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Home , A Chorus Line, Musical theatre, Rock musical

Fly Over View of Musical History

Rome

Athens Modern can be traced , back to Greece in the 6th Century BC. It evolved from a religious Theatre of ceremony known as the Dionysus dithyramb, where 50 men Birthplace of dressed as satyrs would chant a theatre. choral to the god Dionysus.

• Only 1 to 3 actors performed 1st Actor • The chorus sang and danced but Thespis did not speak Rome We’re like the Greeks… only different! We like war and !

The Romans modeled their theatre after the Greeks. But rather than promoting moral values and philosophies, they stripped those things out. They kept the scandals and smut and left the religious messages out. They made fun of the middle class, and loved the gore and violence. Fly Over View of History

Medieval Times

Rome

Athens Medieval Europe Medieval Europe European Society was largely run by the Christian church. The Church did not like theatre. So they went in the complete opposite way from the Romans. • Almost all was religious • used same Latin lyrics to different tunes • Street performers put on morality plays Performed in inn yards, pageant wagons, in the streets • was evil – only of great cities, in the halls of knights, on top of hills or evil characters in mountains. production was temporary and could dance expected to be removed upon the completion of the . Fly Over View of Musical Theatre History

Medieval Times

Rome Italy-

Athens

Medieval Europe Italy = = Opera The Renaissance was a time of “rebirth” that started in Italy. The Italians loved the Greeks and emulated aspects of their culture.

Greek plays evolved into what we know as Opera. Music became the main medium in which the story was told. It drives the plot and characters.

Monologue Aria Dialogue Duet Chorus (conversation) Opera/ • a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but • is distinct from musical theater. • The Italian word opera means "work“ • may be in Italian, German, French, or English Musical Theatre Differences from opera ¤Focus on spoken dialogue Opera ¤Dance is much more important vs. ¤Generally amplifies the singer Musical ¤Uses popular styles ¤Almost always in the same language as the Theatre

Queen of the Night Aria from The Anvil Chorus from Mozart’s Opera Verdi’s Il Trovatore Opera Fly Over View of Musical Theatre History

Medieval 19th Times century

Rome Italy - Gilbert & Opera Minstrel Sullivan

Athens Pre-Civil War South Medieval Europe Pre-Civil War South The Northerners had their roots in Puritanism and so not a whole lot of development in the musical theatre field was occurring there. The slaves in the South, however, were from Africa, and music, dance and theatre were an imbedded part of many tribal cultures. To pass the long hours spent doing hard labor in the fields, many slaves would sing. At nights they would entertain themselves by and dancing.

One artistic form that came out of this era was tap dancing. They would sprinkle sand or dirt on a hard surface which made the sounds more distinct and take turns developing intricate rhythms. Their often acted as a way for them to vent their sorrows. This was the beginnings of Blue’s music. Tap Dancing, Blues, and …

Louis Armstrong – Basin Street Blues

John Coltrane – Giant Steps Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Little Colonel Bojangles Dance Armstrong - Summertime Minstrels White artists began mimicking the Black cake walk and out of that came Minstrel Shows. They were intended to make fun of the Black slaves but the white audience soon fell in love with the music and dance of the Black culture.

White actors wore “blackface” to perform which They were today is considered made up of insulting. But in skits and those days, songs. eventually even Black artists wore blackface and put on Minstrel shows. Vaudeville In the early 20th century, Minstrel shows expanded into variety shows much like today’s Live. They presented a wide variety of acts from songs, and , pet tricks, comedy, etc. They would travel around to different venues to perform. They were called Vaudeville Shows. Group Collaboration Project • Divide into groups of 3 – 4 • Each group will prepare an “” for our class Vaudeville show. • Choose to sing a song, dance a short number, give a comedy sketch, or any other odd talent or act. • Present it to the class. You have 15 minutes to prepare. Gilbert & Sullivan Around the same time in , there were two men who were doing their own style of mocking. These men, W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, created shows that mocked the dramatic operas of the day. They were known as . These became a huge hit in the U.S. as well and inspired the musical theatre craze that would soon hit the . Their most well-known show is Pirates of Penzance which is still well-loved today. Fly Over View of Musical Theatre History

Medieval 19th Times century

The Golden Rome Italy Gilbert & s Opera Minstrel Sullivan Age

Athens Pre-Civil War South Medieval Vaudeville Europe The Golden Age of Musicals Coming out of the , wanted to be entertained for little money. The rise of the silent film era and Vaudeville disappeared into shows that contained plot, music, and dance. Showboat

• Considered the 1st American musical (1936) • Integrated dialogue and music • Dealt with difficult Ol’ Man River - Showboat issues of the day Oklahoma! Written by the two most famous collaborators of the Golden Age, and Oscar Hammerstein, Oklahoma! was written in 1947 and was their first and most well-known show. It was the first musical to have songs that further the plot, a dream , and developed characters. Other famous shows written by : The Farmer and • the Cowman 2002 • Oklahoma! • Cinderella revival • • • More Golden Age Musicals

My Fair Lady by Lerner & Loewe

Fiddler on the Roof – Tradition Bock & Harnick West Side Story was written in 1957 and is based on ’s Romeo & Juliet. It takes place in the rough neighborhoods of ’s West Side. It shows the trouble when a gang of Puerto Ricans invades the turf of the reigning gang (Sharks & Jets). It dared to say that a This musical is landmark musical didn’t have to because it dealt with end happily to be serious issues such as: great. It was also • Youth delinquency landmark because of • Gang violence how it integrated • Racial violence dance into the • Murder everyday movements West Side Story - Prologue of the characters. The Jet Song Fly Over View of Musical Theatre History

Medieval 19th Times century

Italy - Gilbert & The Golden 1970s- 1990s- Rome Minstrel Opera Sullivan Age 1980s 2000s

Athens Pre-Civil War South Medieval Vaudeville Europe The 1970’s and 80’s The 1970’s and 80’s were marked by a foreign invasion of musical theatre. Artists such as , Boubil, and Schonberg came from Europe and stole the show from the Americans. Mega Musicals One characteristic that became popular was the use of large spectacles. Such as in of the Opera, a large chandelier falls from the ceiling and crashes onto the stage. In a real helicopter lands on stage. These became known as Mega Musicals, and they had budgets. Many were based on novels or other works of . Mega Musicals

Andrew Lloyd Webber Mega Musicals included: Phantom of the Opera - the longest running Broadway musical ever. Pop-influenced score, large casts and sets.

Boubil and Schonbergs biggest hits were: Les Miserables - which became the longest-running international musical hit in history. Miss Saigon 1970’s - Rock Musicals

Hair was the first “” which started a movement in that direction for musicals away from the classical style of singing and more towards the of the times. Other “Rock Musicals” - , , Rocky Horror, 1980’s - Dance Musicals

The 1980’s brought a new : the dance musical. The first dance musical is considered to be A .

Bob

Dancer, choreographer, theatre and film director.

The only person to win an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony in the same year. 1990’s – 2000’s The 90’s and 2000’s brought a division on Broadway. Disney wanted to make musicals that were family friendly and would show a cleaner side to musical theatre, while presented the opposing view. It promoted an alternative lifestyle to traditional family values and showed the raw of life. A new generation of theatrical emerged, including , creator of the hit musical Rent.

As Disney began developing stage shows, which were increasingly popular (, Beauty and the Beast, …), we saw a rise in the Corporate Musical. Since then they have had success with , , , Hunchback, The Little Mermaid, , and . 2000’s to present The adaption musical- either book (, ) or film (, , , Thoroughly Modern Millie) have become increasingly popular.

Jukebox Musicals Another trend has been to create a minimal plot to fit a collection of songs that have already been hits. Plot connected to songs from an artist or band (, , We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia!)