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Since ancient Greek drama developed from festivals of singing and dancing, there has always been music in the theatre - to create atmosphere, set the scene, and excite and entertain the audience.
Early 20th-century musical theatre
In early 20th-century America, the booming musical theatre and the cinema industries stimulated the composition of much new music.
Writing music for large cinema companies like MGM, Warner Brothers and Universal provided composers with a good income and a mass audience for their music.
Between 1910 and 1940 Irving Berlin and Cole Porter both wrote music for a New York dance troupe called the 'Ziegfeld Follies'. They went on to compose many numbers for stage musicals which became immensely popular all over the world.
Cole Porter's most famous musicals are 'Anything Goes' and 'Kiss Me Kate'. His best known songs include 'Night and Day' and 'Begin the Beguine'.
Listen to this extract from the song 'Anything Goes' (sung in this version by Tony Bennett):
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