Chapter 13Chapter 13

The MusicalThe Musical

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