THTR 3011 1nd EditionExam # 2 Study GuideThe 1950sFrank Loesser- Broadway composer, lyricist, librettist, score, book—did it all!- Guys and Dolls (1950)- How To Succeed In Business> 4th musical to win Pulitzer Prize for Drama- SpectacleAlan Jay Lerner- My Fair Lady- Camelot- Brigadoon- “wild card”; vocal; married 8 times- The words (book)—librettistFrederick Loewe- Reserved; disciplined- Austrian/Germany- Loewe approached Lerner***- My Fair Lady- Camelot- Brigadoon- Composer of musicGypsy (1959)- A Tony for Best Revival- Loosely based off the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee- Jule Styne—music - Stephen Sondheim—lyrics- Arthur Lawrents—book - Why is it significant?—the most well integrated book musical during the golden age; this idea of music story, movement dialog, characters comes together wellPost-War Immigration- Integreated racial casts- West Side StoryThe Music Man (1957)- Won Tony for Best Musical—came up against West Side Story because TMM was a normal musical whereas WST was a musical people were not preparedfor in terms of subject matter - Typical musical- End of 50’sGesamtkunstwerk- A total/holistic work of art- Jerome Robbins- Integration and bringing all these elements together- Doing it in the best way possible- “Perfect Integration”Brigadoon- Lerner and LoeweAuteur- Director- “author”—the director has control over the creation of the plot/musical/play;it is their creation, their vision, their words and ideas.- Jerome RobbinsTriple Threat Actor- Sing- Dance- Act- Being able to do all things very well- Jerome Robbins created this ideaBob Fosse- Main choreographer of the time period- Musical most well-known for: Chicago- Revolutionary figure in dance style and theatre- Characteristics of Fosse’s Dance Style: Subtext—things to think about while dancing; what’s going on in the mind of the performer Use of hats and gloves Focus on hands and feet “Turned In Knees” “Jazz Hands” “Flexed Feet” “Isolation”—to move your body one part at a timeThe King and I (1951)- Rogers and Hammerstein- Desire to take influence from other cultures and represent them in as truthful a way as they knew them at the time- Choreographer: Jerome RobbinsMy Fair Lady- Julie Andrews- Lerner and LoeweHouse on Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)- Contain communism in America- Jerome Robbins—part of the communist party and eventually left; informed HUAC of other performers in Hollywood and musical industry who were rumored to be a part of the communist party- Finding and rutting out any sniff of communism in the USCivil Rights Movement- Started in 1954- Who is allowed to see performances- Started by Brown v. Board of EducationEast Side Story- The original name of what West Side Story was to becomeJerome Robbins- Theatre director and choreographer- Classically trained in ballet- Changed his last name b/c he felt it was too Jewish- Won “Best Director” for West Side Story- Homosexual- Introduce triple threat actor- Choreographer for King and I- An auteur director- He was difficult to work with; a lot of it had to do with that his creations belonged to him and he had a specific idea how his choreography and direction should look on stage- Original director of the Film for West Side Story—got fired for taking too long on specificsLeonard Bernstein- An American composer who was music director for the NY Philharmonic- West Side Story-Brown v. Board of Education- was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which allowed state-sponsored segregation, insofar as it applied to public educationThe Little Rock Nine- A group of African American students enrolled in Little Rock High School. Their enrollment followed the Little Rock Crisis in which students were permitted from entering the racially segregated school. There attended an intervention of President Eisenhower- After the Brown v. Board of Education case- Escorted in by military- 1957How To Succeed In Business- Broadway Premiere: 1961- Based on the 1952 book by Shepherd Mead- Music and Lyrics: Frank Loesser- Book: Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert- Winner of 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical for the 1961-1962 season- 1962—Pulitzer Prize for Drama (4th Musical)- What is looked for in a Pulitzer?—awarded to a piece of theatre they feel likeis a significant contribution to American Drama and Theatre- Revived in 1995 and 2011- Characters:o Finch—window washero Rosemarie—secretary o Bud Frump—Briggley’s lazy nephewo J.B. Biggley—the boss at World Wide Wicketo Hedy LaRue—mistress to Biggleyo Smitty—Rosemary’s best friendo Mrs. Jones—Biggley’s secretaryo Mr. Bratt—personnel managero Mr. Twimble—head of mailroom for 25 yearso Mr. Wally Womper—Chairman of World Wide Wicket- Themeso Misogynyo Sexism—all about women in their secretary role; incompetent; hair and makeup during the work dayo Hedy LaRue—a pawn in Ponte’s game; used and abused by all men at World Wide Wicketo NO women in any position of authorityoSatire- The use of humor, irony, exaggeration and ridicule to expose and criticize peoples stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issuesWest Side Story- 1957—Broadway- 1961—Film- Music—Leonard Bernstein- Lyrics—Stephen Sondheim- Book—Arthur Laurents- Director and Choreographer—Jerome Robinso Director and choreographer for film although he was fired half way througho Employed “method” techniques: segregated casts members, posted clippings of real life gang violence, had each character provide backstoryo “triple threat performer”- Originally ‘East Side Story”—tale of ill-fated Catholic/Jewish love affair in lower east side- Source material?—Romeo and Juliet- Gang violence served as real-life inspiration- Hard to produce initially b/c of serious subject material. Not everyone was on board.- Combined multiple styles: arias, jazz, Latin, symphonic ballet- Heavily relies on dance to tell story- Lost most major Tony awards to The Music Man- Initial audiences weren’t