An Exploration of the Relationship Between Musical Theatre and Popular Music: Hamilton and Hip Hop

An Exploration of the Relationship Between Musical Theatre and Popular Music: Hamilton and Hip Hop Saskia Steene Faulkner Student Number: 344506 Module Title: Commercial Music Research Writing and Revision Module Code: CMU6100-20 Word Count: 5592 1 Contents 1) Introduction 2) Literature Review a. The Origins of Theatre b. Operetta and Gilbert and Sullivan (1850- 1950) c. The Golden Age (1950-1979) d. The British Mega Musical vs Broadway (1980-1990) e. Disney and Jukebox Musicals (1990-2000) f. Turn of the Century to Present Day 3) Methodology a. Methodological Approach b. Data Collection / Selection c. Methods of Analysis d. Evaluation of Methodological Sources 4) Case Study: Hamilton and Hip-Hop 5) Discussion 6) Conclusion 7) Bibliography 8) Appendix 1 2 1. Introduction In this thesis I am eXamining the relationship between musical theatre and popular music by comparing relevant arguments chronologically from Ancient Greece up until the present day, focusing on the period 1850 to 2020 and forming a case study using an eXample of modern theatre, Hamilton (2015). I will acknowledge and eXplore the changes of the musical genre, from Gilbert and Sullivan’s success, the ‘Golden Age’ of musical theatre, to the British mega musical, jukeboX shows such as Mamma Mia (1999) and modern shows such as Hamilton. I will also compare these eras with their contemporary popular music trends from opera, to pop rock, glam rock, hip-hop and even more; to eXamine the compleX relationship between popular music and the theatrical world. My case study focuses on Hamilton because of the way it is revolutionising musical theatre by incorporating musical styles that have previously seemed impossible. By eXploring this I will seek to establish whether musical theatre is evolving to reflect popular music. 2. Literature Review a. The Origins of Theatre Some theatre academics have discussed how musical theatres ancestry can be traced back to Ancient Greece and its two main forms of theatre, tragedy and drama, and how these have influenced the dramatic world. Kendrick (2010:18) eXplains that Greek dramas often included singing, chanting, and dancing as well as acting; ‘In short, the early Greek dramas were musicals’ (Kendrick, 2010:18). Famous composers, such as Claudio Monteverdi, have 3 used Greek dramas as a model for the development of opera. Therefore, contrary to the popular belief that musical theatre evolved from opera, the truth is in fact the opposite (Kendrick, 2010:28).The world of drama mostly tries to avoid acknowledging the eXistence of musicals, so it is not surprising that academics avoid admitting that drama actually began as a way of eXpressing musicality (Kendrick 2010:19). The fact that musical theatre can be traced back to these ancient roots, and still be prevalent in modern society, is proof of its ability to mould itself and adapt to popular cultural trends and styles. b. Operetta and Gilbert and Sullivan (1850-1950) Most research suggests, as Kendrick (2010:13) illustrates, that the division between opera and musical theatre began at the creation of the operetta in Paris in the 1858. This was the year Jacques Offenbach premiered Orpheus in the Underworld (Orphée aux Enfers, 1858). He began to move away from his previous operatic style after negotiating with Napoleon III’s government to create shows longer than one act (English National Opera, n.d.) and paved the way for composers such as Sullivan to solidify the style. Whilst this evolution was happening in Paris, composers in America and England had also created different variations of the musical theatre genre. However, the most significant evolution came from the English pair W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, who consolidated this new transformation of the genre. This pair dominated the theatre market for the following quarter of a century, from 1871-1896 (English National Opera, n.d.), including hits such as Iolanthe (1882) and The Mikado (1885) that are still performed by avid fans to this day (English National Opera, n.d.). Istel (2003) argues that at this point musical theatre and popular music were synonymous, which was confirmed by Platt’s (2013) opinion that it was one of the most important 4 popular cultures at this time and played a vital role in maintaining the modernisation of theatre. Like most things, change and evolution are not always clean cut. Operetta and musical theatre eXisted harmoniously side by side at the beginning of the twentieth century, inspiring and working off one another; until musicals flourished and evolved into musical comedies (Kendrick, 2010). Composers would employ songwriters from Tin Pan Alley, the name given to the New York popular music publishers and songwriters (Colangelo et al, 2019), to come and work on their latest shows. In these musicals they merged the styles of Jazz and Blues that were underpinning popular music of the time, with theatre. However, this collaboration was much more prevalent in America than in England. The new style was made use of by the American composers George Gershwin and Harold Arlen and also appreciated by English audiences. Gordon et al. (2016:14) comments that English composers took longer to catch on to this new style and it took British composers until the late 1950’s before they felt comfortable to employ this same modern musical vocabulary in their West End productions. c. The Golden Age (1950-1979) It is commonly agreed that musicals between the 1950s-1970s, the so called ‘Golden Age’, had a reflective quality to them. One eXample being Annie Get Your Gun (1946). At the beginning of this era shows employed outdated musical styles that had not evolved that far from operettas. The genre seemed stuck in the belief that ‘the really good stuff happened about thirty years ago’ (Kendrick, 2010:11). As a result, they often attracted an older audience who enjoyed the reminiscent qualities of the shows. Critics such as Gordon et al (2016:116-117) argue that this is why it seemed like a ‘sudden and dramatic shift’ when 5 ‘Innovative genres […] such as rock and roll, soul and, much later, rap, […] featured in musicals initially aimed at and featuring a younger generation’. Although in reality it was representative of musical theatre finally catching up with the gradual changes that had been occurring in popular music (Gordon et al, 2016:117). British music had evolved past the styles employed by people such as Lionel Bart, composer of Oliver (1960), once artists such as the Beatles, the Kinks, The Rolling Stones and others broke out onto the global music scene (Gordon et al. 2016:48). The impact of popular music inevitably drove change in the world of musical theatre, which had to adapt or be left at the wayside. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice ‘burst onto the scene’ (Gordon et al 2016:117) and brought musical theatre into line with popular culture with the premier of Jesus Christ Superstar (1970). This show was innovative in many ways. Firstly, it was released as a double album before it was staged; finding ‘a novel way for British theatre to present new musicals to the public’ (Gordon et al. 2016:142). This unique way of utilising the music industry by promoting the show on the back of album sales has set the precedent for cast recordings of shows. Releasing the shows songs as an album to reach a global audience can be credited for a majority of contemporary musicals worldwide success. Secondly, they reintroduced the style of a ‘sung-through’ musical that is reminiscent of opera (Gordon et al. 2016:142). This was effective because of the way that they employed the album as a promotional tool as it allowed audiences to follow the story through the soundtrack and sparked a style that ‘dominated the West End for Decades to come.’ (Gordon et al. 2016:142); Miss Saigon (1989) and Hamilton being two eXamples. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) employed the same idea from a different angle. The composer employed a glam rock aesthetic which ‘was at odds with the hard rock of 6 Superstar’ though it managed to reflect this other aspect of the popular music scene and reach a different audience (Gordon et al 2016: 120). The musical became a cult success rather than a popular culture sensation, but undoubtedly successful in its own right. d. The British Mega Musical vs Broadway (1980-1990) Gordon et al (2016:141) discusses the era of the ‘Mega Musical’; a phrase coined by American journalists to describe the “British Invasion of Broadway” in the 1980’s. During which time there was an abundance of successful new shows appearing on West End stages. These productions were lavish, and larger than life, employing the use of large set pieces and props, such as the chandelier that falls in Phantom of the Opera (1986) or the full-sized helicopter that descends on stage in the second act of Miss Saigon. Lloyd-Webber and Rice played a large part in this success, as did Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s partnership in shows such as Les Misérables (1980); the longest running musical on the West End. However, this is also the period where Musical Theatre and popular music were furthest from each other; West End musical theatre had created its own genre and was thriving on it. Gordon et al (2016:68) comments that ‘The blockbuster British musicals of the 1980s from Cats to Miss Saigon were a product of the monetarism of the Reagan/Thatcher years in which British and American culture moved closer together’. Whilst this is in some ways true, Kendrick (2010:350) argues it was the British productions that were dominating at this time, having huge success on Broadway as well as at home.

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