chapter 13 the musical. on musicals american musical theatre is our indigenous art form. we can’t...
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On Musicals On Musicals American musical theatre is ourAmerican musical theatre is our
indigenous art form. We can’tindigenous art form. We can’t
claim drama, ballet, or opera,claim drama, ballet, or opera,
but musical theatre is our verybut musical theatre is our very
own. . . . Musicals are in ourown. . . . Musicals are in our
blood and in our bones, are partblood and in our bones, are part
of our collective personality.of our collective personality.
Molly Smith,Molly Smith,
Artistic Director of the Arena Artistic Director of the Arena StageStage
Broad Categories of MusicalsBroad Categories of Musicals Book musicals
Rodgers and HammersteinLerner and Loewe
Dance musicalsMichael BennettBob FosseTommie Tune
Operatic musicalsAndrew Lloyd WebberStephen SondheimAdam Guettel
Musical Theatre GenresMusical Theatre Genres
OperaOpera OperettaOperetta RevueRevue Variety showVariety show VaudevilleVaudeville BurlesqueBurlesque Musical Musical
comedycomedy Straight Straight
musicalmusical Rock musicalRock musicalAvenue Q
Components of the MusicalComponents of the Musical
MusicMusic ComposerComposer LyricistsLyricists
BookBook LibrettistLibrettist
Types of Musical NumbersTypes of Musical Numbers
OverturePreviews the music from the show by playing a
medley of tunes before the show begins Ballad
Usually a slow love song Comedy number
Designed for comic relief Showstopper
A big brass production number Reprise
Repetition of pieces of a song or melody line
Musicals: A Brief HistoryMusicals: A Brief HistoryOperaOpera
OperaOriginated in Italy in the 1500sReached its peak in the 19th century with
composers like Wagner, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, and Handel
Comic OperaDeveloped from intermezziGilbert and Sullivan’s opera are regarded by
most as the epitome of this formExists today in the form of the rock opera
Musicals: A Brief HistoryMusicals: A Brief HistoryEarly American MusicalsEarly American Musicals
Ballad Operas Began with John Gay’s Three Penny Opera in 1728
Vaudeville 1890 – 1920 was its height of popularity
Minstrel Shows Caricatured African-American plantation life in song and
dance Revues
Ziegfeld Follies was the epitome of this unique form of the American musical theatre
Extravaganzas The Black Crook in 1866 spawned this unique form of
musical that emphasized elaborate scenery and scantily glad female dancing chorines
Musicals: A Brief HistoryMusicals: A Brief HistoryAfrican American MusicalsAfrican American Musicals
A Trip to Coontown (1898) The Origin of the Cakewalk
(1898) Scuffle Along (1921) Running’ Wild (1923) Porgy and Bess (1935) Cabin in the Sky (1940) The Wiz (1975) Bring in da Noise; Bring in da
Funk (1996)
Musicals: A Brief HistoryMusicals: A Brief HistoryThe The Show BoatShow Boat (1927) (1927)
RevolutionRevolution The quintessential American
musical Integrated book, lyrics, and
music into a unified whole Focused on serious themes in
American culture Brought Euro-American and
African-American performers together on the same stage at the same time
First musical to win the Pulitzer Prize
Established Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II as major figures in the development of the American musical
Musicals: A Brief HistoryMusicals: A Brief History1927 - Today1927 - Today
Oklahoma! (1943) West Side Story (1957) Cabaret (1966) Hair (1967) A Chorus Line (1975) Cats (1982) Rent (1996) The Producers (2001) The Light in the Piazza (2005)
Musicals TodayMusicals Today
The main problems for Broadway The main problems for Broadway musicals has to do with the musicals has to do with the exorbitant cost of producing themexorbitant cost of producing them
Disneyification of the musicalDisneyification of the musicalReliance upon revivals to recoup Reliance upon revivals to recoup
huge investmentshuge investmentsThe Tourist Musical is challenged by The Tourist Musical is challenged by
smaller cast musicals like smaller cast musicals like UrinetownUrinetown and and Avenue QAvenue Q