Abstract
Between 1728 and 1760 ballad opera transformed London’s theatre by making English song the key to commercial success for stage works. By generating the first modern popular singers, it became a prototype for present-day British and American musical theatre. The jaw-dropping success of John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera established a new genre, of which three types developed, according to venue. Licensed theatres staged sentimental, putatively native ‘operas’ tailored around star sopranos such as Kitty Clive. Non-licensed theatres accommodated ballad operas with political intent, or those of particular local interest. Finally, ballad operas written for publication, not staging, deployed song to expose court scandal or protest against the government. The appeal of ballad opera depended on its songs, which pretended to instruct by appealing to popular prejudice, particularly against women. Although the Licensing Act of 1737 discouraged new works, staples of ballad opera still flourished on the London stage throughout the century.
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