That World of Somewhere in Between: the History of Cabaret and the Cabaret Songs of Richard Pearson Thomas, Volume I

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

That World of Somewhere in Between: the History of Cabaret and the Cabaret Songs of Richard Pearson Thomas, Volume I That World of Somewhere In Between: The History of Cabaret and the Cabaret Songs of Richard Pearson Thomas, Volume I D.M.A. DOCUMENT Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Musical Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Rebecca Mullins Graduate Program in Music The Ohio State University 2013 D.M.A. Document Committee: Dr. Scott McCoy, advisor Dr. Graeme Boone Professor Loretta Robinson Copyright by Rebecca Mullins 2013 Abstract Cabaret songs have become a delightful and popular addition to the art song recital, yet there is no concise definition in the lexicon of classical music to explain precisely what cabaret songs are; indeed, they exist, as composer Richard Pearson Thomas says, “in that world that’s somewhere in between” other genres. So what exactly makes a cabaret song a cabaret song? This document will explore the topic first by tracing historical antecedents to and the evolution of artistic cabaret from its inception in Paris at the end of the 19th century, subsequent flourish throughout Europe, and progression into the United States. This document then aims to provide a stylistic analysis to the first volume of the cabaret songs of American composer Richard Pearson Thomas. ii Dedication This document is dedicated to the person who has been most greatly impacted by its writing, however unknowingly—my son Jack. I hope you grow up to be as proud of your mom as she is of you, and remember that the things in life most worth having are the things for which we must work the hardest. Good things do not come to those who wait; rather, they come to those who seize fate by the throat and make them happen. iii Acknowledgments I must first and foremost acknowledge Richard Pearson Thomas for composing such charming music that it prompted me to undertake this document. I also cannot thank him enough for his time spent with interviews, e-mails, and listening. I must also thank those who have served as members of my doctoral committee (Dr. Scott McCoy, Dr. Karen Peeler, Dr. Graeme Boone, Professor Loretta Robinson, and Dr. Patrick Woliver), who have supported and encouraged my work and given me the opportunity to succeed against all odds. Also, I want to thank my talented collaborator and pianist James Jenkins for making beautiful music with me, and for assisting with stylistic analysis. A great deal of gratitude is owed as well to Emily Coen. When I needed an objective voice, yours was the one I sought most frequently. Thank you for helping me through this document and this degree with my sanity more or less intact. Finally, to my family—Terry, Mary, Ginny, Adam, Faith, Annie, Mike, Robert, and Billy—I can say with certainty that none of this would have been possible without your help and support for me (and Jack) emotionally and scholastically. When I need help, the person on whom I know I can always count especially is you Dad. I hope I can always return the favor. iv Vita August 24, 1981 .............................................Born—Charleston, WV 1999................................................................St. Albans High School 2003................................................................B.A. Music, Radford University 2005................................................................M.M. Vocal Performance, West Virginia University 2008 - Present ...............................................Graduate Student, Department of Music, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: Music v Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. ii Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ iv Vita ..................................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vi List of Musical Examples ................................................................................................ ix PART ONE ........................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1: Life May Be a Cabaret, Old Chum, but what is a Cabaret? ......................... 1 Historical Antecedents of the Modern Cabaret ........................................................... 2 Montmartre .................................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 2: Cabaret Goes Abroad ................................................................................... 8 Barcelona ..................................................................................................................... 8 Hungary ..................................................................................................................... 10 Poland ........................................................................................................................ 11 Russia......................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 3: German Language Cabaret ......................................................................... 15 vi Berlin ......................................................................................................................... 16 Munich ....................................................................................................................... 19 Vienna ........................................................................................................................ 21 Zurich......................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 4: Between the Wars ....................................................................................... 26 Jazz Dances Across the Pond .................................................................................... 27 From Cabaret to Kabarett .......................................................................................... 30 Spin-offs of the Literary Cabaret ............................................................................... 35 Chapter 5: Nazi Loss is the World’s Gain ................................................................... 37 Chapter 6: Cabaret Across the Pond ............................................................................ 41 The Big Satire Boom ................................................................................................. 43 Cabaret Remnants Today ........................................................................................... 45 PART TWO ..................................................................................................................... 48 Chapter 7: Who is Richard Pearson Thomas? ............................................................... 48 His Music ................................................................................................................... 51 Chapter 8: The Cabaret Songs, Volume One ............................................................... 53 My German Boyfriend............................................................................................... 56 How Many Churches? ............................................................................................... 59 You Do Not Understand ............................................................................................ 63 vii It Doesn’t Matter ....................................................................................................... 69 When I Kiss You ....................................................................................................... 72 I’m Yours! ................................................................................................................. 76 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 82 Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 85 APPENDIX A: PHONE INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD PEARSON THOMAS ..... 88 APPENDIX B: CABARET SONGS OF RICHARD PEARSON THOMAS ............ 105 viii List of Musical Examples Example 1. “My German Boyfriend” mm. 1-4………………………………………….54 Example 2. “My German Boyfriend” mm. 25-28……………………………………….55 Example 3. “My German Boyfriend” mm. 5-16………………………………….....56-57 Example 4. “How Many Churches?” mm. 1-3………………………………………….59 Example 5. “How Many Churches?” mm. 17-20……………………………………….59 Example 6. “How Many Churches?” mm. 21-25……………………………………….60 Example 7. “You Do Not Understand” mm. 20-23……………………………………..61 Example 8. “You Do Not Understand” mm. 24-27……………………………………..62 Example 9. “You Do Not Understand” mm. 33-40……………………………………..63 Example 10. “You Do Not Understand” mm. 57-64……………………………………64 Example 11. “You Do Not Understand” mm. 65-74……………………………………65 Example 12. “It Doesn’t Matter” mm. 1-3……………………………………………...66 Example 13. “It Doesn’t Matter” mm. 29-36…………………………………………...68 Example 14. “When I Kiss You” mm. 1-9……………………………………………...70 Example 15. “When I Kiss You” mm. 38-43…………………………………………...72 Example 16.
Recommended publications
  • Broadway the BROAD Way”
    MEDIA CONTACT: Fred Tracey Marketing/PR Director 760.643.5217 [email protected] Bets Malone Makes Cabaret Debut at ClubM at the Moonlight Amphitheatre on Jan. 13 with One-Woman Show “Broadway the BROAD Way” Download Art Here Vista, CA (January 4, 2018) – Moonlight Amphitheatre’s ClubM opens its 2018 series of cabaret concerts at its intimate indoor venue on Sat., Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. with Bets Malone: Broadway the BROAD Way. Making her cabaret debut, Malone will salute 14 of her favorite Broadway actresses who have been an influence on her during her musical theatre career. The audience will hear selections made famous by Fanny Brice, Carol Burnett, Betty Buckley, Carol Channing, Judy Holliday, Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters, Barbra Streisand, Elaine Stritch, and Nancy Walker. On making her cabaret debut: “The idea of putting together an original cabaret act where you’re standing on stage for ninety minutes straight has always sounded daunting to me,” Malone said. “I’ve had the idea for this particular cabaret format for a few years. I felt the time was right to challenge myself, and I couldn’t be more proud to debut this cabaret on the very stage that offered me my first musical theatre experience as a nine-year-old in the Moonlight’s very first musical Oliver! directed by Kathy Brombacher.” Malone can relate to the fact that the leading ladies she has chosen to celebrate are all attached to iconic comedic roles. “I learned at a very young age that getting laughs is golden,” she said.
    [Show full text]
  • Weaponized Humor: the Cultural Politics Of
    WEAPONIZED HUMOR: THE CULTURAL POLITICS OF TURKISH-GERMAN ETHNO-COMEDY by TIM HÖLLERING B.A. Georg-August Universität Göttingen, 2008 M.Ed., Georg-August Universität Göttingen, 2010 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Germanic Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) June 2016 © Tim Höllering, 2016 Abstract My thesis aims to show how the humor of Turkish-German ethno-comedians fulfills a double purpose of entertaining its audience while advancing a cultural political agenda that Kathrin Bower called “transnational humanism.” It includes notions of human rights consensus, critical self-reflection, respect, tolerance, and openness to cultural diversity. Promoting these values through comedy, the artists hope to contribute to abating prejudice and discrimination in Germany’s multi-ethnic society. Fusing the traditional theatrical principle of “prodesse et delectare” with contemporary cultural politics, these comedians produce something of political relevance: making their audience aware of its conceptions of “self” and “other” and fostering a sense of community across diverse cultural identifications. My thesis builds mainly on the works of Kathrin Bower, Maha El Hissy, Erol Boran, Deniz Göktürk, and Christie Davies. Whereas Davies denies humor’s potential for cultural impact, Göktürk elucidates its destabilizing power in immigrant films. Boran elaborates this function for Turkish-German Kabarett. El Hissy connects Kabarett, film, and theater of polycultural artists and ties them to Bakhtin’s concept of the carnivalesque and the medieval jester. Bower published several essays on the works of ethno-comedians as humorous catalysts for advancing a multiethnic Germany.
    [Show full text]
  • Slang in American and British Hip-Hop/Rap Song Lyrics
    LEXICON Volume 5, Number 1, April 2018, 84-94 Slang in American and British Hip-Hop/Rap Song Lyrics Tessa Zelyana Hidayat*, Rio Rini Diah Moehkardi Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia *Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT This research examines semantic changes and also the associative patterns of slang, focusing primarily on common topics, i.e., people and drugs. The data were slang terms taken from the lyrics of hip-hop/rap songs sung by four singers, two from the U.S.A and two from the U.K. A total of 105 slang terms were found, 45 of which belong to the people category and 16 to the drugs category in the American hip-hop/rap song lyrics, and in the British hip-hop/rap song lyrics, 26 of which belong to the people category and 18 to the drugs category. Bitch and nigga were found to be the most frequently used slang terms in the people category. In terms of semantic changes, broadening, amelioration, and narrowing were found, and in terms of associative patterns, effect, appearance, way of consuming, constituent, and container associative patterns were found. In addition, a new associative pattern was found, i.e., place of origin. Keywords: associative patterns, people and drugs slang, semantic change, slang. mislead people outside their group. Then, the INTRODUCTION usage of Cant began to slowly develop. Larger “This party is just unreal!” Imagine a person groups started to talk Cant in their daily life. It saying this sentence in the biggest New Year’s Eve was even used for entertainment purposes, such as party in his/her town, with the largest crowd, the in literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Into the Woods Is Presented Through Special Arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI)
    PREMIER SPONSOR ASSOCIATE SPONSOR MEDIA SPONSOR Music and Lyrics by Book by Stephen Sondheim James Lapine June 28-July 13, 2019 Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick Original Broadyway production by Heidi Landesman Rocco Landesman Rick Steiner M. Anthony Fisher Frederic H. Mayerson Jujamcyn Theatres Originally produced by the Old Globe Theater, San Diego, CA. Scenic Design Costume Design Shoko Kambara† Megan Rutherford Lighting Design Puppetry Consultant Miriam Nilofa Crowe† Peter Fekete Sound Design Casting Director INTO The Jacqueline Herter Michael Cassara, CSA Woods Musical Director Choreographer/Associate Director Daniel Lincoln^ Andrea Leigh-Smith Production Stage Manager Production Manager Myles C. Hatch* Adam Zonder Director Michael Barakiva+ Into the Woods is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com Music and Lyrics by Book by STEPHEN JAMES Directed by SONDHEIM LAPINE MICHAEL * Member of Actor’s Equity Association, † USA - Member of Originally directed on Broadway by James LapineBARAKIVA the Union of Professional Actors and United Scenic Artists Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick Stage Managers in the United States. Local 829. ^ Member of American Federation of Musicians, + Local 802 or 380. CAST NARRATOR ............................................................................................................................................HERNDON LACKEY* CINDERELLA
    [Show full text]
  • CABARET and ANTIFASCIST AESTHETICS Steven Belletto
    CABARET AND ANTIFASCIST AESTHETICS Steven Belletto When Bob Fosse’s Cabaret debuted in 1972, critics and casual viewers alike noted that it was far from a conventional fi lm musical. “After ‘Cabaret,’ ” wrote Pauline Kael in the New Yorker , “it should be a while before per- formers once again climb hills singing or a chorus breaks into song on a hayride.” 1 One of the fi lm’s most striking features is indeed that all the music is diegetic—no one sings while taking a stroll in the rain, no one soliloquizes in rhyme. The musical numbers take place on stage in the Kit Kat Klub, which is itself located in a specifi c time and place (Berlin, 1931).2 Ambient music comes from phonographs or radios; and, in one important instance, a Hitler Youth stirs a beer-garden crowd with a propagandistic song. This directorial choice thus draws attention to the musical numbers as musical numbers in a way absent from conventional fi lm musicals, which depend on the audience’s willingness to overlook, say, why a gang mem- ber would sing his way through a street fi ght. 3 In Cabaret , by contrast, the songs announce themselves as aesthetic entities removed from—yet expli- cable by—daily life. As such, they demand attention as aesthetic objects. These musical numbers are not only commentaries on the lives of the var- ious characters, but also have a signifi cant relationship to the fi lm’s other abiding interest: the rise of fascism in the waning years of the Weimar Republic.
    [Show full text]
  • The American Film Musical and the Place(Less)Ness of Entertainment: Cabaret’S “International Sensation” and American Identity in Crisis
    humanities Article The American Film Musical and the Place(less)ness of Entertainment: Cabaret’s “International Sensation” and American Identity in Crisis Florian Zitzelsberger English and American Literary Studies, Universität Passau, 94032 Passau, Germany; fl[email protected] Received: 20 March 2019; Accepted: 14 May 2019; Published: 19 May 2019 Abstract: This article looks at cosmopolitanism in the American film musical through the lens of the genre’s self-reflexivity. By incorporating musical numbers into its narrative, the musical mirrors the entertainment industry mise en abyme, and establishes an intrinsic link to America through the act of (cultural) performance. Drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of the chronotope and its recent application to the genre of the musical, I read the implicitly spatial backstage/stage duality overlaying narrative and number—the musical’s dual registers—as a means of challenging representations of Americanness, nationhood, and belonging. The incongruities arising from the segmentation into dual registers, realms complying with their own rules, destabilize the narrative structure of the musical and, as such, put the semantic differences between narrative and number into critical focus. A close reading of the 1972 film Cabaret, whose narrative is set in 1931 Berlin, shows that the cosmopolitanism of the American film musical lies in this juxtaposition of non-American and American (at least connotatively) spaces and the self-reflexive interweaving of their associated registers and narrative levels. If metalepsis designates the transgression of (onto)logically separate syntactic units of film, then it also symbolically constitutes a transgression and rejection of national boundaries. In the case of Cabaret, such incongruities and transgressions eventually undermine the notion of a stable American identity, exposing the American Dream as an illusion produced by the inherent heteronormativity of the entertainment industry.
    [Show full text]
  • Of Gods and Monsters: Signification in Franz Waxman's Film Score Bride of Frankenstein
    This is a repository copy of Of Gods and Monsters: Signification in Franz Waxman’s film score Bride of Frankenstein. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/118268/ Version: Accepted Version Article: McClelland, C (Cover date: 2014) Of Gods and Monsters: Signification in Franz Waxman’s film score Bride of Frankenstein. Journal of Film Music, 7 (1). pp. 5-19. ISSN 1087-7142 https://doi.org/10.1558/jfm.27224 © Copyright the International Film Music Society, published by Equinox Publishing Ltd 2017, This is an author produced version of a paper published in the Journal of Film Music. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Paper for the Journal of Film Music Of Gods and Monsters: Signification in Franz Waxman’s film score Bride of Frankenstein Universal’s horror classic Bride of Frankenstein (1935) directed by James Whale is iconic not just because of its enduring images and acting, but also because of the high quality of its score by Franz Waxman.
    [Show full text]
  • Goodbye to Berlin: Erich Kästner and Christopher Isherwood
    Journal of the Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association ISSN: 0001-2793 (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/yjli19 GOODBYE TO BERLIN: ERICH KÄSTNER AND CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD YVONNE HOLBECHE To cite this article: YVONNE HOLBECHE (2000) GOODBYE TO BERLIN: ERICH KÄSTNER AND CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD, Journal of the Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association, 94:1, 35-54, DOI: 10.1179/aulla.2000.94.1.004 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1179/aulla.2000.94.1.004 Published online: 31 Mar 2014. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 33 Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=yjli20 GOODBYE TO BERLIN: ERICH KASTNER AND CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD YVONNE HOLBECHE University of Sydney In their novels Fabian (1931) and Goodbye to Berlin (1939), two writers from different European cultures, Erich Mstner and Christopher Isherwood, present fictional models of the Berlin of the final years of the Weimar Republic and, in Isherwood's case, the beginning of the Nazi era as wel1. 1 The insider Kastner—the Dresden-born, left-liberal intellectual who, before the publication ofFabian, had made his name as the author not only of a highly successful children's novel but also of acute satiric verse—had a keen insight into the symptoms of the collapse of the republic. The Englishman Isherwood, on the other hand, who had come to Berlin in 1929 principally because of the sexual freedom it offered him as a homosexual, remained an outsider in Germany,2 despite living in Berlin for over three years and enjoying a wide range of contacts with various social groups.' At first sight the authorial positions could hardly be more different.
    [Show full text]
  • Les Ombres Xineses D'els Quatre Gats (1897
    Les ombres xineses d’Els Quatre Gats (1897-1898) i l’ambient de l’espectacle a la Barcelona de la fi de segle Jordi Artigas* Una justificació Entre l’octubre de 1981 i el gener de 1982, va tenir lloc a Barcelona l’exposició “Picasso i Barcelona, 1881-1981”, per commemorar el centenari del naixement de l’artista. Enmig d’aquella gran quantitat d’obres d’art, dos quadres passaven quasi desapercebuts: emmarcaven 11 petites figures retallades en cartulina negra que havien estat utilitzades per a les ombres xineses d’Els Quatre Gats, localitzades per Ainaud de Lasarte a la col·lecció de Carolina Meifrén de Jiménez. En el catàleg de l’exposició, tan sols apareixia una fitxa tècnica que no aportava gran cosa de nou. Vaig quedar sorprès. Mai ningú havia citat que es conservessin unes siluetes de les ombres, i crec que tampoc s’havien exposat mai. Per tant, vaig indagar on podia tornar a veure aquelles siluetes. I així, el maig de 1983, desmuntada l’exposició, vaig anar al Museu d’Art de Catalunya de Montjuïc (ara MNAC) per a parlar amb Cecília Vidal, aleshores conservadora en cap del Gabinet de Dibuixos i Gravats dels Museus Municipals d’Art. Ella em va deixar fotografiar-les i em va donar tota classe de detalls sobre les 11 siluetes, tot indicant-me les poques dades que sabia: les ombres exposades no eren les originals –que estaven en molt mal estat–, sinó unes reproduccions que ella mateixa havia fet amb calcs precisos i el material de cartulina negra i els filferros característics per a manipular les ombres.
    [Show full text]
  • Common Opera Terminology
    Common Opera Terminology acoustics The science of sound; qualities which determine hearing facilities in an auditorium, concert hall, opera house, theater, etc. act A section of the opera, play, etc. usually followed by an intermission. arias and recitative Solos sung by one person only. Recitative, are sung words and phrases that are used to propel the action of the ​ ​ story and are meant to convey conversations. Melodies are often simple or fast to resemble speaking. The aria is ​ ​ like a normal song with more recognizable structure and melody. Arias, unlike recitative, are a stop in the action, where the character usually reflects upon what has happened. When two people are singing, it becomes a duet. ​ ​ When three people sing a trio, four people a quartet. ​ ​ ​ ​ backstage The area of the stage not visible to the audience, usually where the dressing rooms are located. bel canto Although Italian for “beautiful song,” the term is usually applied to the school of singing prevalent in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (Baroque and Romantic) with emphasis on vocal purity, control, and dexterity blocking Directions given to actors for on-stage movements and actions bravo, brava, bravi An acknowledgement of a good performance shouted during moments of applause (the ending is determined by the gender and the number of performers). cadenza An elaborate passage near the end of an aria, which shows off the singer’s vocal ability. chorus master Person who prepares the chorus musically (which includes rehearsing and directing them). coloratura A voice that can sing music with many rapid notes, or the music written for such a voice with elaborate ornamentation using fast notes and trills.
    [Show full text]
  • GRAM on the Green 2015
    CONTACT Cia Segerlind Grand Rapids Art Museum 616-831-2917 [email protected] GRAM ON THE GREEN LINEUP ANNOUNCED Free outdoor concert series to feature live music, cash bar, sketching, outdoor games, and free GRAM general admission GRAND RAPIDS, MI, May 6, 2015 – The Grand Rapids Art Museum is thrilled to announce the lineup for its 7th annual GRAM on the Green free outdoor concert series. GRAM will once again bring the heart of downtown Grand Rapids to life on Thursday evenings with its popular free summer concert series, GRAM on the Green. For six weeks, GRAM on the Green energizes the city and transforms the urban downtown landscape into a dynamic and inclusive gathering space. Guests of all ages are invited to relax on the Museum terrace as they enjoy the diverse musical offerings by local and regional artists, play oversized games on the Wege Plaza, sip on cool refreshments from the cash bar, and grab a bite to eat from a variety of food truck vendors. Ed Clifford, GRAM Music Director, urges everyone to “come to GRAM on the Green this summer and hear the best bands in Grand Rapids! This eclectic mix of first-class bands will be a great way to spend a summer's evening.” Throughout the night, guests are invited to visit the Museum galleries for free and explore exhibitions on view throughout the summer months: T. J. Wilcox: In the Air, Surroundings: Yun- Fei Ji and Susanna Heller, Henri Rivière’s Paris Lithographs, Menagerie, Art of the Lived Experiment, and GRAM Selects ArtPrize 2014: Encore.
    [Show full text]
  • From Page to Stage (Or Movie Or Song) Shakespeare’S Plays Were Meant to Be Performed (Heard) Rather Than Read
    From Page to Stage (or Movie or Song) Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be performed (heard) rather than read. Shakespeare is daunting! We suggest that students read one scene, break down the scene and then view the scene from a filmed version. Make sure to preview the filmed versions and check ratings for age appropriateness. Examples: Richard III: Richard III staring and directed by Laurence Olivier, 1955; Richard III with Ian McKellan, 1995; Looking for Richard with Al Pacino, 1996. Hamlet: Hamlet with Laurence Olivier, 1948; Hamlet with Mel Gibson, 1990; Rosencranz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard, 1996; Hamlet with Kenneth Branagh, 1996. Macbeth: Throne of Blood by Akira Kurosawa, 1957; Macbeth by Roman Polanski, 1973. Romeo and Juliet: West Side Story, 1961; Romeo and Juliet by Franco Zeffirelli, 1968; Romeo + Juliet by Baz Lurman, 1968; Shakespeare in Love, 1999. A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Peter Hall,1968; A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Michael Hoffman with Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer, 1999 Likewise, Hip Hop is meant to be heard rather than read. Most Hip Hop songs tell a story. Ask students to bring in their favorite Hip Hop songs with accompanying lyrics. Distribute the lyrics to the class and talk about the story. Then listen to the selection with music and discuss how the music contributes to the artistry of the piece. (Note: You may want to specify that students bring radio versions of songs and pre-screen for content and language.) Love I start to think, and then I sink Tryin to find
    [Show full text]