MUSICAL tHEATRE

WHAT IS MUSICAL THEATRE?

ORGINS OF MUSICAL THEATRE

• Musical theatre became popular in the 1600s & 1700s
• First forms of musical theatre was ballad operas and comic operas
• First became popular in Britain, Germany and France
• Musical theatre began to take the form we see today in 1915

DIFFERENT FORMS OF MUSCIAL THEATRE

• Juxebox
• Rock
• Comedy
• Concept
• Mega

ROCK MUSICALS

• Tell a story through rock music
• First rock musical was hair in the 1960's
• Some popular examples are : Grease 1972, Rock of Ages 2006 & Spiderman 2011
• http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=imFQEuTSNkI (1:55-2:15)

MEGA MUSICALS

• A mega musical is am almost fully sung-through musical drama
• The first ever mega-musical was called "The Elves" in 1857.
• popular mega-musicals include: Grease and Phantom of the Opera.
• http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lt7m3Om0jM (2:07-2:15)

JUXEBOX MUSICAL

• Biographical story of the performers who's music is featured in the musical
• First juxebox musical was in 1975 "The Night That Made America Famous" based on Harry Chaplin's music
• Popular examples are: Mamma Mia - ABBA (1999), Lennon - John Lennon (2005) & Thriller - Michael Jackson (2006)
• http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fjsz7-Ry8a4 (0:30-0:45)

MUSICAL COMEDY

• COMBINES SONGS, SPOKEN DIALOGUE, ACTING AND DANCING TO TELL A STORY IN A COMICAL WAY
• The first musical comedy was : In Town (1892)
• Some popular Examples are : The Addams family, Footloose, Hairspray & Mary Poppins
• http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7TNygXkIx_w (1:18-1:30)

CONCEPT MUSICAL

• A musical based on a metaphor or statement which is more important then the actual narrative
• The first one : Lady in the Dark (1941)
• Some popular examples are : Hair, Moss Hart & Cats
• http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4-L6rEm0rnY (0:00- 0:10)