Sternfeld argues that all of the musicals that are, and have been on Broadway are influenced by the megamusical. A thesis she uses to support this point is the following: “Today, there are virtually no new musicals that, at first glance, fit the 1980′s definition of the megamusical. But there are also no new musicals that do not, in at least some ways, reflect the influence of the 1980s megamusical.”
Sternfeld supports her thesis by first discussing musicals, such as Aida and The Producers, that appear on Broadway in megamusical style. She then talks about the influence of 9/11/01. After the attacks, there were a significantly less amount of people in the audiences of Broadway shows. Over time, Broadway attendance starts to rebuild. The chapter ends discussing new megamusicals, such as , Wicked, Hairspray and Mama Mia! just to name a few. Some of the musicals are adaptions of fims, others are famous for their soundtracks. However, they all come from the same idea, and that is the idea of the megamusical.
