KEY
Musical Theater
Read the information and answer the questions below:
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, singing, spoken dialogue and dance. The story is
communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the show.
Musical theatre works, usually referred to as "musicals", are performed around the world. They may
be presented in large theaters like those found in New York City on Broadway, in small regional
theaters, or by amateur groups in schools. In addition to Britain and the U.S., there are vibrant musical
theatre scenes in Germany, Austria, Philippines, France, Canada, Japan, Eastern Europe, Australia, and
other countries.
A musical is similar to a play which has characters, costumes, and scenery, but the cast often sings to
tell part of the story. It has a combination of spoken words and singing.
Some famous musicals include Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, Annie, West Side Story, Les Misérables,
Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Annie, Seussical, and Fiddler on the Roof.
1. Musical theater combines what four elements:
2. Where are musicals performed?
3. What all is needed in order to perform a musical?
4. Have you seen any musicals on stage or in movie form? If yes, answer the following…

Which musicals have you seen? (Were they live or on video?)

Tell the story of your most favorite musical.

What did you like most about watching a musical?
KEY
Musical Theater Vocabulary The following vocabulary terms are a combination of musical terms and theater terms.
Book – The SCRIPT of a play or the libretto of a musical
Lyrics – The WORDS to the songs
Music – ALL MUSIC played throughout the musical including music with and without words
Score – The MUSIC and LYRICS of a musical
Overture - the OPENING MUSIC in musical theater which usually gives the audience an idea of the
music to come and gets them into the feeling of the show
Wings - the areas of the stage that are to the SIDE of the acting area and are out of view. These areas
are usually masked by curtains.
Upstage - the area of the stage that is the FARTHEST AWAY from the audience
Downstage - the part of the stage which is CLOSEST to the audience
Stage Left - (these left/right directions are seen from the ACTORS point of view on the stage) The
actor’s LEFT when facing the audience. (Also called House Right)
Stage Right - (these left/right directions are seen from the ACTORS point of view on the stage) The
actor’s RIGHT when facing the audience. (Also called House Left)
Technical Rehearsal - A rehearsal in the performance location in which the SCENERY, SOUND, and
LIGHTING are used.
Dress Rehearsal – A rehearsal that takes place just before a show opens, to practice just how it will be
on opening night, including COSTUMES and MAKE-UP. This rehearsal is for both cast and crew.
Curtain Call – The BOWS at the end of the performance.
Cast – The PEOPLE who PERFORM in a show.