Introduction to Musicals
Hampton High
Grade Ten Music
Musicals
• Musicals were called musical comedy at the time
when they were first developed during the late
1800’s.
• A musical comedy is a type of play which tells a
story with spoken dialogue, songs and dance.
• Most musicals are not of a serious matter. They
are generally light in tone and contain humor.
• Many of the best-known songs in popular music
today came from the early musical comedies.
Cartoon Musicals
• Walt Disney has been making
animated motion pictures for years
that copy the musical format.
– The story is presented with both spoken
dialogue and singing and there is usually
dancing.
– The only difference from a real musical
is that the characters are not people but
cartoons.
• Recent hits include: The Lion King,
Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and
The Little Mermaid.
The Music
• The music in a musical can be performed using voice
(singing), instruments or both.
• The music is usually of a melodic form which is easier for
the audience to remember (and hum to themselves
afterwards).
• When musicals were first performed, the music’s general
purpose was to entertain the audience and show off the
talents of the performers, but now, the music has a more
dramatic purpose. It helps to create characterization and
advances the plot.
• The composer of the music works closely with the author
of the story to determine where the music could be most
effectively used.
Broadway vs. Opera
• A musical differs from an
opera because there is more
spoken dialogue. (Operas
are all singing.)
• Also, most operas use
classical music while most
musicals use popular music.
• Most major musicals are
first presented on
Broadway in New York
City.
• Other successful musicals
are made into movies.
Elements of a Musical
• A typical musical should contain four basic
elements.
• These elements are:
•
•
•
•
The Story
The Music
The Lyrics
The Dancing
Lyrics
• The lyrics (words) may be written by the
composer of the music or by another person
called a lyricist (song writer).
• In many songs, the lyrics will help to tell
the story or describe a character’s feelings.
The Story
• The story is sometimes called the libretto or
the “book”.
• It provides the structure to a musical.
• A good story should easily integrate or
combine the dialogue, music, lyrics, and
dancing.
The Dancing
• The dancing serves three
purposes in a musical which
are to:
– help to set the mood.
– help to tell the story.
– entertain the audience.
• Most shows will hire a
choreographer who creates
dances especially for the
musical.
The History of Musicals
• 1866 - The Black Crook was noted for beautiful scenery &
women and elaborate sets.
• 1927 - Showboat was composed by Joseph Kern and the
lyrics were by Oscar Hammerstein II.
• 1943 - Oklahoma was the beginning of the modern
musicals. It was created by Richard Rodgers and Oscar
Hammerstein II. They also wrote Carousel in 1945, South
Pacific in 1949 and The King and I in 1951.
• 1956 - My Fair Lady was a Cinderella story about a poor
flower girl who was groomed to become a proper English
“lady”.
History continued…
• 1957 - West Side Story was a modern version of
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set in modern-day New
York.
• 1958 - The Music Man was about a con-man, Harold Hill
(a musical instrument salesman) who makes a small town
come alive as he skillfully glides from one situation to
another.
• 1959 - The Sound of Music was the story of the Trapp
Family singers made into a motions picture in 1965.
• 1964 - Fiddler on the Roof was about the day by day life of
Tevye, a Russian dairyman, and his family.
History continued…
• 1967 - Hair focused on people of the 60s rebelling against society
during the Vietnam War. It contained a controversial nude scene.
• 1977 - Annie was about a red haired orphan who, along with her dog
Sandy, got adopted by a bald headed millionaire.
• 1978 - Grease was a rock n’ roll musical about high school life in the
50’s. It was made into a popular movie starring Olivia Newton John
and John Travolta.
• 1981 - Cats was the most popular musical of all time and was written
by Andrew Lloyd Webber, a British composer. Excellent makeup.
• 1983 - A Chorus Line became the longest running musical in
Broadway history with 6137 performances before it closed in 1990.
• 1986 - Phantom of the Opera was also written by Andrew Lloyd
Webber and had amazing special effects.
More Recent Musicals
Rent
• 1996 - a rock opera which
chronicles the lives of
several struggling young
artists in the East Village.
• This is the first Broadway
musical to feature gay,
bisexual, lesbian and
transgender characters.
• It is noted for its
ethnically diverse cast and
appeals especially to
Generation X.
Mamma Mia
• 1999 - the story of a
young woman on the
night before her
wedding.
• All she wants is to
learn the identity of
her father.
• ABBA fans will
recognize many
familiar tunes.
The Producers
• 2001 - this show has won
more Tony Awards than
any show in Broadway
history, including Best
Musical.
• It’s about a couple of guys
wanting to produce the
best Broadway musical
ever, but things take a turn
for the worse.
Hairspray
• 2002- this show is
about a troubled,
overweight teenage
girl who tries to
realize her dream of
dancing on the popular
Corny Collins show.
Wicked
• 2003 - this show is a
prequel to The Wizard
of Oz .
• It’s the story of Glinda
(a perky prom queen
ditz) and Elphaba, the
wicked witch of the
west.
Spamalot
• 2005 - Spamalot tells
the tale of king Arthur
and the knights of the
round table and their
quest for the holy
grail.
• It has flatulent
Frenchmen, killer
rabbits and one legless
knight.
The Jersey Boys
• 2006 – this show is based
on the life story of Frankie
Valli and the Four
Seasons.
• The four seasons were
four blue-collar boys from
the wrong side of the
tracks.
• They wrote their own
songs and sold 175 million
records before they were
thirty.
Dreamgirls
• 2006 – the film is
adapted from the
1981 musical.
• It is based on the
history and evolution
of American R&B
music during the eras
of doo-wop, soul, the
Motown Sound, funk
an disco.