1. A Brief History – Part 1 Early Influences
Musical Theatre
A Brief History – Part 1
Early Influences

2. What is Musical Theatre?
mu·si·cal the·a·ter noun: musical theatre is a genre of drama in which singing and dancing play an essential part
It is an American creation
Influenced by English ballad opera, ragtime, jazz music, minstrelsy, vaudeville, burlesque, follies and revues

3. Early Influences - English ballad opera
The Beggar’s Opera – 1728; Flora – 1735
No historical scenery or costumes
Spoken play with preexisting popular songs amid dialogue
Musical parody - Late 18th, early 19th century
Satire of famous story or performer – burlesques
Pantomime with songs and dances for entertainment and variety
1828 – Hamlet 

4. The Beggar’s Opera – 1728 by John Gay & John Christopher Pepusch
Video Clip "Fill Every Glass"

5. Early Influences - Minstrel Show
First major contribution to theatre by blacks in America
Product of black slave culture mingled with white colonial potpourri
Dan Emmet, composer “Old Dan Tucker”, “Blue-Tail Fly”,1843, brought Virginia Minstrels to NY – touring show

6. Three part show - performed in “blackface
1- Fantasia - The Walkaround (Cakewalk) singing & dancing
2 - Olio – snappy banter, jokes, solo musical
(banjo, fiddle, tambourine, singing, bone castanets)
3 - Burlesque (parody) – one-act vignette; satire of plays or carefree life on the plantation

7. Blackface performer The Cakewalk
1929 audio recording that follows the classic format of a minstrel show Minstrel show clip

8. Early Influences - Minstrel Show
Ed Christy Minstrel Show – featured Stephen Foster, composer “My Old Kentucky Home” – touring show
Olio grew into variety or vaudeville show
Fantasia became Broadway Revue
Satire became used as themes for later musicals

9. Christy Minstrels
Part 2 – The Olio

10. Early Influences – New York City
Shift from rural to city life created a demand for permanent theatres and pleasure gardens
1866 – The Black Crook – used theatrical effect and sensual pleasures to become a theatre extravaganza
Showed producers and investors that frivolity could substitute for dramatic and musical substance (as in European opera)

11. Early Shows in NYC
1874 – Evangeline was first to use an original musical score – first musical comedy
1879 – The Brook used a common locale or event to interweave stories (like a sitcom/serial) – first desire for meaningful story
Mulligan Shows – 1880’s was a burlesque on the common people of NY – tales of the ordinary became important

12. The Black Crook – 1866 Melodrama
First American Acting Troupe Using Women

13. Early Influences - Operetta
1890’s – 1920, European Operetta was an instant success as it toured U.S.
Gilbert & Sullivan’s satirical operetta was especially popular
Gave way to American imitations (Sousa)
W.S. Gilbert &
Arthur Sullivan

14. Early Influences - Operetta
HMS Pinafore
“Captain of the Pinafore” 10:30

15. A Brief History – Part 2 American Influence
Musical Theatre
A Brief History – Part 2
American Influence

16. American Influences – 1918-1929
U.S. was the economic world leader
U.S. was victorious after WWI
Optimistic society – an American not European culture was developing
Development of American Writers and Performers
Women and Black performers allowed onstage
Revues/Follies were dominant form of entertainment

17. American Songwriters
Wrote for major music publishing houses in New York City (“Tin Pan Alley”) – before the phonograph, people used to purchase sheet music to sing around the piano
Wrote swinging optimistic melodies
Songs were recycled and moved from one revue to another

18. American Revues – the Follies
Featured stars of the day and a chorus of beautiful women in elaborate costumes and scenery such as in the Ziegfeld Follies ( ) and George White’s Scandals ( )

19. American Musical Comedy
Showed a picture of contemporary America
Had a shallow insubstantial look
Music and plot were not integrated
Had happy endings

20. Vincent Youmans
Influenced by popular music; worked as a rehearsal pianist for many songwriters
Wrote the most produced musical in the 1920’s “Tea for Two” and ” I Want to Be Happy” from
No, No Nannette