Making Musicals that Matter: George C. Wolfe and Oskar Eustis at the Public Theater

Abstract

Following in Joseph Papp’s footsteps, George C. Wolfe (artistic director 1993–2004) and Oskar Eustis (since 2005) have led the Public Theater in the development of new musical theatre and have regularly transferred Public Theater musicals to Broadway. Wolfe conceived and produced the black history tap musical Bring in ’Da Noise, Bring in ’Da Funk (1995) and championed contemporary musical theatre composers such as Michael John LaChiusa, Adam Guettel, and Jeanine Tesori. Eustis has shepherded an eclectic range of musicals through development, including Stephen Sondheim’s Road Show (2008), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (2009), and Fun Home (2013), each of which stretched the boundaries of the American musical.