Music Theatre

Question 1

Period one

Answer 1

Operetta
Early 1900s
Took opera concept and made it into slapstick comedy

Question 2

Patter songs

Answer 2

So many words it’s hard to sing

“I am the very model of a modern major general”

Question 3

Florenz Ziegfeld

Answer 3

Ziegfeld follies

• song + dance + comedy (variety show)
• novelty/circus acts
• sketches
• tableau vivant

Question 4

Tableau vivant

Answer 4

Basically almost naked ladies (seen as innocent and pure)

Question 5

Tin Pan Alley

Answer 5

Famous in roots of pop music

Question 6

Period 2

Answer 6

1920s and 30s
American versions of music theatre
Songs and dances interrupt flow of show

Question 7

Irving Berlin

Answer 7

Major songwriter of period 2
Father of American music
Wrote 24 shows
1914-1962

Question 8

Jerome Kern

Answer 8

Some guy

Question 9

Ragtime

Answer 9

First “pop” musical

Question 10

Showboat

Answer 10

Ziegfeld + Kern collab
Worked with Hammerstein
1926
Racism + it's sad
Serious dialogue
Song+dances have nothing to do with story
Story is intense and dramatic

New genre - serious themes integrated into story

Question 11

What started happening to Broadway musicals in period 2?

Answer 11

They became films

Question 12

Period 3

Answer 12

1940s and 50s
More realistic plots
Balanced elements
Some of best musical “standards”

“Golden age”

Question 13

Oklahoma

Answer 13

1942
Oscar Hammerstein II (diff from before) + Rodgers
-explores relationships
-not musical comedy
-from now on main drive is WRITER
-songs related to stories
-dream ballet - dance used to advance plot

Question 14

Collaborations in period 3?

Answer 14

HUGE

Very important

Question 15

Guys and Dolls

Answer 15

1950
Loesser
“Golden time” of Broadway
Crapshooters dance shows influence of Oklahoma (dance used to advance plot)

Question 16

The Sound of Music

Answer 16

1957
Hammerstein II + Rodgers
Operetta
Hammerstein’s last show

Question 17

Period 4

Answer 17

1960 to now
Social changes and new attitudes included in plot
Rock musicals popular

Question 18

West Side Story

Answer 18

1957

• lyrics + dance (not ballet, not tradition, ACTION in movement)
• Jerome Robbins (choreo), Sondheim (story), Bernstein (music)
• Romeo and Juliet in NYC (modern)
• it’s ok to die/be raped and stuff in a musical now
• –darker stories

Question 19

Stephen Sondheim

Answer 19

• Sweeny Todd
• -murder + cannibalism in 1800s London
• –can you scare an audience like movies can? (Thrilling)
• moved beyond concentration of typical romantic plots to darker grittier sides of life

Question 20

Modern day musicals

Answer 20

Much harder for success

If a show doesn’t do well you’re screwed

Question 21

9/11/2001

Answer 21

Resurgence came at the lion King

Disney takes over

Question 22

The Black Crook

Answer 22

First musical that resembled modern day
Dance and music helped tell a story
Controversial
Ran 474 times

Question 23

Gilbert and Sullivan

Answer 23

Pirates of Penzance

Popular

Question 24

Vaudeville

Answer 24

Variety show (early musicals)
Music/sketch/etc
Aka minstrel shows

Question 25

Great Depression

Answer 25

Success rate down

Question 26

Federal Theatre Project

Answer 26

Created to allow unknown artists to try out new methods of production Shows had little or no cost, so audiences could afford to see them

Question 27

Rodgers and Hammerstein

Answer 27

Hammerstein wrote lyrics, Rodgers set the, to music Worked together for 17 years Integrated plot with music Won a loooot of awards together

Question 28

Movie Musicals

Answer 28

- 20th century fox - gold-played blonde policy (all about profit) - Metro Goldwyn Mayer - musicals can be entertainment and art - Broadway stars brought into film - became popular during the war

Question 29

New concepts in period 4

Answer 29

- more varied musical genres and styles incorporated - pop musicals - exploration of darker themes and issues - intended messages of racial intolerance

Question 30

Mega musicals

Answer 30

- pop musicals - heavily influenced by pop musicals - large cast and sets - usually unique identifiable effect (ex falling chandelier in phantom of the opera)

Question 31

1980s and early 90s - movie musicals

Answer 31

Movie musicals went on hiatus Revived with Moulin Rouge! And then Chicago in early 2000s Now many are released (ex La La Land) Some TV shows have musical episodes (The Flash, Once Upon a Time)