plotline than Cats, it is apparent that most of its success can be credited to its high quality production design. The 1986 reviews of opening night on the West End are filled with claims such as, "The set designs were the best part of show," ("Original Reviews: London (1986); Broadway (1988)"). Theatre critic Michael Radcliffe said the show was "beyond question the most beautiful spectacle on the West End stage." .
Even though Weber's "hits" were valued for their set designs, spectacle alone is not always a recipe for success. Weber learned this when Starlight Express opened on Broadway in 1987 with the highest musical budget in history (Fraley). Starlight Express, which was an excessive spectacle in London, used its $8 million budget to make the Broadway version even more elaborate. In London, the cast used roller skates to glide around the theatre, but the American version included a three-level track. The Plexiglas track was an intricate system of slopes and passages that depended on computers to raise and lower them. The scenic elements caused so many problems that the show's opening was postponed twice (Fraley).