...AUTHOR’S NOTE Don’t listen to anything I say. INTRO What does Anything Goes, Hello Dolly!, Les Mis and Wicked have in common with anything else that has ever existed? The answer at the bottom of the page (upside down “absolutely nothing”). It’s a strange world, musical theatre; we have all seen one, been in one, fantasized about starring in one, hate one or adore one. None the matter. When it comes down to it, we must come to realize that our proud, intelligent, gun-slinging species has created the most romantic and magical source of entertainment I have ever come to witness. How do other animals entertain themselves? Dogs chase their bums, cats get their nip-fix, dolphins screw, primates throw excrement. Humans deride at our beastly brethren for their means of amusement, yet I have little doubt if you sat a gorilla in the mezzanine to watch a hoard of synchronized singers and dancers telling their story in front of him, he would think “What the hell are these idiots doing? I want my stick back.” Yet what makes it so real? Where does the allure come from? The high notes or the kick lines? The consistency or the insanity? I have but one theory. One of my favorite words is “romance”. Not, of course, in the way you are probably thinking. I’m thinking in the broadest sense of the word. Not the squishy “I love you, you love me, so-on-and-so-forth mediocrity.” Not the “Oh, Shannon” and, “William, my sweet love.” Give me a break. The romance I’m talking about is the surreality...
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...Musical Theater in Humanity There are many ways to study in human in order to appreciate and honor in life, in our presenting, such as Literature, History, Languages, Religion, Arts and Performing Arts. Also, musical theater, which particularly is one of this aesthetic art form as well. Musical theater was created since an ancient Greece as a worship to Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. Essentially, its style consisted as a Tragedy, which is the portmanteau word, tragos = goat, aeidein = to sing. Tragedy does mean “the goat’s song”. Beheld in the festival once a year. The form of performance was not vastly different from the musical nowadays. Settings and properties also used to collaborate the show as male narrators sing and dance to narrate the story and ask the morality questions to the audience which lead and relate to the decision of the protagonist or the main character at the end of story. Urging the spectator’s catharsis, and enlighten their heart and mind at the end to realized there is nobody better than god, also our destiny is determined. All of the performer are male, and only seven main actor wear the masks in order to be and rotate the characters exclude the narrator. Aeschylus, Sophocles, And Aristophanes were not only playwrights; they were also composers and luricists. Dance, poem, and acrobatic used to archive the audience as spectacular. Also, to cross the bridge to reflect their life significantly as the foundation of Greece model citizen...
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...be summed up in one word, Broadway. Theatres like this can be found all across America, but was originally in Manhattan, New York. Broadway formed a new kind of entertainment that helped shape American culture throughout challenges and trials. From how it started, to how it was shaped by war and depression, all these things helped created the image of bright lights and celebrities on Broadway. “New york is a place where you can really come across something very miraculous by accident,” said Michelle Young, author of “Broadway.” However, this culture wasn’t always as brilliant and glamorous as it is now....
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...New York City. The first Broadway theatre opened around 1903 at the New York City and was called the Lyceum theatre. However, at that time other theatres had been established along Nassau Street.For a performance to be considered Broadway it must be held in any of the 40 professional theaters that have 500 or more seats found in this area located in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway, in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Along with London's West End theatres, Broadway theatres are widely considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. A performance to be held on Broadway is a mark of success that is considered to be the highest level attainable for commercial theater. Attending a production of Broadway theater is a popular tourist activity in New York. Over a billion dollars in Broadway theater tickets were sold in 2009 and 2010. Attending a Broadway show is a common tourist activity in New York. For a performance to be considered Broadway it must be held in any of the 40 professional theaters that have 500 or more seats found in this area. A performance to be held on Broadway is a mark of success that is considered to be the highest level attainable for commercial theater. Attending a production of Broadway theater is a popular tourist activity in New York. Over a billion dollars in Broadway theater tickets were sold in 2009 and 2010. The origins of Broadway history in New York did not begin until 1750...
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...is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format that follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel-all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them. Some people think that “Into the Woods” is like a Disney story but eventually it’s not , while it appears that Disney does have a monopoly over characters like Cinderella and Rapunzel, the story was not born out of the mouse House, but the studio is producing it. “Into the Woods” is based on the idea of “Once upon a time”, but no actual Disney characters. These are completely different characters, all coming from Stephen Sondheim’s 1986 musical of the same name. Stephen Sondheim American composer Stephen Sondheim was born on March 22, 1930, in New York City. After early practice at songwriting, his knowledge of musical theater was influenced by master lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, who served as a mentor. Sondheim's contributions to West Side Story and Gypsy in the 1950s brought him recognition as a rising star of Broadway. Known for the startling complexity of his lyricism and music, his major works for the theater also include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George and Into the Woods. Early Life and Musical Interests of Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim was born...
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...This short clip depicts the opening scene from the musical The Lion King with singing and dancing to the song The Circle of Life. As the sun slowly rises many different animals celebrate the start of a new day, or the circle of life. This Lion King scene is a very visually appealing musical and makes use of not just the stage but the full arena and actors in costumes and using props are shown walking down the aisles of the theatre. While in the clip that was viewed had a very limited amount of a scenery the use of costumes, characters and puppets told this part of the story very well. In fact for some of the costumes you would need to look hard for the actor controlling the puppet as your mind you not even realize that there is an actor under the costume. Overall the costume design along with the choreography makes for a visually stunning opening scene. One gets a sense of a three ring circus where so many things are happening that there is no way you could take it all in at once as your eyes and head swivel from side to side in an attempt to capture it all. The Lion King musical is a classic coming of age story along with a good versus evil aspect. The opening scene shows the sun rising and the musical number The Circle of Life playing. The sun symbolizes the pattern of night to day and day to night, the same pattern of life to death and death to life. Simba along with his father share the protagonist role in the musical and represent good. Simba is the king’s son, the perfect...
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...Lin-Manuel Miranda Born January 16, 1980, Lin-Manuel Miranda grew into the big shoes of broadway productions. He started in elementary school, carried on throughout high school, and graduated from Wesleyan University. He did not jump back into the Musical theatre business till 2008 when he produced the music and lyrics to In The Heights. The broadway production won 8 awards including 4 Tony awards and 1 Grammy. Due to the success of the In The Heights, Miranda went on to work for music and lyrics for other productions. During the time, he made appearances on television in shows such as Modern Family, The Sopranos, and even films like The Odd Life Of Timothy Green. Miranda is famously known for his award-winning musical, Hamilton. Not only...
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...The year is 1959, a pivotal moment in American cultural history, when rock and roll was giving birth to the Sexual Revolution and everything in America culture was about to be turned upside down. Record companies were releasing more than a hundred singles every week and the country was about to explode. Grease, generally considered a trivial little musical about The Fabulous Fifties, is really the story of America’s tumultuous crossing over from the 50s to the 60s, throwing over repression and tradition for freedom and adventure (and a generous helping of cultural chaos), a time when the styles and culture of the disengaged and disenfranchised became overpowering symbols of teenage power and autonomy. Originally a rowdy, dangerous, over-sexed, and insightful piece of alternative theatre, Grease was inspired by the rule-busting success of Hair and shows like it, rejecting the trappings of other Broadway musicals for a more authentic, more visceral, more radical theatre experience that revealed great cultural truths about America. An experience largely forgotten by most productions of the show today. Like Hair before it and The Rocky Horror Show which would come a year later, Grease is a show about repression versus freedom in American sexuality, about the clumsy, tentative, but clearly emerging sexual freedom of the late 1950s, seen through the lens of the middle of the Sexual Revolution in the 1970s. It’s about the near carnal passion 1950s teenagers felt for their rock...
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...“Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize a world we aspire to”. Transitioning from underdeveloped theaters to molded theaters, the introduction of the twentieth century brought about a heightened age for Broadway. Broadway in the twentieth century has impacted the lives of Americans by instilling hope and taking part in the advancement of technology, shaping American culture, and acting as a social influence. With the birth of a century came changes and New York City became most prominently known for its development of Times Square. People were found near Times Square and the Theater District, bustling to and from theaters, restaurants, and stores. Electricity began to light up advertisement marquees...
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...THEATRE HISTORY INSTRUCTOR: THAR 281 Fall 2013 Exam #1 Review What is Theatre/ The Origins of Theatre: 1. Define “theatron” the seeking place 2. List the specific areas of theatre: Performer, spectator, text, visual elements, spectators 3. What are the three types of playing spaces discussed in class? a. Proscenium b. Arena c. Thrust 4. What are the three areas of design discussed in class? What are the purposes of each? 5. What are the two most ESSENTIAL elements of theatre? Audience and performers 6. Performances developed in the moment of performance (without a formal written text) are known as 7. Define and cite examples of ritual. Ritual - the acting out of an established prescribed procedure. Example: aggie ring dunk, midnight yell, Thanksgiving 8. Define and cite examples of ceremony. -Ceremony- formal religious or social occasion, usually led by a designated authority figure -Examples: Wedding, funerals, church ( pastor has to keep the audience engaged), music 9. What is the primary distinction between ritual and ceremony? Ceremony is led by an authoritative figure 10. Define efficacious: done with expecting results 11. Define methexis: Group sharing 12. It is commonly accepted that theatre developed through: myth, ceremony, and ritual 13. Examples of theatrical performance can be seen in everyday life through People telling crazy stories about what happened to them and acting them out with hand signals etc. -Imitation, role...
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...History of T.G.I. Friday’s A New York city perfume salesman Alan Stillman opened the 1st T.G.I. Friday’s® restaurant in 1965, located at First Avenue and 63rd street in New York. The idea was to bring models and airhostesses into the neighborhood, so he bought a broken down beer joint and jazzed it up, creating an authentic and unique atmosphere to the area where the new restaurant was located. Within one week the restaurant was an instant success, being the hottest spot in town. T.G.I. Friday’s® opened many stores throughout the world, the first T.G.I. Friday’s® restaurant to open in Greece was in 1997, at Kefalari Square - Kifisia and it enjoyed immediate success. More store openings followed in Athens and Thessaloniki. Recognitions and awards have distinguished T.G.I. Friday’s® Greece amongst many Operators within the company worldwide and in the casual dining industry in general. In 2000 and 2001, T.G.I. Friday’s Greece® is honored with the title “Best International Operator” for the Friday’s chain worldwide amongst 60 countries. In 2005, T.G.I. Friday’s® Kifisia store is awarded as “Best Retailer of the Year” in the restaurant category at the Retail Awards and during that year T.G.I. Friday’s Greece served 1.814.795 guests! Built upon a legacy of fantastic food and drink and unique experiences, Friday’s has accomplished what others strive to achieve: to become a favorite habit, bringing guests into a trendy, happy & casual environment. Elements that have distinguished...
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...Rufo, Blesy A. Ms. Priscilla Salvacion ENG022/A02 October 25, 2014 How to Become a Successful Musical Theatre Performer Musical theatre is a form of theatre that incorporates dialogue, music, dancing, singing and acting and that has recently seen a huge resurgence in its popularity with television and talent shows. Musical theatre is a great thing. When you become a part of a musical theatre club, you will learn many things and it helps you to grow more and it helps you to develop your skills in singing, acting and dancing. But how can we become successful in musical theatre? There are some tips that can help you to become a successful musical theatre performer. First, get a proper training. You should have a background in singing, acting or dancing. You should have some basic skills ready when getting involved in theatre. Enroll in some basic acting, dance, and vocal classes. In proper training, you should also have a proper diet and exercise to become physically fit. Your voice teacher should be teaching you to be aware of what is healthy and safe for your voice. Pain, hoarseness, and raspiness are all troublesome signs (Causey, 2012). Second, Get comfortable with putting yourself out there. Perhaps, it is really hard but actually more necessary. It does not matter what other people think about what you are doing. Always give your hundred percent in your performance, be confident. Do not mind what other people say, the important thing is you did your...
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...West Side Story: Changing the Musical Film Genre The musical film West Side Story (1961) was greatly successful. Nominated for eleven Academy Awards and receiving ten, this movie rose to the top of everyone’s expectations. It changed the genre of musicals and film elevating the story to a new level where it prospered and flourished. This film did something other films and musicals never did before; taking a classical Shakespearian play, Romeo and Juliet and modernizing it. The musical revised a well-known story, connecting viewers personally to musical. By using the current time period, problems within society, and altering the classic play subtly, the film drastically advanced a memorable and now classic movie/musical. Additionally, West...
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...Walk The Moon, often shown as WALK THE MOON, is a rock band that is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their band name was inspired by the song, "Walk the Moon," by The Police. The members of the band include Nicholas Petrica (vocals, keyboard), Kevin Ray (bass), Sean Waugaman (drums), and Eli Maiman (guitar). They currently have three albums out to date: I Want! I Want!, Walk the Moon, and Talking is Hard. Talking is Hard is home of Walk The Moon's hit single, "Shut Up and Dance." The album is based off of the the 80s' and 90s' style of music, having a groovy feel to the melody. The band also released other amazing songs in their album Talking is Hard. The album Talking is Hard was a new take on music for Walk The Moon in 2014, having all the...
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...of experience in the fine arts departments in both music and in theater. For acting experience, I have worked on many plays before as a technical director through my old high school and through town organized productions. From music experience, I have played Trombone and have been a part of many bands such as Marching band, Jazz band, Brass Bands, and numerous honor symphonic bands all through my high school and early college career. With all this experience, I have had the pleasure to be apart and witness many production throughout my life. And even with all my past experience, White Christmas is ranked high on some of the best plays I have ever seen. There is very minimal that I could say that was bad about this production. From a musical stand point, there were many songs and numbers that were a particular interest to me. One song that particularly came to mind was “Count Your Blessing Instead of Sheep.” Bing Crosby and originally wrote this song with Irving Berlin. This song was at an andante tempo and was very melodic when it came to melody. The melody between the two soloists was very above to par. I really enjoyed how this song came together, a majority of the songs in this play were more up tempo and they were engaging to the audience. I enjoyed how this song took a break from the rush of the rest of the play and brought a more relaxing feeling to the show. The majority of songs used in this play were more tenor orientated and were set for higher pitches and harder...
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