Download Film and Literature/Adcock Musical Name: Period: ______ What is

Film and Literature/Adcock
Musical
Name: __________________________________________________________ Period: _______
What is Musical Theatre?
Musical theatre is defined as the presentation of a story using the elements of music, singing,
dancing, on a stage in front of a live audience.
How is Musical Theatre Different from Other Media?
The live theatrical experience not only involves the actors on stage, it also involves the audience
in ways that film and television do not. In reality, although the audience is sitting in an
auditorium and the actors are on stage, there's very little separating the audience from the
performers. How the audience reacts to the show deeply affects the actors. Something seemingly
trivial like whispering or unwrapping a piece of candy can distract the actors and alter the mood
and tone of their performance.
Another difference of film, video or television is that the camera and editing define what the
audience sees. In the theater, however, each member of the audience works as a camera and
editor, choosing his or her personal points of focus.
A Brief History Of Musicals by Michael Russell
Musicals actually started with the ancient Greeks who put on plays with songs. While they
weren't called musicals at the time, that is indeed what they were.
In the 1700s there were many stage entertainments, though again they were not called musicals.
The first English language work that had any lasting value was The Beggar's Opera, which was
done in 1728. It was a satirical spoof of the times. This was typical of the type of entertainment
one would find up until the 1800's.
Musicals, as we know them today, started in the 1800s with the French and Viennese Operettas.
The contemporary Broadway musical, as we know it today, took its form from these operettas
and was done in what we call Minstrel Shows. These eventually gave way to a new form of
musical known as Vaudeville.
It wasn't until 1860 with the success of The Black Crook that the American musical really began
to take off. By the 1930s the American musical had reached popularity the like of which it had
never seen before, with composers such as Rogers and Hart and Cole Porter dominating the era.
By the 40s and 50s we were treated to some of the greatest musicals in what was called the
modern era. These musicals included such classics as Oklahoma, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me
Kate, The King and I, My Fair Lady, and the list goes on for miles.
In the 1960s we saw such great musicals like Hello Dolly, Fiddler On The Roof, and Hair, which
was the first musical in the United States to feature nude actors.
By the 1970s musical theater had become pretty extravagant with the advances in technology and
design. The 70s brought us such great shows as A Little Night Music, A Chorus Line, No No
Nanette, Sweeney Todd and Evita.
But the hits kept coming and would continue to come, many from Britain. In the 80s we saw
such great shows like Cats, Les Miserables and Phantom Of The Opera.
In the 25 years since, literally hundreds of musicals have hit the stage. Some great, some not so
great. But what was once a humble beginning is now one of the major forms of entertainment,
not only in the United States but all across the world.
How is a Musical Born?
The inspiration for a musical comes from many different places. Authors may conceive an idea
themselves, or they might be commissioned by a producer to write a musical on a specific
subject. Many times, musical theatre draws on material from existing plays, books, movies, and
other sources for a new show.
Screen to Stage
Screen-to-stage musicals are based on existing movies. Authors adapt the material to fit musical
theatre, possibly adding songs and changing dialogue. Some examples of successful movieturned-musicals are Singin’ in the Rain in 1985 (movie 1952), Beauty and the Beast in 1994
(movie 1991), The Producers in 2001 (movie 1968), and Mary Poppins in 2004 (movie 1964).
Concept Musicals
Concept musicals are built around a single idea rather than a traditional plot. Once a concept is
raised (love, hate, friendships, relationships, etc.), characters can comment on or act out various
aspects of the subject. There is a storyline, but it exists in order to illustrate the central concept.
Some well-known concept musicals include Company (1970), A Chorus Line (1975), and
Assassins (2004).
Stage to Screen
Stage-to-screen musicals are musical theatre shows that have been made into movies. Hollywood
filmmakers choose popular musicals to guarantee a hit movie. Though this is not always true,
some successes include Grease in 1972 (movie 1978), Chicago in 1975 (movie 2002), Phantom
of the Opera in 1988 (movie 2004), and Rent in 1996 (movie 2005).
Revisals
This is the age of the "revisal", when old musicals are reinvented in new productions. The new
shows usually have the same basic storyline, with revisions to the music and artistic style. An
example of a revisal is Chicago (1996), which originally premiered in 1975. A revisal is different
from a revival in that revivals make no change to the old production. For example, Fiddler on the
Roof premiered in 1964, and the same production has been revived in 1976, 1981, 1990, and
2004, usually unchanged from its original incarnation.
Workshop Musicals
Unlike traditional musicals, workshop musicals do not have a single author and the plot is not
completely established before the production process begins. These musicals are developed by
multiple members of the creative team through brainstorming sessions or “workshops”.
Workshop musicals are setting a new trend for future shows.