Exploring the Fascinating World of Musical Theatre

Chapter 17 The Musical

Musicals Genre of its own Can be any of the already covered genres Tragedy Comedy Tragicomedy

Background Long History Long history of combining music and drama Greeks - Chorus Italian Opera of 1600 s

Background Shakespeare comedies w/ songs Melodrama - Song Dramas Vaudeville and Burlesque - Used song and dance. Modern Musical theatre traces its roots to America of the 20th century

American Musical Theatre American musical theatre is our indigenous art form. We can t claim drama, ballet, or opera, but musical theatre is our very own. . . . Musicals are in our blood and in our bones, are part of our collective personality. Molly Smith, Artistic Director of the Arena Stage

The Appeal of Music and Dance Music is so appealing as to be used in the home. Grace of movement of dance. Emotional quality of music. Music can elevate the feeling of words

Types of Musical Theatre Opera Drama set entirely to music. Aria - songs Recitatives - dialogs Sometimes counted as music - but is both.

Types of Musical Theatre Operetta and Comic Opera Spoken dialog and sung songs Romantic story in far off land. Air of unreality and make believe. Gilbert and Sullivan Rock Operas of Today

Types of Musical Theatre Musical Comedy Emerged in US 1920 s Light comic story interspersed with popular music Story may be silly or far fetched but does relate to everyday events. Closer to everyday life than operetta Music not operatic and had more popular songs

Types of Musical Theatre Musical Revue Sketches and vignettes alternate with musical numbers. No single story. Songs and scenes stand alone. May have a theme 2X5, A my name is Alice

A Different Categorization Book musicals Rodgers and Hammerstein Lerner and Loewe Dance musicals Michael Bennett Bob Fosse Operatic musicals Andrew Lloyd Webber Stephen Sondheim

Types of Musical Numbers Overture Previews the music from the show by playing a medley of tunes before the show begins Ballad Usually a slow love song Comedy number Designed for comic relief Showstopper A big brass production number Reprise Repetition of pieces of a song or melody line

Three Parts of a Musical Music Orchestrated Melodies Lyrics Sung Words Book Spoken Lines of Dialogue

Brief History of Musical Theatre Burlesque Girlie shows & strip tease Dramatic sketches and songs satirizing other forms Vaudeville Variety acts Animals, Songs, Dance, Comedy

Roots of Musical Theatre Minstrel Show White performers in Blackface Other roots Combinations - Melodrama and Ballet George M. Cohan - Decidedly American flavor to music and down to earth language.

The 1920s and 1930s Musical Comedies Around WWI - Story w/popular music. The standards Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Cole Porter Fresh and Innovative - New form of music Lyrics witty and clever.

The 1920s and 1930s Advances in Musicals Showboat Showboat - Based on novel by Edna Ferber about life on a Mississippi riverboat. Story uniquely American. Brought Euro-American and African-American performers together on the same stage at the same time Several romantic stories - Gambler and woman. and a Black woman and a white man. Groundbreaking thing to show on the stage.

Showboat Songs carefully integrated with the plot. Eliminated line of chorus girls. Brought Euro-American and African-American performers together on the same stage at the same time First musical to win the Pulitzer Prize Established Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II as major figures in the development of the American musical

The 1920s and 1930s Advances in Musicals Of Thee I Sing Musical satire of presidential elections and miss America contest. Porgy and Bess Very forceful music. Opera and Musical

Musical Theatre of the 1940 s and 1950 s Oklahoma Oklahoma given more credit than it warrants Murder onstage - Porgy and Bess Integration of songs and plot. Collaboration of Rodgers and Hammerstein Ballet and dance as part of the overall effect. Wide range of song types.

Musical Theatre of the 1940 s and 1950 s Very productive and quality period in time Best work of previous writers done in this period. West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls. Wide range of subjects.

Musicals from the 1960s through the 1980 s Fiddler on the roof marks end of golden era. Hair indicative of change in Musical theatre. Fragmentation of Musical Theatre

Musicals from the 1960s through the 1980 s A Chorus Line Old formula seems new Ascendancy of Choreographers and Dances First Computerized Lighting System Longest Running Musical 1975 - 1990 Director Choreographers Thin book and score of today leads to style over substance. British musicals - Phantom, Les Miserable's, Miss Saigon

Musicals Today The main problems for Broadway musicals has to do with the exorbitant cost of producing them Disneyification of the musical Reliance upon revivals to recoup huge investments The Tourist Musical is challenged by smaller cast musicals like Urinetown