1. CHAPTER 16, LEVE, “American musical theatre”
ROCK ON BROADWAY
CHAPTER 16, LEVE, “American musical theatre”

2. Rock on boradway
“BROADWAY MAY BE THE FINAL PALCE IN AMERICA, IF NOT THE KNOW UNIVERSE, WHERE ROCK STILL REGISTERS AS REBELLIOUS. IN THE DECOROUS LITTLE JEWEL BOXES THAT ARE BROADWAY THEATERS, RAUNCH SEEMS RAUNCHIER AND ROCK MUSICALS FLAUNT FOUR-LETTER WORDS AND LACIVIOUS SIMULATIONS.” John Pareles, The New York Times (16 May 2010)

3. the evolution of rock on b’way
The first musical billed as a “Rock musical”
Despite its success, producers shunned the “roch musical” label
the musical “Grease” played off nostalgia, not its rock and roll score
rock critics viewed broadway with suspicion
theatre critics viewed rock music with cynicism

4. the evolution of rock on b’way
In our own time, theatregoers have grown to accept rock as a standard for the musical stage
Baby-boomers who grew up on rock are being targeted by composers in the 21st century
In 2011, Aspiring musical composers were asked “What song do you wish you had written?” Of the 10 respondents, 3 cited songs by stephen schwartz, but five cited songs not associated with the musical theatre including bruce springsteen’s “Born to Run”

5. DEFINITION
in 1979, the first anthology of rock musical scripts was published—The WiZ, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, GREASE, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, YOUR OWN THING, HAIR, TOMMY AND PROMENADE.
Stanley richard, who edited the anthology noted “the rock musical is more freewheeling, less confined and even when set in a specific period, manages to evoke an expressive tipicality…it is also more generous in its utilization of lights and audiovisuals and, of course, there is the beat and the amplified sound.”

6. DEFINITION
in 2008, the OXFORD COMPANION TO THE AMERICAN MUSICAL observed that the rock musical was -
“unconventional and more experimental than traditional shows, not only in subject matter but also in structure and presentation…Most significantly, the orchestrations for rock musicals require a good deal of electronic instruments so mechanical amplification is a must.”

7. DEFINITION
In her book, elizabeth wollman does not even attempt an authorative definition. Instead she includes every rock and pop oriented musical since the early sixties

8. DEFINITION
elizabeth wollman does not even attempt an authorative definition. Instead she includes every rock and pop oriented musical since the early sixties
Scott warfield (DEPT OF MUSIC, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA) identified four categories OF ROCK MUSICALS

9. four types of rock musicals
Works identified by writers and producers as rock musicals (Hair)
works that began as concept albums (American idiot)
works THAT INCORPORATE SOME ROCK FEATURES BUT ARE NOT MARKETED AS ROCK MUSICALS (GODSPELL)
WORKS THAT PAY HOMAGE TO OR PARODY EARLY ROCK STYLES (GREASE, ROCK OF AGES)

10. SHARED ATTRIBUTES
ACCOMPANIMENTS HEAVILY DOMINATED BY ELECTRIC INSTRUMENTS
STRONG DOWNBEATS on COUNTS 2 AND 4
RELIANCE UPON MICROPHONES OR HEADSETS
LESS REFINEMENT IN VOCAL PRODUCTION
James Leve, Northern Arizona University

11. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FRAMEWORK
ROCK EMERGED AS THE MUSIC OF YOUTH CULTURE AND PLAYED A DEFINING ROLE IN THE IDENTITY OF THE BABY BOOM GENERATION
WHEN IT EMERGED IN THE FIFTIES, IT SPOKE DIRECTLY TO THE ANXIETY OF THE TIMES
IT CONTINUES TO THRIVE ON ANXIETY AND ARTICULATES ATTITUDES ABOUT SEX, DRUGS AND SOCAIL CHANGE

12. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FRAMEWORK
IN THE SIXTIES, rock and roll emerged as an agent for change
for the political right, rock fomented civil unrest and moral corruption

13. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FRAMEWORK
IN THE 70s, rock became more diversified and became increasingly mainstream
rock purists mourned its diminished capacity to affect political discourse
conservatives continued to sound the alarm about rock’s negative impact on sex, death and satanism

14. CRITICS OF ROCK MUSICALS
ROCK PURISTS BELIEVE THAT MUSICAL THEATRE AND INAUTHENTICITY IS A SELLOUT
THE ROMANTIZATION OF POP MUSIC GOES COUNTER TO ROCK’S DRIVE AND NON- COMMERCIALISM
ROCK CRITICS ACCUSE ROCK MUSICALS OF CORNINESS AND INAUTHENTIC EMOTIONALISM

15. THE MUSICAL IMPACT OF ROCK MUSIC ON THE MUSICAL THEATRE
Modern musical theatre composers seem to have fully embraced rock, its rhythm and “Groove”
rock lyrics are less structured than the traditional “aaba” form
the “I” in rock songs is projected onto the listener whereas the “I” in musicals is in service of character

16. early rock musicals on broadway
“Too young to love” from the girls against the boys The female cast "battles" the male cast in a series of songs and sketches in this musical revue.

17. early rock musicals on broadway
bye, bye birdie was a full-length musical comedy set out to parody rock culture. it featured a few presentational rock and roll parodies in its otherwise traditional score.

18. hair
Gerome ragni ( ) and james rado (b. 1932) conceived of the show as a portrait of the growing hippie movement in the 1960s
Influenced by megan terry’s “viet rock” with its anti- war theme, they incorporated that into their musical
it was largely anti-establishment; young vs. old
refused by harold prince and director roberty Brustein for production, joseph papp of the public theatre eventually agreed to take on the show

19. Joseph papp
Papp selected “HAIR” to commemorate the opening of The Public Theatre in the old Astor Library and guaranteed the authors an eight-week run. They were introduced to the Canadian composer Galt MacDermot (b. 1928) who earned his formal music training in Capetown, South Africa.

20. rehearsals
Papp disagreed with the creators about the director, the choreographer and the shows “narrative unity” (or lack thereof.) The show opened at the Public Theatre to mixed reviews October 29, 1967.
Clive Barnes of the NY TIMES called it a “jolt to the American musical.” Michael Smith of THE VILLAGE VOICE proclaimed it to be “phoney.”
Papp was scared of by the reviews and the production was taken over by Michael Butler who optioned it for a Broadway run.

21. evolution
It was butler who tagged the show “the american tribal love-rock musical”
among other changes, butler hired tom o’horgan ( ) TO DIRECT
a broadway house was not available, so it opened first at a times square nightclub called the cheetah, eventually securing the biltmore theatre on west 47th street
o’horgan emphasized the show’s concept over its narrative

22. Plot of “hair”
Set in an East Village park in 1967, Hair is the musical story of a group of hippies who celebrate peace and love in the shadow of the Vietnam War. The loose plotline centers on Berger, the charismatic leader of the “tribe,” and Claude, a sweet-natured guy from Queens who’s about to be drafted. Other memorable characters include Berger’s war protester girlfriend Sheila, lovable flower child Crissy, Mick Jagger fan Woof, Claude’s straight-laced parents and many more. But the real star of Hair is the rocking score, which includes such classic hits as “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Aquarius” and “Good Morning Starshine.”

23. LEGACY
people were scandalized by brief nudity and fallout from conservative politicians
but the score provided a number of popular songs covered by such diverse acts and the cowsills and the fifth dimension
as the composers said “…our sound will include exciting beat music, as well as beautiful melodic numbers. we are trying for a very fresh and current pop sound in a broadway theater.”

24. LEGACY
At the 1969 TONY AWARDS, IT COMPETED AGAINST ‘1776’ FOR BEST NEW MUSICAL, it lost
but by 1972, it had played over performances, 14 companies were touring the us and more were playing in foreign cities and usually with some controversy
milos forman made a successful film with choreography by twyla tharp in 1979
a very successful revival in 2009 began as a summer production in central park

25. after “hair” Your own thing (1967) salvation (1969) dude (1972)
via galactica (1972)

26. THE CONCEPT ALBUM
THE BEATLES 1967 LANDMARK “SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND” LARGELY SPURRED THE PROLIFERATION OF CONCEPT ALBUMS LIKE “JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR” and THE WHO’S “TOMMY” IN ALL WERE EVENTUALLY ADAPTED INTO MUSICALS—SGT PEPPER IN FILM AND BOTH SUPERSTAR AND TOMMY ONSTAGE.

27. jesus christ superstar (1971)
RELEASED AS A 90-MINUTE CONCEPT ALBUM IN IT WAS THROUGHSUNG AND ALMOST SURPRISINGLY WAS NOTE PUT DOWN AS HERETICAL, RATHER AMERICAN CLERGYMEN EMBRACED THE RECORDING. IT PRODUCED NUMEROUS HIT SONGS.
Rights to stage the production went to Robert Stigwood (who had produced Hair in London). It was directed by Tom O’Horgan and with the familiar music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the production was not a hit in its initial run on Broadway.
In fact, its abstract staging angered some religious leaders. It ran for less than two years

28. tommy
The 1969 concept album did not receive a Broadway production until 1993 having been established as a rock classic and surviving a Ken Russell film version in which featured members of THE WHO in the cast. Elton John was also cast as the Pinball Wizard.
Producers of the 1993 stage version felt the show would appeal to traditional Broadway audiences. When it did not, the production closed after 899 performances.

29. little shop of horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (2,209) opened in 1982 and was a hilarious Off-Broadway sci-fi spoof by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman. Based on Roger Corman's low-budget 1960 film about a man-eating plant from outer space, its fresh score and witty script made the show an immediate hit. It toured the country for years and became a standard part of the musical theatre repertory.

30. Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon. with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.
rent (1996)

31. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1998)
With far less fanfare but a more hardcore rock score, this bizzare and daring show found a dedicated following. Librettist John Cameron Mitchell starred as the title character, a transsexual punk rocker whose operation was botched—an unlikely idea for a show, but young audiences embraced it.
An acclaimed revival opened on Broadway in 2014 and garnered 4 Tony Awards, including one for the actor Neil Patrick Harris.

32. bright lights, big city
Jay McInerney’s 1984 novel was about a young New Yorker too hooked on cocaine and too emotionally paralyzed to save either his marriage or job. First a film starring Michael j. Fox, it was adapted for the stage by Paul Scott Goodman. Goodman was raised in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1984, following UK tours with John Cougar Mellancamp, Joan Armatrading, David Essex, and others, he moved to NYC after a quick year performing in LA. Paul wrote the book, music, and lyrics for BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, which was presented at the New York Theater Workshop (directed by Michael Greif), The Guggenheim Museum, the Prince Music Theater, Philadelphia in June 2006, and is now licensed worldwide by R&H Theatricals. The CD of BRIGHT LIGHTS, starring Patrick Wilson, Sherie Renee Scott, Jesse L. Martin, and Christine Ebersole is available on Sh-K-Boom Records.

33. And don’t forget
godspell WAS WRITTEN BY STEPHEN SCHWARTZ WHEN HE WAS 28 YEARS OLD. IT OPENED AT THE CHERRY LANE THEATRE OFF-BROADWAY IN 1971, EVENTUALLY MOVED UPTOWN TO THE PROMENADE THEATRE BEFORE ENDING ITS INITIAL RUN OF 2118 PERFORMANCES.

34. ROCK MUSICALS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Leve, “The broadway musical,” chapter 16

35. SPRING AWAKENING

36. Spring Awakening – 2006
Based upon a 115 year old German play about teenagers coming of age, it featured a rock score by Duncan Shiek. The featured performers included Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff and John Gallagher, Jr. The show received 8 Tony Awards including Best musical.

37. NEXT TO NORMAL
While Billy Elliot won the Tony for Best Musical, the awards for score and book went to Next to Normal (2009 – 733 perf), a native born show about a family facing emotional meltdown set to a powerful rock beat.  It was awarded the Pultizer Prize for drama in 2010.

38. BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON (2010)
A.J. kicked British butt, shafted the Indians and smacked down the Spaniards, all in the name of these United States –Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson creators, Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers cook up an alternate universe (and draw parallels to today's political/populist landscape) with their musical about the seventh U.S. president. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson follows Jackson from his early days as a child on the wild frontier to his controversial reign in the White House. With the country divided into rich and poor , Jackson begins his steady climb from military strategist to populist rabble-rouser to President of the United States. Along the way, he meets his wife, Rachel, takes on the Founding Fathers – and rocks like no political figure has ever rocked before, with the help of an onstage trio and an entourage of singing, joking cohorts. It features a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality and an infectious rock score.

39. American idiot (2010)
The two-time Tony Award-winning hit musical Green Day's American Idiot is based on the Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum album. The show includes every song from Green Day's album, American Idiot, as well as several songs from its follow-up release, 21st Century Breakdown. Co-written by Billy Joe Armstrong and Director Michael Meyer. Johnny, Tunny and Will struggle to find meaning in a post-9/11 world. When the three disgruntled men flee the constraints of their hometown for the thrills of city life, their paths are quickly estranged when Tunny enters the armed forces, Will is called back home to attend to familial responsibilities, and Johnny's attention becomes divided by a seductive love interest and a hazardous new friendship.

40. American idiot
An energy-fueled rock opera, American Idiot, features little dialogue and instead relies on the lyrics from Green Day's groundbreaking album to execute the story line. American Idiot is a high-concept show with strong social messages.

41. BACKSTAGE ROCK MUSICALS
MEMPHIS
JERSEY BOYS
MAMMA MIA!
BILLY ELLIOT
ROCK OF AGES
Beautiful: The Carole King Story

42. AND THEN THERE WAS HAMILTON