The "Glee" Phenomenon- is Broadway going mainstream??

Ken Davenport recently blogged at his "Producers Perspective" site about how Broadway is no longer producing any crossover hits for top 40 radio. While I disagree with Ken as to the extent that Broadway influenced the pop charts back in the day, there are a handful of showtunes that crossed to the mainstream.

In 1971, Judy Collins version of "Send In The Clowns" was a top 10 hit at adult contemporary radio. The soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar spawned "I Don't Know How To Love Him", which was a minor US hit for Yvonne Elliman in the 70's. Murray Head's version of "One Night In Bangkok" from the Chess soundtrack, managed to climb into the top 10 on the Hot 100. Stephanie Mills went to #1 on the R&B charts with "Home" in 1989 (years after she performed the show on New York stages). The most recent win came when Madonna's remix of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" landed on the dance charts in the mid 90's. While they are all nice, individual stories, it's not exactly overwhelming evidence to suggest that Broadway was ever a consistently important piece of the pop music landscape.

Nevertheless, the theater community is buzzing today after hearing that the latest Glee Soundtrack would debut at #1 on next week's Billboard Charts. With such beloved theater stars like Lea Michelle and Matthew Morrison being a prominent part of the show, it proves that Broadway can once again rule the charts, right??

Well, kind of.

The album that will top the charts is a CD of Madonna cover songs, not showtunes. In fact, in their three combined soundtrack releases, you can only find three Broadway songs represented on the playlist. For every "Defying Gravity", there is five Journey songs.

Glee is successful because of the same formula that has worked for Mama Mia, Rock of Ages, and the recently opened American Idiot. Take a catalog of previously successful pop music, and "swish it up" (thanks Sue Sylvester") for the Broadway stage. The formula is commercially successful, but it doesn't mean that Broadway is dictating pop culture. Instead, it's imitating it.

That isn't meant as a negative. "Glee" is tremendously important for Broadway in the sense that it has given mainstream credibility to some very talented stage performers. At some point, Lea Michelle is going to head back to the stage and be a massive box office draw. That's going to be great news for producers, investors, and more importantly, the other actors and crew members who will stay employed because they are in a show with someone that audiences are paying to see.

In the meantime, let's not hold our breath waiting to hear Lady Gaga cover "Defying Gravity" on you local top 40 station anytime soon.