As a teenager Irving Berlin learned the value of hard work, he was a street sweeper and while he was sweeping he would sing songs for a few dollars. Later Berlin began working at a saloon where he continued to sing lyrics that had a variety of ethnic views. While working at the saloon Berlin was under the watch of a man named Mike, Berlin had one song that was published and he was asked to compose the lyrics to a song called Marie From Sunny Italy and that is when Berlin’s songwriting career began. Berlin’s work resonated with his audience because he took chances such endorsing ragtime music, which was considered scandalous during the time period. Through Berlins music the most important thing that he did was he turned misery into inspiration for his listeners.…
The film Chicago is largely based on the Broadway musical of 1975. The said theatrical show ran for approximately 936 performances. It was the best project of Bob Fosse who had actually choreographed and directed the original Broadway production of 1975 plus had won an Oscar in a successful manner for his excellent direction in 1972 of the film version of famous Cabaret. It is to be highly noted that he died much before actually realizing his dream version. On the other hand, characteristic jazz choreography style of Fosse is evident in a successful manner throughout the 2003 film.…
The theater, itself, was renovated to bring the stage down to the audience’s level, making the farthest downstage in front of the first row of seats. The transition between dim and bright lighting really matched the mood felt by the audience and the scene that was being performed. As mentioned before, the use of music and the use of silence were also important for the perception of the audience. Careful attention was definitely given to the actors’ costumes and makeup in Cabaret. Actresses in the Kit Kat Club were dressed in black burlesque attire or what seemed to be nude undergarments with heels, while other actresses were dressed in the typical 1920’s flapper costume.…
There was usually only one or two pieces that told you where the scene was taking place, but along with the lighting and sound, it was easily put together and it worked very well. The one problem I had with it was during the play I was under the impression that the room with the couch was some kind of common room for the building, but while reading the study guide, found out that it was supposed to be Fraulein Schneider’s room. This confused me because I don’t get why Fraulein Kost would be bringing her sailors through Fraulein Schneider’s room, but I guess they needed some place to show that part of the story. Also, there were times when there was just too much happening on stage and I got dizzy and confused as to what I should be paying attention to. Over all, I was impressed with their use of space and simplicity. Cabaret was performed on a thrust stage which also added to the feeling of unity and closeness between the performers and the audience. I think that in a play that is meant to make you feel like a part of the show, which Cabaret definitely is, this is important. It was one more way of pulling the audience in and making us “part” of the show. With this stage the action was happening within almost arm length of the front row and there was even a point at the beginning right before the show that actors were talking to the audience. It helped us relate more to the story then if they used a…
cted the "logic" of nineteenth-century rationalism that had, in their view, led to a morally corrupt society and culminated in widespread death and destruction. At the Cabaret Voltaire, which became their headquarters, these artists and writers initiated a provocative series of exhibitions, poetry readings, and performances designed to take place in a frenetic and chaotic atmosphere. Many of their most outrageous activities were influenced by the Futurists, particularly Marinetti, who introduced "noise music"- a chorus of rattles and pot covers, kettledrums and typewriters- to simulate the "bruitism" of the real world. (In his book Dada: Art and Anti-art, the artist and writer Hans…
Strictly Ballroom, directed by Australia’s own Baz Luhrmann, is one of the most successful movies of all time. The characteristics of this film, which have led to its worldwide success, are the editing and the style of directing that Baz Luhrmann present’s to the audience, as well as the characters and the storyline of the film. The flamboyant style of directing is best shown in the opening scene of the movie.…
Love duet. If you don't think this is romantic, consider that Jonathan Larson's sensational musical is inspired by Puccini's opera "La Boheme," in which the lovers Mimi and Rodolfo are tragically separated by her death from tuberculosis. Different age, different plague. Larson has updated Puccini's end-of-19th-century Left Bank bohemians to end-of-20th-century struggling artists in New York's East Village. His rousing, moving, scathingly funny show, performed by a cast of youthful unknowns with explosive talent and staggering energy, has brought a shocking jolt of creative juice to Broadway.…
- The English Bill of Rights prohibited a standing army in peacetime; it also included guarantees as the right fair trail and freedom from excessive bail.…
The music and lyrics have proven to be some of the best in musical theatre with songs that include "Oh What a Beautiful Morning", "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top", People Will Say We're in Love, "I Can't Say No", "Oklahoma! and many more.…
“Into the world” is about individuals making big decisions and choosing new pathways. They choose these by their own determination, support and experiences which allows them to break out of their cocoon and transition into a new world with different experiences. These pathways can offer us possibilities or problems. “Billy Elliot”, a film directed by Stephan Dauldry portrays the difficulties of growing up whilst dealing with a variety of social issues such as poverty, rigid gender expectations and class. The protagonist, Billy faces these problems to gain possibilities. These problems and how they are overcome are shown in the film through the use of the motif of doors and windows, dialogue, music and close-up camera shots. The allegory of the “ugly Duckling” also serves as a motif throughout the film that parallels Billy's transition into a “swan”. Tracey Chapman's song “fast car” shows the difficulties of moving into new worlds and the lamentable fact that people are not always able to succeed into their transition. The simple language and intimacy of the song, repetition and the metaphor of the “fast car” are used to convey these differing experiences of a young women's attempt to escape from her world.…
Everyone wants to belong somewhere, but sometimes when we actually do belong to a particular world or group, we find it a struggle because our sense of belonging is actually quite superficial. A person has a need to be attached to a certain world or place. Belonging is based on conforming and complying with these different worlds or places. It is imbedded in our nature to seek both attachment and independence. Scott Hastings, the protagonist in Baz Lurhmann’s 1992 flamboyant and stylised film Strictly Ballroom often struggles to belong to the insular, claustrophobic and gaudy ballroom dancing world because he only wants to belong on his own terms. perceive this in Baz luhrman’s ‘strictly ballroom’ and the short film ‘ Paris Je t’ aime’ .…
While many will agree that Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is critically acclaimed to be one of the most entertaining and well-liked pieces that he has written, there tends to be a discrepancy over how the characters in the play are portrayed when it comes to the importance of gender roles. After reading James C Bulman’s article over the Globe’s more recent performance of Twelfth Night and Shakespeare’s original written version, I realized that there are many ways that this famous piece has been portrayed and each has its own pros and cons.…
Laurents, Arthur, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. West Side Story: A Musical. London: Chappell,…
In the 1940’s, a musical called “Oklahoma!” by Rodgers and Hammerstein became revolutionary and really successful. Oklahoma was the first musical where songs were truly combined in to the shows narrative structure (Introduction to Musical Theatre ) which allowed to tell the story more powerfully using the elements whereas in the past, there was more focus on the songs and comedic aspects. The success of Oklahoma made Rodgers and Hammerstein really popular and they made other musicals such as “The King & I” and “South Pacific” which both of them were very successful. Musicals like “Annie Get Your gun” and “Kate Kiss Me” were based off from the famous musical, Oklahoma which meant that they contained the characteristics of Oklahoma which was…
The creators to include, music by Jerome Kern and the lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The show opened on Broadway at the Ziegfeld Theatre on December 27, 1927. The production by Oscar Hammerstein II. Choreography was by Sammy Lee. The orchestrator was Robert Russell Bennett, and the conductor was Victor Baravalle.…