A 16 Bar Cut: the History of American Musical Theatrean Original Script and Monograph Document
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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2006 A 16 Bar Cut: The History Of American Musical Theatrean Original Script And Monograph Document Patrick Moran University of Central Florida Part of the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Moran, Patrick, "A 16 Bar Cut: The History Of American Musical Theatrean Original Script And Monograph Document" (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 916. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/916 A 16 BAR CUT: THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE An Original Script and Monograph Document by PATRICK JOHN MORAN B.A. Greensboro College, 2003 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in the Department of Theatre in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Summer Term 2006 © 2006 Patrick John Moran ii ABSTRACT A final thesis for my Master of Fine Arts degree should encompass every aspect of the past few years spent in the class room. Therefore, as a perfect capstone to my degree, I have decided to conceive, write, and perform a new musical with my classmate Rockford Sansom entitled The History of Musical Theatre: A 16 Bar Cut. The History of Musical Theatre: A 16 Bar Cut will be a two-man musical that will capsulate all of musical theatre history in a single evening. Starting with the Greeks and finishing in the present, the show will comedically inform the audience, while paying homage to, the astonishing art form called musical theatre, using several outrageous conventions such as a game show, spoof, mimicry, and most importantly, drag. The show will also pose the question to everyone: with all the great literature already created, where is musical theatre headed, and who is going to bring us there? Writing A 16 Bar Cut will test the training I have received and my mastery of musical theatre as an art form. The show will demonstrate my understanding and passion for several components used by authors and actors alike to create a musical. Being that the show is a capsulation of all musical theatre, A 16 Bar Cut will show my true mastery of the history and literature of musical theatre. I will be forced to hone my skills of the collaborative process at a new level, as never having to truly execute them with such intensity before. The challenges that lay ahead will be seen not only in the performance aspect, but also in the creation of A 16 Bar Cut. Since musical theatre has an immense range in genre and style, the ability to technically master these styles and genres will prove to challenge me as a performer, as well as a writer. In the performance, there will be three main challenges: vocal qualities, dance techniques, and my acting craft. The vocal styles used in A 16 Bar Cut will test my capabilities iii as a singer to meet the demands needed to convey the original material used as it was initially intended. As a dancer, the specific movements and “signatures” of the many choreographers will challenge me to understand and be able to re-create these “specifics” for an audience. The character building will test me as an actor, starting with one through-lined character—a heightened half-brained juvenile form of myself—along with building approximately fifty auxiliary characters throughout the show. As a writer, there are two major challenges that I foresee. The first challenge is the arc of the show—needing to keep a steady through-line that will let the audience understand what is happening and follow the history. The second obstacle is making sure the audience understands the show. I may be finishing an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre, but not everyone will be. In fact, some audience members may not know anything about musical theatre. This challenge arises trying to make the show funny to everyone, not just musical theatre dorks. The Research and Analysis portion of my monograph document will follow the course of action laid out in the M.F.A. Thesis Guidelines. The (A) Research section will include the biographical information pertaining to the composers and lyricists involved in the selected materials. Librettists of specific book shows that we choose to utilize as it pertains to our show will also be included in this section. I will also include a brief subsection of each composer, lyricist, and librettist’s significance to musical theatre history. The (B) Structural Analysis section will discuss the structure and dramatic organization of how we choose to create A 16 Bar Cut. The (C) Analysis of the Role section will reveal how we employ the stock characters/ comedic duo of the straight man and funny man (i.e., Laurel & Hardy and Abbot & Costello). All other components outlined in the M.F.A. Thesis Guidelines will be included in my document. iv For my family: Daniel, Donna, Donald, Jonathan, Kathleen, Michael, and my newest brother, Rockford. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Over the past three years, I have run into challenges, predicaments, and more joy than I could wish. It has been one test after another all leading me to grow and mature, and somehow succeed. It was these people who pushed me and helped me get through it all and taught me to laugh at the funny, the hurt, and the enjoyment. They say this will eventually heel the pain of debt I like to call, grad school. To my Mother and Father: You two have always been there for me. Never once have you let me down. Whenever something was wrong, you were there to help me through, cheer me up, and teach me what was right. I have learned the most from you and will forever be proud to say I am your son. I thank you for your constant love and support. To my Siblings: Donald, Jonathan, Kathleen, and Michael –I wish you all the best and hope you will all enjoy this, even though only one of you will understand it. Ah-ha-ha! To Abby: You have been my best friend since the third grade. We have been through great times, hard times, fights, and laughter, but through it all, you have always been there for me. I do not know how I could ever thank you for keeping my in check. I could not wish for a better friend who knows that when someone trips, you laugh first and check-in later. To Mr. Bulas: For your camera expertise and giving us some fantastic photos to include in out thesis. Photos provided by Ken Bulas. To my Classmates: Mark Hardin – For your “picturesque” talents and life lessons; and for always having it worst. Rebecca Johnson – For being my roommate and putting up with me; and the showers. vi Katie Marie Kelly – For helping me our first year and for your teachings. Chris Layton – For your voice and for the pure joy you have brought me; and for always pointing out that Mark has it worse. Rockford Sansom – for being my friend. Thank you for venturing into this project with me and taking the wheel when things got rough. Thanks for being there and for understanding me. To Justin Fischer: Thank you for your amazing talents and friendship. Rockford and I could not have done this without your amazing help. You are truly a genius. To the Staff at the Orlando Rep: For giving two guys with an idea and no money a chance to premiere their work of art. To Dave and James – For helping us bring this show to life. For your expertise and treating us like actual people every step of the way. To my Professors: John Bell – Thank you for accepting me into your program. It took sometime, but this is exactly where I needed to be and where I was able to grow in a safe environment. Thank you for always challenging me and agreeing to chair my committee. We both knew it was going to be a challenge and it’s finally done. And finally, thank you for being my friend. Dr. Steve – Thank you for your immense talent in voice. Learning with you has been a blessing and has built my strength and confidence just as I needed. It has been my pleasure to work with you. Earl Weaver – Thank you for joining my committee at the last minute; you saved me from another minor breakdown. Thank you for your trust in my abilities and the vii challenge to excel. Also, I thank you for your ear during the rough times; it meant a lot to me to be able to talk to someone who understood it all. F. Gary Flannery – I have enjoyed working with you the past two years more than I can say. You are one of the few people who I will greatly miss seeing everyday. Jim Brown – Though I only had the opportunity to work with you once, it was a time I will always remember. Thank you for your support in this project and your willing to help out. Nick – Thank you for your teachings and respect. I have learned more from you than I can say.