Golden Age of Musical Theater 1943 late 1960s o Oklahoma And the integrated musical o Elements text song dance work to push plot forward o Carousel o Dance does not integrate as quickly o West Side Story Robins figured out how to use dance Characteristics of Golden Age Musicals o Representational behind 4th wall o Plot centered o Elevated importance of lyrics and dance o Serious themes o Happy hopeful endings 1940s 1950s o isolated Americans The Concept Musical 1960s 1970s o Centers around a theme dance o Rarely have happy endings more about exploring an idea o Hair A Chorus Line o characteristics of concept musicals theme over plot presentational break 4th wall episodic order of songs won t effect plot dark themes with no easy resolution Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber vs Stephen Sondheim o Stephen Sondheim Took conventions of tutor and blew them away Worked with Karl Jung psychology reoccurance of stories across cultures archetypes collective unconscious fairy tales Into the woods learn about character and what they learn through song 3 adolescents Jack Little Red Cinderella language and lyrics word choice rhyme word play patter song lyrics in a rapid Musical Assassins sympathizes with assassins Megamusical spectacle musical British invasion succession that work with music o Guaranteed success you know its good o Massive exciting spectacle o First musical Andrew Lloyd Webber Cats o Marketing heavily marketed o Characteristics representational spetacle driven commercial entertainment accessible music poperetta or pop opera heavily marketed tourist attractions Concerns with mega musical o High cost of production o High cost of tickets o Musical as tourist attraction o Producers not willing to take risks on newcomers Review o Oklahoma was created as a serious play first integrated musical o Conceptual intellectual dark musical vs mega musical Jonathon Larson o Designed RENT o Compared best to the character of Mark o He didn t have AIDS o Day before it was set to open he died and the play moved almost unaltered to Broadway Casey Kaleba o It was bringing young audiences into the theatre o Stage combat really is a magician o Three things that he ensures the safety of the actors making sure his props work to do the job they are supposed to do teaching the actors how to use props or do certain things like fall and he tells a story with violence o What audiences expect The cool sound And the sword moving and making that swishing noise o He is the dramaturgy of violence
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