American Musical Theater

Terminology Overture Entre Acte Prologue Libretto Soliloquy Book Musical Reprise Synopsis/Overview Finale (Ultimo) Review/Critique Solo, Duet, Trio, etc… Ensemble

Rodgers & Hammerstein Ricard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist) prove “lyrics 1st” approach easier to integrate songs and book of the show Integrated/book musicals: music MUST fit character & dramatic moment. (ie - develop character and advance the action) Great story telling, made everyday characters & situations compelling. Capture human condition as no one ever had

OKLAHOMA! 1st book musical (written by R&H) 1943 Everything in show advances storyline Dance important for same reason 1st Original Cast Album Recording Longest running musical (at its time)

On The Town 1944 - 1st integrated musical 3 sailors “on the town” looking for love in NYC during wartime (creates empathy) Women in command (more aggressive) Symphonic score (1st time orchestra, dance all take part in telling story) Music written by Leonard Bernstein (1st “serious” classical composer to write for Broadway)

Carousel 1945 - Rodgers & Hammerstein within 3 weeks of opening WWII ends Takes place in N.E., based on Lilliom “conditional ballad” - People Will Say We’re in Love & If I Loved You Soliloquoy

Annie Get Your Gun 1946 - Music by Irving Berlin features 8 hit songs “Shows Berlin’s talent as a composer & that this medium could be wonderfully funny

Finian’s Rainbow 1947 - Rodgers & Hammerstein tries tackling racism with laughter “When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich”

Kiss Me Kate 1948 - Music & lyrics by Cole Porter Taken from Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew Adult songs (re: love & sex) Effected openness that we now have in lyrics Received the 1st Tony Award for “Best Musical”

South Pacific 1949 - Music & lyrics by R&H Looks at racial & cultural relationships (war brides) “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught” [to Hate] “cashes in” on emotional feeling about WWII typical ‘decent’ Americans are forced to confront bigotry they’re raised with Unusual show: almost no dance, multiple love stories, dramatic tension not provided by “bad guy” Wins Tony for Best Musical, 2nd musical to receive Pulitzer Prize for Drama Establishes “The RH Factor”

core of Musical Theater Repertory (1950’s) 1951 - The King and I (R&H) 1958 - Flower Drum Song (R&H) 1959 - The Sound of Music (R&H) Oscar Hammerstein II dies a few months after The Sound of Music opened, ending a career that spanned the Golden Age of Musical Theater & Film. Finest work with Richard Rodgers, later coached Stephen Sondheim Last song written “Edelweiss”

Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Lowe 1947 - Brigadoon 1951 - Paint Your Wagon 1956 - My Fair Lady (based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion) Stars Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews Longest running musical to date wins every major award, revived several times & translated all over the world They surpass R&H! 1960 - Camelot

West Side Story 1957 - Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet Originally dramatic tension was between religions, but thought too much for the time and was switched to race difficult orchestra music: Dance at the Gym Quintet

Guys & Dolls 1950 - Frank Lesser “down to earth”, likable characters flawed, but definitely human Fugue for Tinhorn

Sunset of the Golden Age 6 shows from ’64-’66 ran for over 1,000 performances: 1964 - Hello Dolly! 1964 - Funny Girl 1964 - Fiddler on the Roof 1965 - Man of La Mancha 1966 - Mame 1966 - Cabaret

shows in the ‘70s Rock Musicals Concept shows Conventional Post-Oklahoma! musicals

Rock Musicals Hair Rock musicals was the one hope for Broadway… 1st Full Rock Opera: Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) - Andrew Lloyd Weber, music & Tim Rice, librettist Godspell (1971) - Stephen Schwartz

Concept Musicals Built around a concept rather than traditional plot once subject is raised (marriage, love…) only then can characters comment/illustrate aspects on subject Storyline exists only to illustrate central concept songs provide commentary for characters Company (1970) - moral: Life keeps going; situations don’t end…” No storyline, non-linear story Conventional Post-Oklahoma! musicals

Late 70’s Deep recession, theater district filled with pornography & crime Dancers become important! (reinvigorate Broadway) Michael Bennett (dancer turned choreographer/writer) A Chorus Line (1973) - records actions of dancers at workshop 15 year run! Breaks all records! Saved Shubert Theater from financial ruin shows bittersweet life of a dancer, kick-line and all

Bob Fosse wins triple crown of theater: Emmy (Liza With a Z), Tony (1972 - Pippen) & Oscar (1971 - Cabaret) Offers series of dance centered musicals where concept rather than plot drives show 1975 - Chicago (revival in 1996) - most enduring work opened 5 days after A Chorus Line

Flops and trouble 1976 - Pacific Overtures — all male cast (Kabuki style) set in 19th century Japan… FLOPS! By late 70’s, most Americans not aware of musical theater… Rock & Disco predominant sounds sales of cast albums so low, some labels stop recording/carrying them Musicals have become sub-culture Production costs, (’79) shows cost 1million+, profit??

late 70’s shows 1979 - Sweeney Todd written by Stephen Sondheim tries to scare modern audiences play is about revenge 1st to bring dark side of humanity on stage (cannibalism and murder) 1979 - Evita (Weber & Rice) End of ’70’s, Broadway centerpiece of NY tourism “I Love NY” campaign

1980’s British Mega-Musicals Producer David Merrick, “The Abominable Showman” 40 yr career teamed up w/ Dir. Gower Champion 6 productions including Hello Dolly & 42nd Street 1st movie musical adapted to stage forced critics to come opening night, no preview Gower dies opening night, Merrick uses it as publicity

Cats 18 yr run (longest running show in history!) Produced by Cameron MacIntosh & Andrew Lloyd Webber, music almost no storyline, “it’s about…Cats..” Allows whole families to enjoy theater Memory Merchandizing HUGE!

Cameron MacIntosh produces 4 top musicals of 1980’s: Cats Phantom of the Opera Les Miserables Miss Saigon Grosses $8 Billion+ around the world Uses highly identifiable logos for advertising

Other ’80’s shows 1987 - Into the Woods (Sondheim) Wins Tony for Best Musical Score Merrily We Roll Along (Flops!) Last collaboration between Prince & Sondheim Sunday in the Park with George - Sondheim w/o Prince Inspiration taken from impressionistic painting “Putting It Together”

1990’s Less than 5% of US public attending regularly CORPORATE Musicals take over shows produced/managed by multi-functional entertainment corporations (ie- Disney) Beauty & the Beast (1994) The Lion King (1997)

Off-Broadway Shows Rent (1996) Bring in Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk (1996) Jekyll & Hyde (1997) Titanic (1997) Ragtime (1998)

2000’s The Producers (2001) Produced by Mel Brooks Scalp the scalpers Urinetown (2001) Mama Mia (2001) featuring the music of ABBA Movin’ Out (2002) featuring the music of Billy Joel

2000’s Wicked (2003) Avenue Q (2003) Assassins (2004) Monty Python’s SPAMALOT (2005) Jersey Boys (2005) Young Frankenstein (2007) Shrek (2008) Next to Normal (2009)

2010’s The Addams Family (2010) The Book of Mormon (2011) Kinky Boots (2013) - music/lyrics by Cyndi Lauper Beautiful: The Carol King Musical (2014) Finding Neverland (2015) Hamilton (2015) School of Rock (2015)

Films/Movies Evita (1996) - feat. Madonna & Antonio Banderas Beauty & the Beast (1991) Newsies (1992) - flops guaranteeing Disney sticks to animation films The Lion King (1994) Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) Hercules (1997)* Mulan (1998)* Tarzan (1999)* - music by Phil Collins

Beyond Disney The last big screen musical of the 20th Century: SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, UNCUT (’99) Proves animated shows are not just for kids! Moulin Rouge (2001) 8 Mile (2002) - starring Eminem (Marshall Mathers) Chicago (2002) - Revival