Future of theatre

Hi and welcome to my first Blogging experience. I hope it's interesting and please feel free to leave me feedback.
Having spent the last 11 years of my life working in Musical Theatre, i find myself looking back and seeing how the industry has changed. When i left college, there was a lot of relatively home grown productions on the stage. Classic's from Gershwin to Webber. As everyone is probably aware there seems to be more and more shows based on movies or featuring the music from successful pop bands. Obviously the huge worldwide success of Mamma Mia has lead to more bands/groups cashing in and trying their luck. I am by no means a fan of Mamma Mia, but it's clear Abba found a niche in the market and even managed a transfer to the silver screen, which is some feat for a theatrical production. I think Our House was my favorite of the bunch (based on the music from Madness) as it was as close to the music as the show could be, cheeky and fun. Unfortunately this clearly didn't hit a note with the punters though. We Will Rock You has now turned into a European success, despite being completely flawed as a musical. I really rate Ben Elton as a writer and have read a fair few books, but i cannot understand what possessed him when writing this musical. The story is pretty horrific and after a few months of the show coming out it was going to be pulled, had it not been for Brian May playing guitar on the roof of Buckingham Palace at the Queen's Jubilee. Sometimes you cannot buy publicity like that. Don't get me wrong Queen's music is just fantastic and WWRY is as close as people will ever come to hearing it live. Unfortunately i missed Never Forget (based on the music of Take That), but as you can see there is clearly a trend.
Then we turn to Movie's being turned into Musicals. Dirty Dancing, Shrek, Ghost, Sister Act, Tarzan, Spiderman, Adams Family, Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, some proving if doesn't even have to be a good movie to be seen as a money making experiment. Where does it end? It seems theatre goers no longer crave for new and interesting works of theatre, but for a movie rehashed into a stage production (or maybe that's what producers want us to think). Where is the new Wicked? The new Rent?
I'm yet to see Lend Me A Tenor, but I take my hat off to the creative team and cast for at last providing us with something new and daring. I am a huge fan of the old school musicals, and i am really looking forward to seeing this production. The problem is, i just cannot imagine it competing with Shrek or Ghost for business. Dare i say i did see Shrek on Broadway and the saving grace was Sutton Foster, who you could put into the worst piece of theatre and come out smelling of roses. I did also see Ghost in Manchester and its actually a beautiful piece of theatre and I cannot praise it enough.
I guess regardless of the production, there are some great shows and some not so. The thing I am missing in my life is a West End or Broadway just filled with fantastic, original musicals, or have we got to the point where we have exhausted these. There has to be an extremely large number of original musicals out there just waiting to be picked up, but instead producers don't want to gamble. I can't blame them, as everyone is struggling in this economic climate. Of course theatre is a luxury that comes after food, water and electricity.  Sondheim's new production is just into previews as we speak staring Michael Jibson from Our House. I do know Sondheim is a complete legend and he does write thrilling and encapsulating theatre, but if he can do it, surely we must have some better idea's than movies on stage, featuring songs. The Book of Mormon which is currently smashing Broadway to pieces is a prime example. It took 4 years to write and now they are clearly reaping the rewards.
I just want to ask producers to please please please bring new and exciting productions back into theatres as it would put a huge smile back on my face.