The term 'PRECURSOR OF TODAY'S MUSICAL THEATER' can be summarized as 'operetta', an 8-letter word. Operetta is a genre of musical theater that originated in the mid-19th century and was popular until the 1930s. It is characterized by light, romantic music and often includes spoken dialogue. Operetta is considered to be the precursor of today's musical theater, as it laid the foundation for the development of the modern musical.