What does Pre-Contemporary mean?
Strictly speaking, when talking about then Pre-Contemporary age of broadway, most people are referencing a time between the Golden Age and the Modern Age. So that falls between about the mid 1960' to about the year 2000. This was a time of transformation on broadway and in musical theatre in general. The medium was falling out of the public eye after the renaissanceof the Golden Age so musical theatre had to adapt to an ever-changing cultural landscape. This change in the zeitgeist precipitated a massive change in the style of shows put on regularly on broadway. The scene shifted from uplifting, traditionally composed shows to more shows in the style of the "mega musical", shows that featured massive orchestras, even more complex stories, heavier themes, and massive and beautiful sets. As the times changed to accommodate larger then life music, as did the musical theatre world, bringing with it two of the most legendary composer the medium has ever seen.
Pre-Contemporary Works
One cannot discuss the Pre-Contemporary age of musical theatre without talking about two men in particular. Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. These two men are on the proverbial Mount Rushmore of musical theatre creators. They even share the same birthday. There is no overstating just how much influence these two men had on the broadway world that continues to be felt today. In this era, Stephen Sondheim produced numerous legendary shows such as "Sweeney Todd", "Company", "Sunday in the Park with George", and som many others. Andrew Lloyd Webber is responsible for the longest running brodway show of all time, "The Phantom of the Opera", "Jesus Christ Superstar", and "Cats". However, many other mythical shows debuted during this era such as "Les Miserables", "Little Shop of Horrors", and "Miss Saigon".
Below is an example of what a typical Pre-Contemporary overture might sound like