MUSICAL THEATRE OUTLINE #1

  1. What is a musical?
  2. Definition: A form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. It is more a “feel’ than an absolute definition. For example, “Les Miz” has no spoken dialogue and yet is a musical.
  1. Three major elements
  2. Book- The story. The spoken lines of the play.
  3. Music- The songs and musical interludes.
  4. Lyrics- The words to the songs. The music and lyrics combine to form “The SCORE” of the musical.
  1. Origins of the American Musical
  2. Greek Theatre Elaborate circular choreography performed by choruses. The origin of all theatre. Often songs were included in the shows of both tragedies and comedies.
  1. Middle Ages Staged religious musicals. Also, Traveling shows using songs along with slapstick comedy. Later “Mystery Plays” told Biblical stories and often included song.
  1. Opera? Some have argued that opera gave birth to the musical. Others say it isn’t true – that musicals have had more effect on opera than it on musicals. Some have said that musical theatre is opera with dialogue. Not exactly. It’s a feel. It’s very different. Differences: language of audience, musical style, conventions (bows and encores). Sondheim said, “Something plays on B’way it’s a musical, and when it plays an Opera House, it is an opera. That’s it. It’s the terrain, the countryside, the expectiations of the audience that makes it one thing or another”.
  1. Elizabethan and Jacobean Plays Shakespeare and his contemporaries recognized the effect of music on their plays and often wrote songs into the shows.
  1. The Beggar’s Opera Ballad opera that included lyrics written over popular songs often spoofing opera.
  1. The Black Crook Musical moving towards our modern understanding of a musical. 5 ½ hours long! Dance and original music helped tell story.
  1. Middle 1800’s
  2. Minstrel Shows- Black face. Songs, dances and skits exaggerating stereotypes. (play youtube clip 2:15-4:00)
  3. Burlesque Shows- Parodies of famous plays. Became more “dirty” as years went by – adding really really skimpy clothing.
  4. Vaudeville- Uniquely American. Clean and corny. Song and dance. Heavy punch on punchline, loud and energetic. Purely to entertain the audience.
  5. American Musicals take their form from operetta and soul from vaudeville.
  1. Operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan
  2. Themes of G+S Unqualified men in high office, the course of true love in unlikely directions, disdain for women past their youth, witty rhymes.
  1. Style of G+S Repition by chorus to echo thoughts of the main character. Light themes. Larger than life characters. Choruses are integral to the show. Patter songs. Witty lyrics.

C. Major Shows

  1. 1878 – HMS Pinafore* Flopped at first, but turned into a huge hit as the composer began playing songs in his conerts. Story: Naval Captain’s daughter spurns love of a high officer for a lowly sailor. Spoof on class system. Song: “When I Was A Lad” (The Gala Ensemble)

ii. 1880 – Pirates Of Penzance*Song: “Modern Major General”. Most popular and lasting of their shows. Story: The story concerns Frederic, who, having completed his 21st year, is released from his apprenticeship to a band of tender-hearted pirates. He meets Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley, and the two young people fall instantly in love. Frederic finds out, however, that he was born on 29 February, and so, technically, he only has a birthday each leap year. His apprenticeship indentures state that he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday, and so he must serve for another 63 years.[2] Bound by his own sense of duty, Frederic's only solace is that Mabel agrees to wait for him faithfully.

iii. 1885 – The Mikado* Song: “Three Little Maids” Story: Ko-Ko is condemned to die for flirting. As he is the next to be executed, the people elect him The Lord High Executioner – assuming he would not kill himself. Ko-Ko is to be married to his ward, Yum-Yum, but Nanki-Poo, a prince disguised as a musician, is in love with her as well. A decree is made that SOMEONE MUST be executed within a month. After deciding executing himself would be painful and suicidal (a capital offense!), they hatch a plan to say Nanki-Poo is executed. After much craziness, all are happy in the end. Song: Gentlemen of Japan (Stratford)

  1. 1920’s
  2. Surge of new musical productions
  3. ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers) won the right to copyright compositions.
  4. Scripts Scripts during this time had one purpose – hold together the songs if by the slightest string. Flimsy, ridiculous, unoriginal.
  1. Ziegfield’s Follies* Like Las Vegas shows. Scantily-clad showgirls (lots of them!) dancing in large production numbers. This was a REVIEW. There was no story. The purpose of the show was to entertain through music, song and dance.
  1. Cole Porter Great composer and lyricist. But he was wealthy (inherited) and had little motivation to work hard. Sexual innuendo all over songs.

Song: “Let’s Do It”

Birds do it. Bees do it. Even monkeys in the trees do it.

Let’s do it…let’s fall in love!

  1. Al Jolson “The Jazz Singer” – first talking movie 1927

Self-proclaimed “world’s greatest entertainer”. Black face. “Mammy”. Shuberts built a thrust stage into the audience so his impact would be even greater. Loud singing voice. Charismatic. Sometimes he would dismiss cast mid-show and do a solo act. Didn’t come across well on film.

  1. Showboat – Musical Epic 1927 ran for 572 performances on B’way.
  2. Oscar Hammerstein – wrote the lyrics and book
  1. Jerome Kern - music
  1. Ziegfield – producer of this extravagant musical
  1. Story Inhabitants of a Mississippi showboat. It deals with racism and marital heartbreak – subjects that had never before been tackled in a musical.
  1. Character Driven Score (Ex. Ol’ Man River)
  1. 1930’s
  2. The Shuberts Kept theatre going in spite of the Great Depression. Other competition – the movies were now talking (.05 ticket) and radio was free. Bway = $3.00 a seat.
  1. Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart (Rogers and Hart)

On Your Toes

Babes In Arms

The Boys From Syracuse

  1. George and Ira Gershwin
  2. “A Gershwin Tune”

Song: Someone to Watch Over Me (Mr. Holland’s Opus pianogesang)

  1. Porgy and Bess
  2. Jazz Opera(song – “Summertime”)
  1. Story Poor black people living in the tenements of Charleston. With passion, infidelity, rape and heart break, it was like grand opera but the popular melodic styles were clearly B’way.
  1. Dismal Failure at first Who wants to see a serious musical in a depression??? Found its great success in revivals. In 1985, first musical to become part of repertoire of the Metropolitan Opera.

  1. The 1940’s – The Dawn of the Golden Age!
  1. Cole Porter and Ethel Merman Became a formidable combination. Merman’s voice became a symbol of B’way. “Something For The Boys” was about a factory worker who inherits property next to a military base in Texas. While there, she falls in love with a soldier and finds that her tooth fillings pick up radio signals. But Merman belted out tunes “Hey Good Lookin’” and the show ran for over a year.
  1. Early 40’s style: Good songs and good fun!
  1. Rodgers and Hart…….Rodgers and Hammerstein

Hart was a raging alcoholic. Rodgers tried to dry him out for work on a musical. He refused. Rodgers began collaborating with Oscar Hammerstein. Hart supported it and went to Mexico to drink.

  1. OKLAHOMA: THE ONE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING!!!!!

END OF OUTLINE #1