From my shady London base it's easy to see the way in which musical theatre is heading in the West End, spurred on by Broadway's seemingly insatiable desire for tinsel. It was once said to me after many hours spent on Christmas decorations "hmm, nothing cheapens a room like tinsel". Perhaps this (in retrospect incredibly sensible philosophy) should be applied to the great white way and London's fabled West End.

Whilst Broadway sporadically churns out originality - The Light in the Piazza, even Wicked, the West End continues to put - as Forbidden Broadway justifiably quips "film-on-the-stage" and holds a special regard for "the flat-pack musical". Dirty Dancing opens in the UK with pre-sales of over 12 million - taking booking until May 2007. The West end is also home to countless imports from Broadway (Wicked, The Producers, Avenue Q) all poor copies of their New York parents.

But even Broadway itself is subject to over-amplification, Hairspray, at the Neil Simon Theatre is more like listening to an ipod with vague visual stimulation and a over-vamped score, book and cast, than watching a theatrical entertainment. All this on the very stage where Ethel Merman first belted out Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm", not to mention Porter's masterpiece "Anything Goes".

And yet, both Broadway and the West End seem to have favoured the older shows in recent years. Anything Goes was revived in the West End in 2003, and the Cardiff Festival of Musical Theatre showcases Gypsy this coming weekend amidst rumours that the piece will be revived in London in the near future. Andrew Lloyd-Webber's own musical ventures of late pale in significance when considered against his forthcoming revival of The Sound of Music. Whilst the West End sees Cabaret revived, Broadway has recently seen Sweeney Todd with Patti Lupone starring as Sondheim's gloriously heartless purveyor of "The worst pies in London".

Now I would personally be very happy to see revival after revival hit London's West End and shimmer along the lights of Broadway. However this does beg me to ask the question "Where is the new talent?". Whilst new shows like Avenue Q continue to do well they pertain solely to modern issues and their longevity is limited.

I can only conclude that Musical Theatre needs a new Cole Porter, quickly.

Learn more about this author, Dominic Mattos.
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