Discuss the importance of early comedians, such as Harrigan and Hart, and Weber and Fields on the way musicals developed.…
It asks us to read these plays to learn about the horrors that African Americans have faced during their period of enslavement, and how freed slaves attempted to bring these atrocities to light through writing literature. It also helps us understand how theatre was used as a tool to assist in the freeing of millions of enslaved people, as well as a way to mock an entire race. It is important to search for the inspiration behind any theatrical style and determine what the motivation was in developing it into a staged production. From the extremely racist motives behind minstrel shows, to the noble cause of the slave narrative, by determining the motivation behind each theatrical movement, we can attain a more comprehensive understanding of the…
The St. Ambrose University’s rendition of Cabaret was definitely a play to be seen. Meant to be a informational and reflection all piece, Cabaret almost forces the audience to place themselves in the characters’ positions. Through the anger and violence, sexuality and promiscuity, and the Nazi’s search for Jews, this play is designed to shake the audience up and make them feel uncomfortable. Using metaphors and exaggerations, it tries to press the issues that are caused by people turning a blind eye to evil. With my prior knowledge of the Holocaust and Germany during this time, it is easy for me to say that I would not have conformed.…
comedy within Cosi to allow the audience to abandon their pre-conceptions of ‘mad’ people and to see the characters not for…
“Grease”, originally a musical play write in 1971, was brought to the big screen in 1978 by producers Robert Stigwood and Allen Carr. Set to reflect the 1950’s era, “Grease” explores real life situations that several high school students during this time period were faced with – developing relationships, teen pregnancy, bullying, and peer pressure, drinking and gang violence. The use of unrealistic song and dance outbursts to portray the character’s emotions and views of life was a way to add comedic relief to real life situations. The characters included Danny, played by John Travolta, Kenickie, Leo, Doddy, Eugene, Rizzo, Frency, Marty and Sandy, played by Oliva Newton-John. Identifiable by the logos and colors of their jackets, each teenager…
This Broadway play has been around for a long time. It captured people’s attention from the clothes they wore, to the beautiful melody from Frankie Valli. This play is set in the 1960’s; it is based on Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Through a musical it talks about their lives, where they grew up, and the struggles they went through to get to fame. They came from nothing, living in a poor area, in a little shack house, to fame and wealth. Their sweet voices took them far in life, accomplishing many of their goals, to scoring not one but a couple hit songs like, “Sherry,” “Big Girl’s don’t cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” “Oh What a Night,” and so on. When I first walked in I didn’t know what to expect, except hearing how good this play was. My thoughts were a boring play to sit through and get it over with but it captured my eyes from the moment they started singing. Their unique voices were so calm, sweet and inviting that you wanted to just listen or sing along but never was there a dull moment. Not only was the music capturing but the clothes and the colorful set opened up your eyes. They chose the right setting, the perfect performers to make this show a phenomenon. Looking at everyone’s faces how they were enjoying themselves and people just not taking their eyes off the set really showed you that this performance was a hit. Seeing a group accomplish so much from where they came from sets the right message to those who are in the same situation. Not only is this an amazing show but also an inspirational story to many who do not have the money to go far with their gifts but can work hard and still accomplish what they did. Showing that life is not all about money but that you can still do what you love if you follow your dream and work your way…
Throughout the musical it shows how the characters show themselves to the audience that watches them. But it also shows they really are off the set and out of the eyes of the public. Lina the main character is presented as this beautiful actress who is great at singing, dancing, acting, and even talking. The movie producers show Lina…
The few enjoyable moments all had one thing in common, humor. The college students incorporated their 21st century comedy into the ancient drama, in a way through which the audience members could relate. From dancing to modern music in their archaic garb to chanting “orgy” at the audience, the actors did not miss a comedic beat. The amusement the actors brought lightened the mood without interrupting the play’s tragic tone.…
- In order to be first in delivering such play, the civic courage is necessary, - the writer says. - To lift the project without patronage of nouveau riches today when people save on water and electricity, it is a feat. Alexander Kaplan very creatively approached the setting of a performance and wasn't afraid to include very effective video frames in a performance. As a result even the specialists thinking that in theater similar show is unacceptable, admitted that the performance only benefited from it. You saw that the audience quits after a performance with tears in the eyes. It once again reminded them that life isn't infinite. The past passed, tomorrow is in fog, there is only today. When we understand it, we will live differently: more…
Humor is simply defined as “The quality of being amusing or comic, esp. as expressed in literature or speech.” In this paper a comparison of works one The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber and the other is the play I’m Going a Comedy in One Act by Tristan Bernard. Both of these readings provide humor in to an audience but they are given in completely different fashion, in James Thurber’s work the most dominating of the literary elements that was used was imagination while Tristan Bernard in his work predominately used farce, although these are not the only aspects used in their work but these are the strongest in use in these stories. Humor is and always will be a well-known form literature that has successfully passed the test of time while earning many laughs from audiences along the way.…
On April 7th, 2016, I attended Lakeland College's musical, "Hairspray!” Overall I thought it was a great performance. It was my first time seeing this musical in particular. There were many things that made the performance spectacular including: the outfits, the setting, and the actors singing voices. There were also a few things that made the play worse than it could have been and it was mostly the technical difficulties.…
The musical Cabaret depicts an era through song and dance. Music sets the stage and tells the story from the beginning of the film until the very last scene. The film takes place in pre World War II Germany, revolving around the life of a Cabaret performer and the effects of the rising Nazi power during that time. In the very first scene, the decadence of the Cabaret is reflected in the first score of the musical. Throughout the film, its loud music and provocative dance represents the frivolous lifestyle during 1930’s Germany. The purpose of a musical is often times to illustrate a certain period of time through the lives of the characters. In this particular musical, the reckless lifestyle of the Germans during the time was shown through the scenes at the Cabaret. However, as the Nazi party began to gain power, its effects were portrayed through the musical routines performed at the Cabaret. The costumes, as well as the subject of the songs, helped to tell the story by symbolizing this era. The director, Bob Fosse commonly used flash blacks and foreshadowing to make the connection clear to the audience. Fosse’s vision as a musical director was far ahead of his time. The use of an emcee in the musical numbers gave the musical its direction.…
Grease was a musical about teen love. The girl Sandy meets Danny at the beach and falls in love, and they never expect to see each other again. Although, they were both wrong because Sandy ends up going to Danny's school. The only problem is that Danny isn't the same as he was at the beach, because he's part of the T-Birds, and has to keep up his reputation. In the end, Sandy and Danny resolve their differences and end up happily together.…
Second, the vast array of subjects Sondheim has written about has broadened the horizons of musical theatre. Sondheim's subjects range from passionate love (Passion, 1994), to the nature of marriage (Company, 1970) to fairy tales (Into the Woods, 1987) to the difficulty of making art in a competitive, economic-centered world (Sunday in the Park with George, 1984) to insanity and perception of it (Anyone Can Whistle, 1964). The remarkable dexterity with which Sondheim handles his subjects, and the deep complexity of the characters portrayed…
Imagine living in the 1960’s fighting for the chance to be able on a hit dance show series. Now, imagine fighting for equal opportunities between the blacks and whites, in an area where segration between the two races is held up as an important aspect of the community. This is exactly what happened in the hit musical, Hairspray. I was able to attend this amazing musical at Washington Lee High School on April 25, 2015. Directed by Keith Cassidy, outstanding performers showed off their collaboration and effort, transporting the audience to Baltimore in 1962. Through acts of violence, progression in the fight towards equality, and some ridiculous hair, Hairspray was able to speak to audiences both of the 1960’s and of the decades beyond that.…