Fly Over View of Musical Theatre History Rome Athens Modern drama can be traced Athens, Greece 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 song 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 comedy! 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 Musical Theatre 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 music was religious • Choirs used same Latin lyrics to different tunes • Street performers put on morality plays Performed in inn yards, pageant wagons, in the streets • Dance was evil – only of great cities, in the halls of knights, on top of hills or evil characters in play mountains. Stage production was temporary and could dance expected to be removed upon the completion of the performances. Fly Over View of Musical Theatre History Medieval Times Rome Italy- Opera Athens Medieval Europe Italy = Renaissance = 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) Recitative Opera/Operetta • 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“ • Operas 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 audience Theatre Queen of the Night Aria from The Anvil Chorus from Mozart’s The Magic Flute 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 Vaudeville 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 singing 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 songs 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 Saturday Night Live. They presented a wide variety of acts from songs, and dances, 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 “act” 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 England, 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 operettas. These became a huge hit in the U.S. as well and inspired the musical theatre craze that would soon hit the United States. 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 Great Depression, audiences 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, Richard Rodgers 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 ballet, and developed characters. Other famous shows written by Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Farmer and • The King and I the Cowman 2002 • South Pacific Oklahoma! • Cinderella Broadway revival • State Fair • Carousel • The Sound of Music More Golden Age Musicals My Fair Lady by Lerner & Loewe Fiddler on the Roof – Tradition Bock & Harnick West Side Story West Side Story was written in 1957 and is based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. It takes place in the rough neighborhoods of New York City’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 Andrew Lloyd Webber, 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 Phantom of the Opera, a large chandelier falls from the ceiling and crashes onto the stage. In Miss Saigon a real helicopter lands on stage. These became known as Mega Musicals, and they had big budgets. Many were based on novels or other works of literature. 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. Cats Starlight Express 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 “Rock Musical” which started a movement in that direction for musicals away from the classical style of singing and more towards the popular music of the times. Other “Rock Musicals” - Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, Rocky Horror, Evita 1980’s - Dance Musicals The 1980’s brought a new genre: the dance musical. The first dance musical is considered to be A Chorus Line. Bob Fosse 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 Rent presented the opposing view. It promoted an alternative lifestyle to traditional family values and showed the raw edges of life. A new generation of theatrical composers emerged, including Jonathan Larson, creator of the hit musical Rent. As Disney began developing stage shows, which were increasingly popular (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aida…), we saw a rise in the Corporate Musical. Since then they have had success with Mary Poppins, Tarzan, Newsies, Hunchback, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Frozen. 2000’s to present The adaption musical- either book (Wicked, Fun Home) or film (Legally Blonde, Shrek, Waitress, 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 (Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia!) .