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Theater Chapter 10: Broadway Comes Alive The Rise of the Musical the musical was the most popular theatrical form in the USA during the 20th century. Musical Comedy did not emerge as a distinct type until the late 19th century. The Earliest Musical Comedies •Emphasized romantic appeal of exotic places or situations •Used stories primarily as excuses for song and ensemble numbers •Emphasized spectacular settings, songs, dances, chorus girls. 2 Big Musicals Show Boat (1927): one of the first musicals to combine solid story and characterization driven by a musical score. Oklahoma! (1943) Often considered the first work to integrate music, story, dance, and visual elements in order to forward the dramatic action. Years immediately following WWII represented the Golden Age of the American Musical: The Number of factors contributing to the success of Musical Theatre: • Offered a light alternative to the darker dramas being written following WWII • A single evening of theatre offered variety • Musicals offered something for everyone. 2 Major Dramatists Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, All My Sons Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams: Glass Menagerie, Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Tennessee Williams Arthur Miller Existentialism • Philosophy based on the idea that religion, society, and governments were failed exercises because human beings are free entities entirely responsible for their existence and their actions. Myth of Sisyphus • The legend of a man condemned to forever push a giant boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down each time he reaches the top. This legend was popular among existentialist philosophers and writers. Theatre of the Absurd • Inspired by the writings of Sartre & Camus. • Truth = Chaos; lack of order, logic, certainty. • Play structures abandon cause and effect relationships • Play structures reveal associational patterns reflecting illogical and chance. • Most influential playwright – Samuel Beckett [Waiting for Godot] (1952) Off Broadway • Smaller, alternative theatre spaces throughout New York. Many of these performance spaces have been converted out of basements, churches, and lofts. They offer a wide range of theatrical experiences at cheaper ticket costs and in more intimate environments. Off-Off Broadway • Even smaller & more alternative New York theatre spaces. These theaters have been developed in bars and storefronts & produce innovative & unusual plays for a public looking for something different. Obie Awards • The Off Broadway Theatre Awards. In 1956, The Village Voice newspaper created these as a means of recognizing the talents of Off-Broadway theatre artists. In 1964, the Obies began recognizing Off-Off Broadway work as well. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) • founded in 1965 this US government organization encourages state and local governments to create and provided funding for the arts. The NEA sets no tax breaks for companies, foundations, and individuals who donate to the arts. Regional Theatres • quality, professional theaters in major cities throughout the country. They help to provide jobs and creative outlets for theatre artists who might never get the opportunity to take their talents to New York. New York Shakespeare festival • founded by Joseph Pap, this is one of the most successful Off-Broadway theatre companies. Since 1957, the festival has staged free Shakespearean productions in Central Park. Performance Art: • a broad term for a highly theatrical form that began gaining steam in the 1960s. This type of art can be done by a group or an individual & is often a mixed media event where elements of visual art, theatre, and music are combined in an innovative way. Cirque du Soleil: • Highly popular theatrical form that uses top of the line talent to raise the art form of the circus to a whole new level. Stomp: • highly popular theatrical experience where performers use their bodies and everyday objects to create heart pounding percussive theatrical shows. Blue Man Group • modern day performance art where the entertainers literally cover their entire bodies in blue greasepaint and treat their audience to an evening of percussive rock music, flying food, a dazzling light show, tons of paper, and of course audience participation.