Musical Theatre Can Be Comic, Tragic, Melodramatic, Etc
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Musical Theatre Can be Comic, Tragic, Melodramatic, etc. A product of American talent and creativity. Origins: Greek theatre – choral segments accompanied by music and dance Melodrama – music accompanied the play Vaudeville and Burlesque – music and dance acts. Opera Set entirely to music. Arias – strong melodic solos Duets, trios, quartets, etc. transitional segments called recitatives. Begun in Florence, Italy around 1600 as a drama set to music. Used myth, history and contemporary fictional and real events as source material. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Wagner (Vagner), Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini Vivid characters and stories with plot twists and unexpected reversals. Music and score predominate. Types of Musical Theatre Operetta, Musical Comedy, Musical Theatre, Revue Operetta Not entirely set to music Romantic story in a far-off locale An air of Make-believe Beautiful soaring melodies Musical Comedy Emerged in the US in the 1920’s Light comic story interspersed with popular music Often far-fetched or even silly, but did relate to contemporary people and events. Musical/ Musical Theatre Evolved out of operetta and musical comedy Show Boat, Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady Revue Sketches and vignettes alternate with musical numbers. No single story line Scenes and story line stand alone and have very little relationship to each other. Antecedents Operetta Burlesque Vaudeville – A series of Variety Acts – Music, sketches, juggling, animal acts Minstrel show – White performers wearing black face. George M. Cohan – performer, writer, composer Yankee Doodle Dandy and Give my Regards to Broadway Realistic Dialogue with a central story line (Book or libretto) 1920’s and 1930’s: Musical Comedies Often frivolous story line Songs were Standards – popular music of the time and played on radio. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rogers, Jerome Kern Clever and witty lyrics 1927 – Show Boat about life on a Mississippi Riverboat – an American story Also featured a secondary romance between an African American woman and white man. No chorus line of girls Porgy and Bess Set in a black community in Charleston, SC About Porgy a crippled man who falls for Bess Pal Joey Central character is an anti-hero A nightclub singer who takes advantage of a woman to get ahead. Musical theatre 1940’s and 1950’s Oklahoma! By Rogers and Hammerstein Included a ballet (dream ballet) Entire piece – story, music, lyrics, dances – fit together in tone mood and intention Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music Choreography became an integral part of the form. Dance training necessary Irving Berlin: Annie Get your Gun Cole Porter: Kiss me Kate Frank Loesser: Guys and Dolls Lerner and Loewe: My Fair Lady Bernstein and Sondheim: West Side Story Broad Range of subjects and styles Musicals from the 1960’s to the 1980’s Fiddler on the Roof 1964 – Jerry Bock Marked the end of the Golden Age of musicals Hair – 1967 No real story line Encapsulated the radical ideals of the 60’s Fewer musicals were written through the 70’s Concept musicals emerged Follies – Former stars of the Zeigfeld Follies look back at their lives A Chorus Line- About dancers auditioning for a Broadway show. Also highlighted the choreographer becoming director Emergence of the British composers in creation of musicals Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice: Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita Webber: Cats, The Phantom of the Opera Les Miserables Musicals from 1990 to Present Revival of “classic” musicals Cost – Tried and true shows make money Fresh, off-beat musicals Rent, Urinetown, Avenue Q Musicals based on Film The Producers, Spamalot, Hairspray, Legally Blonde, The Lion King, etc Musicals out of music of former popular stars and groups Mamma Mia – based on ABBA Summary Opera – set entirely to music Operetta – some dialogue with fanciful story lines Musical comedy – American creation light story interspersed with popular music Musical - 1940’s to late 60’s golden age of musicals Concept Musical – Based on an idea rather than story line Currently – Revivals, Offbeat or experimental musicals, musicals from films, musicals based on popular music. .