Front Back
Bass
lowest/deepest male voice villan/bad guy
Tenor
highest natural voice male hero, guy who gets the girl
Alto
lower pitch voice woman contralto
soprano
highest pitch female love voice
The Golden Triangle
-perfectly integrated book musical, -integrates music dialogue/words dance -IDEA OF INTEGRATION
Bubble Formula
when words can't express emotion, you sing, when singing isn't enough, you dance Dialogue > Sing > Dance
score
combination of lyrics music
Libretto
aka BOOK spoken dialogue, said not sung story, characters, script
Librettist
writes libretto
lyrics
words to the song
lyricist
writes lyrics
composer
writes the music
choreography
designed dance steps movement on stage BY choreographer
a cappella
just vocals no accompaniment
duet
-song sung by two or more voices -2 voices, 1 piece
contrapuntal
-sing separate melody and lyrics at the same time -each melody/voice is given the same weight
patter song
many lyrics sung very fast usually, comical effect
ballad
slow romantic song
recitative
sung speech in opera drives the plot forward usually what is said, but instead is sung
orchestration
music for the orchestra written music/parts for the same
Ancient Greek Theater
-major influence for Western Theater -introduction of the chorus -not lots of evidence
opera
-European -dramatic work- serious -high art -stories of nobility mythology upper class - Kings -opulent staging sung recitative
Ballad Opera
-England 18th century -parody of upper class -low art -stories of beggars thieves lower class -spoken dialogue satirical NOT recitative
operetta
-"little opera" -comical/romantic plots simple plots about upper class happy endings -usually dialogue - not recitative -presentational acting style directly addressing the crowd sing to the audience patter song
presentational acting style
directly addressing/facing the crowd
representational acting style
actors only reacting to one another not addressing the audience real life representation
W.S. Gilbert
lyricist/librettist for operetta
Arthur Sullivan
composer for operetta
reflective song
song reflects on feelings of what just happened
Melodrama
-"music drama" -spoken text -action parts had musical underscoring -stock characters - villain, hero, female lead -Simple morality - character is either good or bad, not both -poetic justice - hero wins, villan loses -contrived plot
The Black Crook
-Written by Charles M Barras -melodrama -debatably the first musical Huge Hit
minstrelsy
-very racist racial stereotyping -very popular -white male performers painting their faces black blackface -Christine Minstrels -most popular form of entertainment during time of the civil war
Victor Herbert
-American Operetta conductor, composer, orchestrator -worked in: (rare combination of both high and low art) popular music classical music -Formed ASCAP - 1914
Who was the conductor, composer and orchestrator of American Operetta
Victor Herbert
A.S.C.A.P
American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers -financial split: publishers and authors split 50/50 anytime a restaurant plays their song. Pays composer/lyricist to ASCAP
Show Boat
Music(Composer): Jerome Kern Mississippi River -Book (Librettist)/Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein -beginning of the "Golden Age of Musicals" -not fully integrated bc missing dance -Source Material: Show Boat by Edna Ferber -First musical with Af Am and Caucasians on stage during a c…
"Galavantin' Around"
music is being integrated into the score
Revue
songs and sketches (usually dance) linked by one theme
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.
-most successful/influential producer of early 20th century -if you knew him, he could make you famous -made Ziegfeld Theater during the stock market crash he lost everything
Sandow
-bodybuilder -made famous by Ziegfeld -brought into World's Fair and made famous -musical display performances = revolutionary -Americas first sexual object
tableau vivant
-curtains rise, performers posed naked as art -sensors couldn't say anything about it since art was being reenacted this is how Ziegfeld got around sensors
How did Ziegfeld get around the sensors? dealing with nudity
tableau vivant
glorifying the American girl
-a "Ziegfeld Girl" set the standard for female sexuality in the 20th century -Ziegfeld shouldn't be seen as a sexist man he was an impresario star maker
Bert Williams
-one of the most popular comedians of all time -Began in Vaudeville and Minstrel shows Performed in black face "The Two Coons" Was in "In Dahomey" first broadway musical written by and starring African Americans -hired by Ziegfeld Huge hit and huge controversy
Tin Pan Alley
West 28th st between Broadway and 6th Ave -most music publishers were on this block
song plugger
-convinced producers or singers to purchase their music EX: Cohan and Gershwin
stooge
"poser" or "random citizen" put in the audience who sings the songs to get other people to thinking the song is very catchy "poser"/"random citizen" is planned so the audience is tricked into thinking song is catchy
Vaudeville
series of unrelated acts (variety show) -appealed to immigrant/ non english speaking people -negative stereotypes of minorities -the shows would travel from theater to theater around the country very competitive -1890-1920 most popular from of entertainment in the US - 2-3 shows…
Tony Paster
-"Father of Vaudeville" -opened first theater for family trade -had door prizes, appealed to housewives -cleaned up acts cheap tickets variety
Turns
-refers to Vaudeville -8-16 acts per show different people would come out
Circuit
Vaudeville (or all acts, idk) would travel from theater to theater all around the country
George M Cohan
Father of American Musical comedy -Joined the family act with Sister Josie played fiddle and danced -Said he was born on the 4th of July when he was really just born sometime in July to show how patriotic he was -HE DID IT ALL! actor lyricist composer etc -he said his Passion: Pa…
Little Johnny Jones
-George M Cohan -plot filled with pro American references -PLOT: Johnny Jones hires a detective to prove Anthony Antsy was spreading rumors saying he lost ____ on purpose. Goldy Gates and Johnny live happily ever after
"Over There" Song
-Memorable song in Little Johnny Jones hummable songs/tunes=key to success George M Cohan
Jerome Kern
-Father of American Musical Theater -composer -song plugger -knew style of ___ very well ballad operas operettas -started Princess Musicals
Princess Musicals
-Composer: Jerome Kern -Princess theater (299 seats) in danger of going out of business -small in every aspect -modern, believable comic situations
overture
-music you hear before the music from the orchestra starts playing -introducing dramatic themes and and major songs
reprise
exact repeat of a song
Leitmotif
theme song -musical theme of a character place or theme itself -ex: "Ol' Man River" Joe ?
AABA song structure
Example: Ol' Man River (Show Boat)
Actors Equity Association
-Actors strike Ziegfeld/Cohan Reaction, both against it -want better working condition and pay -Ended when unions joined the strike
Metatheater
a show within a show
Quasi Love Song
-when two actors sing about what it would be like to be in love, and actually love each other, but don't admit to be in love -Audience knows they are in love EX: Show Boat, "Only Make Believe"
"Ol' Man River" song
Show Boat -central theme no matter what is going on in your life, the river of life keeps going and you have no choice but to keep going with it -AABA song hummable songs
"Only Make Believe" song
Show Boat -quasi love song -Magnolia and Ravanclau when they first met -foreshadowing
miscegenation
mixing of races through marriage
Golden Age of Musical Theater
Showboat = beginning of golden age
George Gershwin
Born Jacob Gershwitz -composer would write music 1st -youngest song plugger in Tin Pan Alley -very well liked, charismatic, lots of girlfriends, player -success in popular music classical music "Rhapsody In Blue"
Ira Gershwin
-self expressive lyricist one who shows off with the english language -wrote the lyrics 2nd after George would write the music -opposite of George, very quiet, family man, book worm Nickname: The Jeweler -didn't know how to read music so he wrote "dummy lyrics" to help him
The Gershwin's
-became the dominant Broadway songwriters early 1920's -"Of Thee I Sing" satire of white house, political process, presidential elections
What won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama? First Musical to win this prize
Of Thee I Sing BY George Gershwin - composer Ira Gershwin - lyricist
"Rhapsody In Blue"
composed by George Gershwin
Self Expressive Lyricist
-shows off with the english language -obvious that there is a person behind the lyrics bc they aren't natural
"The Jeweler"
Ira Gershwin Never learned how to read music He added jewels (lyrics) to the songs
Dummy Lyrics
-Ira Gershwin -Never learned to read music -George would write dummy lyrics to help Ira remember the rhythm of the song
"Porgy and Bess"
-George Gershwin: composer / orchestration -DuBose Hayward: libretto -Hayward and Ira: lyrics -"American Folk Opera" -Source material: novel "Porgy" by DuBose Hayward -George traveled to Folly Island to learn about the Gullah people -all AF AM cast
Richard Rodgers
composer -Jewish American family, middle class -Attended Columbia University Varsity Show -Rodgers wrote music 1st with Hart
Larry Hart
-lyricist self expressive lyricist -Jewish American -attended Columbia 7yrs before Rodgers -dark view of love -deeply closeted homosexual raging alcoholic -wrote lyrics 2nc bc if Rodgers didn't write the music before, he would never write the lyrics -sober while working on …
Rodgers and Hart
-relationship only lasted because they were both brilliant, otherwise, polar opposites -extremely difficult relationship -focused primarily on getting top hits out of the songs and not focusing on fully integrating the musical
"The Garrick Gaieties"
Rodgers: composer - Hart: lyrics -Theater Guild -"Manhattan"
theater guild
theatrical society founded in 1918
"On Your Toes"
Rodgers and Hart -first musical to integrate using dance "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" -George Balanchine introduced choreography in theater choreography for this musical
What was the first musical to integrate using dance?
"On Your Toes" by Rodgers and Hart SONG: Slaughter On 10th Avenue
Who introduced choreography in the theater?
George Balanchine
"Slaughter On 10th Avenue" song
-Integrated using dance song first used with choreography From the musical, "On Your Toes" -Rodgers and Hart
Pal Joey
Rodgers and Hart -sex, complicated affairs -Joey= main character anti hero Joey sleeps with many women, two of the girls confront him, he walks away in the sunset with a different girl No happy ending Dark worldview Further legitimized theater as a musical art form
Anti hero
-Does bad things but you still like him/her The Villian the everyone loves (Heisenberg) -EX: Johnny in "Pal Joey" by Rodgers and Hart
Oscar Hammerstein
lyricist, NOT self expressive wealthy Columbia University liberal and progressive musicals have divers material but mostly has an underlying social message -"poet among lyricist" -positive world views, sentimental (opposite of Hart)
Rodgers and Hammerstein
-focused more on integrating their songs Primary focus wasn't just to create a pop hit, at all -Hammerstein writes lyrics 1st Rodgers does music 2nd (opposite of Rodgers and Hart)
"Oklahoma"
Rodgers: composer (2nd) Hammerstein: music (1st) Agnes De Mille: choreographer -Source material: "Green Grow The Lilacs" by Lynn Riggs -original title was "Away We Go" -First fully integrated musical -first full cast album
What was the first fully integrated musical?
Oklahoma by Rodgers and Hammerstein
"People Will Say We're In Love" song
Quasi-love song in "Oklahoma" between Laurie and Curly
Agnes De Mille
-choreographer for "Oklahoma" -"Oklahoma" put her on the map on Broadway -Dream Ballet (scene in Oklahoma)
Dream Ballet
-Scene from Oklahoma Rodgers and Hammerstein -represents sexual desires -choreography Agnes De Mille
"Carousel"
Rodgers and Hammerstein -based on a Hungarian Drama -PLOT: Billy Biggalo, anti hero works at a carnival, Julie also works at the carnival, they both get fired. They get married. He beats her. She is pregnant, Billy needs money so he robs Julie's old boss, lands on a knife and dies. Go…
"If I Loved You" song
Quasi love song in "Carousel" by Rodgers and Hammerstein
"Bench Scene"
-arguably the most important scene in all of theater -integration without dance -in "Carousel" and "If I Loved You" is a part of that scene
Soliloquy
-active song -Billy is working on his feelings about being a dad -"Carousel"
What is arguably the most important scene in all of history and from what play?
The "Bench Scene" from "Carousel" by Rodgers and Hammerstein
"Annie Get Your Gun"
-Book by Dorothy (libretto) and Herbert Fields -Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin -Star Vehicle for Ethel Merman shouter, huge powerful voice -changed her name so it would fit on marquee (billboards) was Ethel Zimmerman -big brassy voice, belter -ultimate show woman
"There's No Business Like Show Business" song
Song in "Annie Get Your Gun" by Irving Berlin
Star Vehicle
A play written specifically for someone EX: Annie Get Your Gun for Ethel Merman
Dorothy Fields
-First successful Tin Pan Alley songwriter -lyricist/librettist -gave strong female voice to lyricists and librettos -Libretto for "Annie Get Your Gun" -She first asked Jerome Kern, who wrote ShowBoat, to write the score but he dies, then Irving did it
Irving Berlin
-Real name: Izzy Baline -changed his name to Irving Berlin when there was a publishing error for the song "Marie from Sunny Italy" -self taught composer/lyricist Black keys only on a piano never learned how to read music Most Pop Hits!
"Marie From Sunny Italy" song
From "Annie Get Your Gun" by Irving Berlin -This is when his name changed publisher got his name wrong, instead of writing Izzy Baline, he wrote Irving Berlin.
"Yip! Yip! Yaphank!"
Irving Berlin -Started playing at Camp Upton, where he was in the military and they would do military by day and perform musicals by night, THEN to Broadway made fun of the military
"As Thousands Cheer"
Irving Berlin composer and lyricist -Musical Review -created from newspaper headlines -Satirical Revenue -scenes from the news, current events, comics -used real names of famous people -First broadway show to have an African American Equal Billing with Caucasians
What play used the names of famous people and was made up by newspaper headlines?
"As Thousands Cheer" by Irving Berlin
Ethel Waters
-African American woman nickname: Sweet Mama Stringbean -Irving Berlin brought her to Broadway
"Suppertime" song
In "As Thousands Cheer" Irving Berlin -sung by Ethel Waters when her husband got lynched and she had to tell her children at suppertime -Headline from newspaper inspiring this song: Unknown Negro Lynched by Frenzied Mob" -very controversial, many people wanted him to cut this song b…
Why wrote the famous song "White Christmas"?
Irving Berlin LOL bc he is Jewish
"God Bless America" song
written by Irving Berlin -trunk song
"This Is The Army"
Irving Berlin -musical review -first racially integrated unit in the US Army
Ethel Merman
Original Annie in "Annie Get Your Gun" -shouter, huge powerful voice -changed her name so it would fit on marquee (billboards). Was Ethel Zimmerman -big brassy voice, belter -ultimate show woman -Broadway Debut in "Girl Crazy" she started out with only a few lines but after each…
"Annie Get Your Gun" revival
-very successful -made the entire musical a metatheater a show within a show -changes the ending so the final shooting match ends with a tie
Loewe
-born/educated in Germany -Always remained European in musical style -composer
Lerner
-lyricist/librettist -serial monogomist (8 wives) -dominant partner -passionate/sentimental + wit/brain similar to Hammerstein
Lerner and Loewe
"The Last of the Romantics" -unique work technique in which Lerner would write the title, then music by Loewe, then lyrics by Lerner -heightened and romanticized past = showing modern ideals and parallels -wide variety of subject matter all period pieces -did not work together o…
"My Fair Lady"
Book/Lyrics: Lerner Music: Loewe -PLOT: Eliza's main goal is to work in the flower shop, NOT to find a man such as other musicals like "Annie Get your Gun" -Source Material: "Pygmalion" by George Shaw George Shaw= fabian socialism -shows the American Dream is real -Very polit…
George Bernard Shaw
Wrote "Pygmalion" which was the source material for "My Fair Lady" -fabian socialism A cinderella story
integration 2.0
-character driven songwriting -revealing information about the characters
Rex Harrison
-Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady" -Shakespearian actor -no musical theater experience -Lerner and Loewe wrote songs he could speak/sing
Julie Andrews
-not cast in the film version of "My Fair Lady" bc said to be too ugly Replaced by Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
-Eliza in "My Fair Lady" film version -Marni Nixon sings the songs while she lip syncs
Marni Nixon
-nickname: the ghostess with the mostess -ghost singer -actual one singing when Audrey Hepburn fake sings
"Brigadoon"
Lerner: lyrics and libretto Loewe: music -fantasy word/Scotland -Post war isolationist mentality in America -PLOT: Typical Scottish attire. Tommy is reading Fiona's bible. He finds out there is a spell on Brigadoon where they wake up the net morning thinking it is the next day but a…
"Paint Your Wagon"
Lerner: lyrics/book Loewe: music -Gold Rush American Folklore -not a hit
"They Call the Wind Maria" song
song in "Paint Your Wagon" by Lerner and Loewe -song became a hit but the musical was not
"Camelot"
Lerner & Loewe -Adapted/Source Material from The Once Future King PLOT: retelling of King Arthur and the knights of the round table -association with the Kennedy clan

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