Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand - Season 1

In episode one Neil finds out how the modern shape of the musical was established through a series of pioneering works, from Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's Show Boat in the 1920s, with its bold look at America's racial divide; and innovative use of songs that further the narrative, with Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's My Fair Lady, which made a star of Julie Andrews in the late 1950s.

In the second episode, Neil explores how a new generation of composers transformed musical theatre by embracing more gritty, challenging subjects, from the mean streets of 1950s New York in West Side Story, to the Dickensian London of British blockbuster Oliver!. Neil learns the stories behind Broadway hits Fiddler on the Roof and A Chorus Line, and celebrates the groundbreaking work of Stephen Sondheim. He also takes us step by step through the secrets of some classic numbers with the help of star performers Robert Lindsay and Frances Ruffelle.

In episode three Neil looks at the rise of the all-conquering contemporary blockbuster, from Evita to Les Misérables and The Lion King. And he sees how these mega-musicals have met with unexpected competition from quirky hits like The Rocky Horror Show and Avenue Q.