History on History on BroadwayBroadway

An overview of musicals An overview of musicals that coincide with that coincide with

historical events historical events

High School General MusicHigh School General Music

Created by: Mr. WolffCreated by: Mr. Wolff

Musicals have been entertaining audiences Musicals have been entertaining audiences for over a century. In that time, there have for over a century. In that time, there have been shows that not only reflect the been shows that not only reflect the environment, but the times of its creation environment, but the times of its creation as well as the ideals and attitudes of as well as the ideals and attitudes of AmericaAmerica

Sometimes musicals integrate actual events Sometimes musicals integrate actual events into their shows, allowing the audience to into their shows, allowing the audience to understand how life may have been during understand how life may have been during a particular eraa particular era

South PacificSouth PacificRichard Rodgers & Oscar Richard Rodgers & Oscar

Hammerstein II, wrote Hammerstein II, wrote “South Pacific” in 1949, “South Pacific” in 1949, four years after World four years after World War IIWar II

This musical was based This musical was based on a book called “Tales on a book called “Tales of the South Pacific” by of the South Pacific” by James A. MichenerJames A. Michener

The plot of “South Pacific” The plot of “South Pacific” is derived from two is derived from two chapters which revolve chapters which revolve around two love affairs around two love affairs while still offering while still offering lessons in human lessons in human understandingunderstanding

South PacificSouth Pacific ““South Pacific” went against the South Pacific” went against the stereotype of most musicals stereotype of most musicals by not having a by not having a choreographerchoreographer

Without having any Without having any choreographed songs, it choreographed songs, it enhanced the shows realism enhanced the shows realism

Hammerstein’s lyrics made the Hammerstein’s lyrics made the show racial, poetic, and tragicshow racial, poetic, and tragic

Michener’s stories were Michener’s stories were dramatic, real and dramatic, real and contemporary, which contemporary, which portrayed life in the South portrayed life in the South Pacific during World War IIPacific during World War II

The show was more about The show was more about telling the story and less telling the story and less about the music of the show, about the music of the show, which is why it won a Pulitzer which is why it won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama Prize for Drama

South PacificSouth Pacific

The characters’ main problems integrate race, age The characters’ main problems integrate race, age and classand class

Nellie, a nurse from Arkansas, meets Emile, an Nellie, a nurse from Arkansas, meets Emile, an older French manolder French man

‘‘Some Enchanted Evening’ is sung by Emile, at the Some Enchanted Evening’ is sung by Emile, at the end of his first date with Nellieend of his first date with Nellie

The song begins appropriately and poetically and The song begins appropriately and poetically and is about forgetting everything, such as age and is about forgetting everything, such as age and race, while being in loverace, while being in love

In the meantime, Lt. Joe Cable, who has met a In the meantime, Lt. Joe Cable, who has met a native girl of his own, is on a mission to monitor native girl of his own, is on a mission to monitor the Japanese and needs help from Emilethe Japanese and needs help from Emile

South PacificSouth Pacific At first, Emile declines, but At first, Emile declines, but when Nellie refuses to when Nellie refuses to marry him, knowing that he marry him, knowing that he has children of another has children of another decent, Emile decides to decent, Emile decides to risk his life to help Lt. Cablerisk his life to help Lt. Cable

Emile sings ‘This Nearly was Emile sings ‘This Nearly was Mine,’ which is the soul of Mine,’ which is the soul of the record and was the the record and was the substitute for the reprise of substitute for the reprise of ‘Some Enchanted Evening’‘Some Enchanted Evening’

‘‘Honey Bun’ helps add Honey Bun’ helps add musical comedy to the musical comedy to the show with its drag act and show with its drag act and subtle dancingsubtle dancing

The photograph of Nellie The photograph of Nellie dressed as a sailor in white dressed as a sailor in white became on of the signature became on of the signature pictures for the showpictures for the show

HairHair

With music by Galt With music by Galt MacDermot and lyrics MacDermot and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, “Hair” was James Rado, “Hair” was the first ‘rock-opera’ the first ‘rock-opera’ ever writtenever written

It is subtitled as the It is subtitled as the “American Tribal Love-“American Tribal Love-Rock Musical”Rock Musical”

The musical questions The musical questions ethics and ideals of ethics and ideals of individualism, violence, individualism, violence, morality, sexuality, morality, sexuality, racism, drug use, racism, drug use, religion and social religion and social acceptanceacceptance

HairHairThe music was The music was

unfamiliar to most unfamiliar to most theater-goerstheater-goers

The rock-style format The rock-style format went against what went against what traditional musicals in traditional musicals in America had been. America had been.

The director thought of it The director thought of it as being a revival to as being a revival to Broadway, which he Broadway, which he considered to be considered to be theatrically deadtheatrically dead

““Hair” started a trend for Hair” started a trend for musicals, adding new musicals, adding new themes, styles and an themes, styles and an opportunity for more opportunity for more rock-operasrock-operas

HairHairThe story line was adapted by The story line was adapted by

actual events from friends actual events from friends the lyricists met on the the lyricists met on the streets of Greenwich Villagestreets of Greenwich Village

The plot revolves around The plot revolves around Claude and the group of Claude and the group of hippies he meets while sight hippies he meets while sight seeing in New York City, seeing in New York City, before he goes to basic before he goes to basic training for the Vietnam Wartraining for the Vietnam War

In the 60’s, hippies were In the 60’s, hippies were always on the streets, always on the streets, demonstrating their idea of demonstrating their idea of non-conformism and to non-conformism and to protest against the warprotest against the war

The show contains popular The show contains popular songs, including ‘Aquarius’ songs, including ‘Aquarius’ as the opener and ‘Let the as the opener and ‘Let the Sun Shine’ as the closer as Sun Shine’ as the closer as well as other songs about well as other songs about the hippies addictions and the hippies addictions and personalitiespersonalities

““Hair” broke boundaries and Hair” broke boundaries and led the way for more rock-led the way for more rock-operas like “Godspell” & operas like “Godspell” & “Jesus Christ Superstar”“Jesus Christ Superstar”

Miss SaigonMiss SaigonClaude-Michel Schonberg Claude-Michel Schonberg

& Alain Boublil originally & Alain Boublil originally premiered the show in premiered the show in London before bringing London before bringing the score and story to the score and story to America in 1988America in 1988

The show is a remake of The show is a remake of Puccini’s “Madame Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly,” yet reinstated Butterfly,” yet reinstated during the Vietnam Warduring the Vietnam War

““Miss Saigon” is an intense Miss Saigon” is an intense and personal story of the and personal story of the losses we suffer and the losses we suffer and the sacrifices we make in a sacrifices we make in a world gone mad world gone mad

Miss SaigonMiss SaigonSchonberg & Boublil started Schonberg & Boublil started

designing the show in their designing the show in their minds, when they saw a minds, when they saw a picture of a Vietnamese picture of a Vietnamese girl leaving her mother to girl leaving her mother to join her father, an ex-GI, join her father, an ex-GI, who she had never seenwho she had never seen

The creators saw the The creators saw the mother’s silence and the mother’s silence and the child’s tears as a child’s tears as a condemnation of all wars condemnation of all wars that shatter the lives of that shatter the lives of people who love each people who love each otherother

Miss SaigonMiss SaigonThis is an epic and daring This is an epic and daring musical that is universal in musical that is universal in its emotional power even as its emotional power even as it deals with controversial, it deals with controversial, contemporary issuescontemporary issues

It is a sung-through, pop-It is a sung-through, pop-inflected score that gives all inflected score that gives all members of the cast an members of the cast an opportunity to shineopportunity to shine

““Miss Saigon” includes a Miss Saigon” includes a cinematic structure, giving cinematic structure, giving the directors and the directors and designers a field daydesigners a field day

The technically complex The technically complex show requires 266 to work show requires 266 to work behind the scenes, while behind the scenes, while only 47 cast members only 47 cast members appear on stageappear on stage

Miss SaigonMiss Saigon““Miss Saigon” tells the story of Miss Saigon” tells the story of

a romance between a strong a romance between a strong Vietnamese woman, Kim, Vietnamese woman, Kim, and an American soldier, and an American soldier, Chris. Chris.

The couple sing ‘Last Night of The couple sing ‘Last Night of the World’ where they the World’ where they express their love for one express their love for one another before Chris invites another before Chris invites Kim to return home to Kim to return home to America togetherAmerica together

Unaware of Kim being Unaware of Kim being pregnant, Chris is forced to pregnant, Chris is forced to retreat without Kim, during retreat without Kim, during the fall of Saigon. Chris the fall of Saigon. Chris returns home and eventually returns home and eventually marriesmarries

Miss SaigonMiss SaigonThree year later, Chris Three year later, Chris

comes back to Saigon comes back to Saigon with his wife to find with his wife to find Kim, who is determined Kim, who is determined to make Chris take to make Chris take their son back to the their son back to the AmericaAmerica

Their struggles to find Their struggles to find each other ends in each other ends in tragedy for Kim and a tragedy for Kim and a fighting chance for the fighting chance for the child Chris never knew child Chris never knew was bornwas born

““Rent” was composed by Rent” was composed by Jonathan Larson, who Jonathan Larson, who spent seven years spent seven years making a modern rock-making a modern rock-opera version of the opera version of the classic opera “La classic opera “La Boheme” by PucciniBoheme” by Puccini

The show is inspired by The show is inspired by “Godspell” and “Jesus “Godspell” and “Jesus Christ Superstar”Christ Superstar”

Larson wanted “Rent” to Larson wanted “Rent” to be ‘a Hair for the 90’s’be ‘a Hair for the 90’s’

RentRent

RentRent““Rent” ended up being a Rent” ended up being a

reflection of the way Larson reflection of the way Larson lived his lifelived his life

His mission was to celebrate art His mission was to celebrate art and art-makersand art-makers

He was intensely passionate He was intensely passionate about living life, creating about living life, creating music and changing his part music and changing his part of the world, which was of the world, which was Broadway and musical Broadway and musical theatertheater

Larson wanted to combine Larson wanted to combine Broadway’s traditional music Broadway’s traditional music and lyrics with rock by and lyrics with rock by marrying the MTV generation marrying the MTV generation with theaterwith theater

Unlike all musicals, “Rent” is Unlike all musicals, “Rent” is not accompanied by an not accompanied by an orchestra, but instead by a orchestra, but instead by a rock n roll bandrock n roll band

The show became so popular, The show became so popular, that it had groupies known as that it had groupies known as ‘Rent-Heads’‘Rent-Heads’

RentRentThe story of “Rent” is Larson’s own singular vision and driveThe story of “Rent” is Larson’s own singular vision and driveHe kept the plot closely related to Puccini’s of “La Boheme”He kept the plot closely related to Puccini’s of “La Boheme”Instead of the characters dying from Tuberculosis in Paris, Instead of the characters dying from Tuberculosis in Paris,

their disease is AIDS and is set in New York’s their disease is AIDS and is set in New York’s East Village, a popular bohemian areaEast Village, a popular bohemian area

All of the characters are faced with All of the characters are faced with situations happening in the situations happening in the 90’s,90’s, especially lifeespecially lifeThe musical is not about death, it The musical is not about death, it is is more so about the celebration more so about the celebration of lifeof life

RentRentLarson makes “Rent” so unique by translating his love for his Larson makes “Rent” so unique by translating his love for his

friends in to the music. He wanted the audience to feel friends in to the music. He wanted the audience to feel the way he felt about his friends. A few of the characters the way he felt about his friends. A few of the characters are named after his friends that have died from AIDSare named after his friends that have died from AIDS

It is ironic that Larson died the night before his show, about It is ironic that Larson died the night before his show, about life, premiered with such huge successlife, premiered with such huge success

The show ends with the cast singing ‘No Day but Today’ The show ends with the cast singing ‘No Day but Today’ which was Larson’s main theme for his life and the which was Larson’s main theme for his life and the musicalmusical

ReferenceReference

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Ganzl, Kurt. Ganzl, Kurt. The MusicalThe Musical A Concise HistoryA Concise History. Boston: . Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1997.Northeastern University Press, 1997.

Larson, Allan S. Larson, Allan S. Rent by Jonathan LarsonRent by Jonathan Larson. New York: Rob . New York: Rob Weisbach Books, 1997Weisbach Books, 1997

Lynch, Richard Chigley. Lynch, Richard Chigley. Musicals! A Complete Selection Guide Musicals! A Complete Selection Guide for Local Productionsfor Local Productions. Chicago: American Library . Chicago: American Library Association, 1994.Association, 1994.

Michener, James A. Michener, James A. Tales of the South PacificTales of the South Pacific. New York: The . New York: The Curtis Publishing Company, 1947.Curtis Publishing Company, 1947.

Mordden, Ethan. Mordden, Ethan. Beautiful Mornin’: The Broadway Musical in Beautiful Mornin’: The Broadway Musical in the 1940’sthe 1940’s. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1999. . New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1999.