The Idea

An idea is the genesis of every work of art. Often the idea for a musical comes from a movie or play. Sometimes the inspiration is a book, as Washington Irving’s History of New York was for Knickerbocker Holiday; sometimes it is a painting, as Georges Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte was for Sunday in the Park with George; and sometimes it is a poem, as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey were for The Golden Apple. The idea for a musical may also come from incidents in a real person’s life, as Eva Peron’s career inspired Evita; from historical events, as the history of Japan’s foreign relations from 1853 to 1976 inspired Pacific Overtures; or from a satirical perspective on current events, as the Elvis Presley phenomenon inspired Bye Bye Birdie. The idea for a revue can come from the desire to showcase the work of a particular songwriter or choreographer, or simply to entertain an audience.