Final answer:
The discussion is about the significant impact of the movie industry on American musical theatre and the influential musicals and figures, like Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Elvis Presley, that helped shape its evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mention of musicals such as Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, and The Music Man points to a discussion about the movie industry's influence on musical theatre, particularly those that were turned into films. This topic covers notable shifts in American musical theatre history from the golden age with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! to the advent of megamusicals like Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. The impact of television on musical theatre helped to popularize these shows, bringing them into living rooms across America. Additionally, the Civil Rights Movement and societal change precipitated musicals that dealt with more serious content, like Cabaret and Hair that tackled social issues and were emblematic of their times. Hollywood's response to shifting tastes, with techniques such as CinemaScope and stars like Elvis Presley, further augmented the cross-pollination between cinema and theatre, evidenced by the transition from movies to Broadway shows.
The question seems to hint towards musicals featuring specific artists or personalities that benefitted from the movie industry's focus on musicals. Since the blank in the question is not filled, we can speculate that notable figures like Elvis Presley and composers like Andrew Lloyd Webber played significant roles in these historical shifts. These examples also show how African American music influenced mainstream artists and how rock and roll began to break down racial barriers in the entertainment industry.