The University of Hull

THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL A CRITICAL THEORY OF THE MUSICAL THEATRE: With specific reference to shows from the period 1957 - 1989 being a thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Hull by Nicholas Lloyd Phillips, B.A. June, 1990 Summary of Thesis submitted for Ph.D. by Nicholas Lloyd Phillips on A CRITICAL THEORY OF THE MUSICAL THEATRE: with specific reference to shows from the period 1957 - 1989 Abstract of Thesis An examination of the modern musical Placing the musical theatre in the context of its most recent developments, between 1957 and 1989, the study begins by aiming to define the term, 'musical theatre', and notes the lack of serious critical attention paid to it. In the succeeding four chapters, the author constructs a basic model for critical analysis of musicals, rooted firmly in dramatic principles, not musical ones. He also examines: a) the inherent expressive qualities of its four basic media and their dramatic functions; b) the traditions and conventions which have developed to give theatrical life and dramatic significance to the form; c) questions of style as related to the musical, and, most importantly; d) the principles and process of synthesis, which, he argues, creates a new language of the musical and gives it its place as art. In the second part of the thesis, the author examines shows from the set period in relation to the four variables of his analytical model: i) the ideas artists want to express ii) the discovered devices of creation iii) the mechanics of presentation iv) public and critical response. By this means he explores the expressive range of the musical's recent history and its potential which continues to attract artists and audiences alike. (i) CONTENTS PAGE SUMMARY Abstract of Thesis (1) CONTENTS (ii) PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (v) INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 IN SEARCH OF A GENRE 1 Towards a Definition 1 CHAPTER 2 READING THE MUSICAL 32 Building A Model For Analysis 32 The Musical As Theatrical Entity 34 Theatrical Antecedents To The Musical 36 The Process Of Artistic Selection 41 The Musical Theatre Artist 58 Dramatic Structure In The Musical 60 The Interpretive Process 63 Affecting The Audience 66 The Musical Theatre Spectrum 67 Artistic Polarities 72 Searching For Evidence 79 CHAPTER 3 THE MEDIA OF THE MUSICAL 87 The Foundations Of Dramatic Synthesis 87 Words 89 Music 94 Dance 102 Design 109 The Heart Of Dramatic Synthesis In The Musical Theatre 115 CHAPTER 4 CONVENTION AND TRADITION 127 The Convention & Principles Of Musical Theatre Song 136 1. Musical Form 136 2. Lyrics 139 3. The Marrying Of Music And Lyric 146 4. Song Types 149 a) The Ballad 150 b) The Rhythm Song 151 c) The Comedy Song 152 d) The Charm Song 154 e) The Musical Scene 155 f) Special Material 156 Other Conventions Non-Vocal Musical Conventions 161 The Chorus 170 Conventions Of Setting 174 The Orchestra 177 Discovering Convention 185 CHAPTER 5 A QUESTION OF STYLE 189 Dramatic Stile 199 Genre In The Musical Theatre 204 The Musical As Comedy 209 Theatricalism As Style 217 CHAPTER 6 A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS - THE VOICE OF THE MUSICAL 225 A Moral Theatre 228 A Romantic Theatre 235 Ideas and Issues 243 Modernism And The Musical 245 CHAPTER 7 BUILDING BLOCKS - THE FORM OF THE MUSICAL 276 Considerations of Character. 277 Character archetypes and their use. 283 i) The Hero 283 ii) The Heroine. 292 iii) The Villain. 298 iv) The Confidant(e). 302 Other Considerations. 307 Dramatic Structures - A Rhythmic Skeleton. 309 Longer Lines. 320 A History Of Adaptation. 329 Originality 337 CHAPTER 8 THE INFERNAL MACHINE - THE WORKINGS OF THE MUSICAL 341 People or Puppets? 342 Directing the Musical 360 Dance and design as presentational synthesis. 368 Creator and Interpreter 376 Producing The Musical 385 CHAPTER 9 HOLD UP THE MIRROR - THE FUNCTION OF THE MUSICAL 400 Another Opening, Another Show... 400 The Word Is Law... 402 A Kind Of Mirror. 410 APPENDIX A THE SUB-GENRES OF PAUL J. HUSTOLES 431 Musical Comedy 433 Musical Farce 435 Musical Comedy Of Manners 437 Musical Drama 439 441 Musical Melodrama Musical Revue 445 BIBLIOGRAPHY 448 ( iv) PREFACE This preface must begin as if it were a confession, for I fell into research almost by accident as a result of preparing a dissertation on the work of Stephen Sondheim for my undergraduate final examination. As I completed it, I had the unerring sense not only that the piece was somewhat naïve in both its approach and content, - though the examiners fortunately didn't agree with that - but also that I had scratched the surface of something much larger than I had ever imagined, for it left me with all sorts of unanswered questions about the musical theatre in general and about its current state of health both in the U.K., and abroad. Many of these questions had first been sensed during a youthful love of musicals which had developed in me from as far back as I can remember. This in turn led me into what I have since discovered to be the cultish approach to musicals; an attitude of the musical theatre buffs whose major interest in the form centres on 'who is the first to get the original cast recording of a show', or 'who has the most esoteric piece of knowledge concerning the musical theatre with which to impress other buffs'. Such an attitude is harmless enough as a social game, but of great danger should it ever be taken for serious criticism. Yet, seemingly, and all too frequently, it is, for there exists in the world of the musical a tendency for deception by hype. As art forms go, the musical scores high on the 'Emperor's New Clothes' scale! What became clear to me in commencing my research was how vital was the interplay between serious scholarship and artistry in the field. For me, the mutual benefit between my study and my creative work as musical dramatist/director was immediately evident and the two seem naturally to fulfil each other. Imagine then, my surprise, not to say horror, as I began to work with more and more professionals in all aspects of musical theatre, to discover not only their suspicion of academic study of the musical, which I understood even as I decried it, but also their complete lack of any real understanding of their own crafts or of a working vocabulary, akin to that which everyone in the non- musical theatre learns and uses as part of their basic training. (v) Such a situation, coupled with my developing knowledge through my study, led me to the foundation of the Musical Theatre Workshop, which hopefully has already begun to fill some of the gaps in training for musical theatre artists at all levels - professional, student and amateur. What also quickly became clear was that this one study was still in many respects likely to prove inadequate in covering the ground as thoroughly as I might wish, and that there is still room for much more research. What will become very clear from this study is just what a huge and complex form the musical is, and hence why critics have all too often shied away from it, frequently hiding behind lame excuses aimed at the form's potential weaknesses. Certainly, the original intention of this study, which was to examine in detail shows from the set period had to be abandoned half-way through the research period, for it became clear that there existed no satisfactory model for analysis, no context for the kind of discussion I had envisaged. Therefore, the first half of the study had to be given over to an attempt to create such a model, one which will no doubt be challenged, but will respond to further thought and development, even as it provides a grounding for the second half of this study. The latter part attempts to summarise the work that was originally intended as the main body of the study, and as such may appear somewhat cursory. Clearly it was not possible, given constrictions of time and space to cover the ground as thoroughly as I would have liked, but again it breaks the surface. There was not, in the end, room to talk at length on the mechanics of synthesis and specific methods of unification which the different media employ, for example. That subject would make a book in itself and is most crucial to dramatists and directors in the musical theatre who must aim to understand the workings of the whole. Certainly I aim to continue my own research into the field, both through academic study and publishing, and through creative work in the form. In addition, I hope to try to fill at least some of the training gaps in the U.K., with regard to musical theatre, and believe this study to be an important step in the right direction. Finally, it is a pleasant part of my job in this Preface to offer thanks to a whole host of people and organisations without whom this thesis would never have made it to the page and to your readership. Though the (vi) list is lengthy, I trust the reader will bear with me for this is the only place in which they will receive formal recognition for a whole variety of contributions to my work, and for which I fear I have not thanked them enough personally. Acknowledgements therefore are due: Firstly, and most importantly, to J. Michael Walton, my doctoral supervisor, whose faith and support were constant and whose intellectual rigour and demand for clarity, coupled with a layman's enthusiasm for the genre and a warm sensitivity were both challenging and reassuring.

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