Broadway musicals: The Portrayal of Women through the Decades

Many veteran producers and writers, such as A .L. Erlanger, E. F. Albee, Frederick Proctor, and David Belasco, all died in the early 1930’s, and with them “the creators of Broadway as it existed were passing” (Talkin broadway). As new artists took their place, new shows and ideas about social issues began to take center stage, causing groups like Actor’s Equity to speak out and cause argument over public censorship. Commercial Theaters also didn’t want to produce controversial pieces, so many theater professionals ended up creating their own groups or companies so they could produce the pieces they wanted to. This also allowed them to gain more profit, since they didn’t lose money to a big company. Theater still provided “relief from the world,” but it was more acceptable to discuss what was going on in the world, and musicals were able to discuss even more that dramas “because the appeal was to a far wider spectrum of theater going public”(Musicals101).

Gender roles that conform to age old stereotypes are often present within the musical genre. These age-old gender roles are much of the time characterized by the women playing the role of the housewife who takes care of home affairs and looks after the children, while having no control over money or her own decisions, while the man is the only working figure in the picture, and the sole provider for the family; in short, the female is the obedient follower of the dominant male.

Successful classical soprano performer Leontyne Price was one of the first artists to benefit from Marian Anderson’s hard work and dedication. The day after Marian Anderson’s death, April 8th, 1993 Price discussed the ways in which Anderson was able to overcome obstacles while remaining consistently professional and keeping the high standards she set on her performances. Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897. She was considered one of the most celebrated African-American artists of the twentieth century. Anderson identified herself as a contralto, which is the lowest frequency female voice with in a choir. Although Anderson is classified as a classical vocalist her repertoire included many genres such as opera, traditional American songs, concert literature and spirituals. Her live performances spanned the years of 1925 to 1965. The majority of her performances were recitals or concerts, some of which took place within major venues. Through Anderson’s successful career she paved a path for many other African-American vocal artists to follow. This paper explores the ways in which Marian Anderson’s career, from her early beginnings, struggle for recognition, and worldwide acclaim shaped her identity as a representation for African-American vocalists after her to follow.

In the month of September, I watched Emory 's production The Boys From Syracuse. The show itself displayed an array of characters with distinctive characteristics and acting. I think the actors exhibited vocal power, variety, and range through the course of the story by altering their voice to express pride, uncertainty, and raucousness among other moods. The singers, in particular, were good at displaying power through their voice and were expressive in their singing. One character that had excellent vocal control and ability was Minka Wiltz who played Luce. Throughout the play, she displayed good control over her expressiveness with her voice and had a wide range of tone from very low and deep to high pitched exclamations. I think that the vocal choices supported the script and the characters ' actions pretty well. I was able to understand what was going on and the emotions the characters were going through.

Starting in the golden age of 1950, a Broadway musical's critical judgement depended on how well the show’s elements were formally integrated. Meaning the outlook of the plot in relation to the music, lyrics and characterization of gender roles. Gender is a fundamental element of Broadway musical theatre, constitutional to the musical’s architecture. It is essential as a building block for characters, music/lyrics, and stage settings. Broadway musical is a popular art, in which conveys social issues in the female gender from the representations of women in the 1950's to today. The Broadway musical participates in a larger conversation about gender and sexuality because it is a commercial, profit-seeking, artistic commodity, entertainment form, and cultural product. Broadway musical is a mainstream form that needs to relate to middle-class audiences’ desires and expectations, one might expect only social issues and stereotypical representations of women. The female gender stereotypes are represented in Broadway musicals portrayed by the character's roles. As time went by, the portrayal of the female characters in musicals changed because of the representation that women in today receives. Thus, these musicals explore social issues of the day, including women’s rights and changing roles in U.S. culture, sometimes directly and sometime obliquely. Therefore, the Broadway musical venerates female performers and provides substantial roles for women.

The Broadway Musical has been a sensational part of the American culture ever since it started in the 19th century located in Manhattan, New York City; however, they were not always in Manhattan. A musical is a play or movie in which singing and dancing plays an essential part. Musicals developed from light opera in the early 20th century. Musicals originated in England; however, musicals developed into their modern form in the Broadway theatre located in New York City. Broadway is also known as “The Great White Way” because of the millions of lights that light up the night that surround the billboards and theatre marquees throughout Broadway.

On January 28, 2016, Savannah College of Art and Design’s performing art department brought to life Gina Gionfriddo’s 2008 classic: Becky Shaw. While the story was amazing, this review is about the vocal quality of the actors and how their performances line up with the techniques we are learning through our grad school journey. Although the premiere was January 28th, I did not see the show on opening night due to previous engagement. However, I did see “Becky Shaw” on the 29th of January, so the actor might be really revved up after a sold out show.

Women played a seemingly small role in music up to the Renaissance Era where they began to rise as scholars, skillful musicians, and composers. More female composers appeared during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries than in any previous centuries. Up until then women could get educations but were mostly limited to performing music rather than learning the theory behind it because they weren’t necessarily opened to the opportunities men had. During the Humanist movement, men were still favored in society and women generally seemed to be restricted to their own realm of music separate from that of men because they weren’t considered to be as skillful or expressive as men. They would compose music that fit the era, however they didn’t

It is said in the textbook that Broadway “refers specifically to plays performed in the large theatre” (Wilson 34). Broadway is larger than off- Broadway and also off-off-Broadway; it is considered the elite and tickets are more expensive of all of the other types of Broadway theatres, because they spend a lot more creating, running plays and the salary of the actors. Furthermore, “theatre companies have been formed, and theatre facilities built, for the continuing presentation of high-quality professional productions to local residents. The performers, directors and designers are generally high-caliber artists who make theatre their Full-time profession’ (Wilson 35). While off- Broadway theatre holds fewer seats than Broadway theatre, it

Garland’s first major motion picture, and definitely her most popular in regards to the present-day, was The Wizard of Oz, in which she portrayed Dorothy. Her clip of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” depicted her with not only a youthful innocence, but a voice that could make any hearts sway. Perhaps it was her voice for which she was most known; even at the tender age of 17, Garland’s voice was mature and hopeful, and her technical training was of the utmost quality. She carried this vocal consistency throughout her entire career, whether it be through singing a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that audiences would remember throughout a lifetime, or by taking on a more mature and reflective piece.

Acting companies have been around almost as long as theatre itself. The first of the professional stage companies started back in the 1560s. They were used for their comedic trade. These companies also used women on the stage (Brown, 125-126). They can be seen as part of tribal rituals to Broadway musicals making their way across countries.

Music is an universal phenomenon every place has its traditional music and also music it's what brings the world together. One can appreciate music without understanding the language but enjoying the sounds coming from the instruments. Throughout the world the role of female musicians have not been recognized as it should be. The role of female in the music industry has been changing through the years. Like most of the things men have always dominated different activities but women are becoming more present in the music industry.

Berkeley’s showgirls, although they may have the appearance of most of the showgirls of that Hollywood era, certainly had something special in them to be able to perform Berkeley’s choreography in such a precise manner. Berkeley took the Hollywood musical and put it in the sky, on the floor, and everywhere in between, all by changing the lens through which the viewers witnessed his musical

The singing, as directed by Steve MacKinnon, reflects how the actors are feeling and corresponded to the music. Maria sings in high notes that resemble Opera throughout the entire play. This elegance in sound notes her youth, innocence, and pure outlook on the things. Anita's singing is different as she sings deeper and with assurance and strength. Anita is a character who is very self-aware and sure of herself, so her singing would be nothing less. Although Anita's voice is deeper in singing compared to Maria's, it is still soft compared to the singing of the men in the production. This is consistent with the different genders in the play. The singing and music of the women were typically softer and not very dramatic. The music and sound

This year’s Tony Awards was a victory for women everywhere. As each of these talented women accepted their award, I felt empowered. These are people I want to emulate, real life heroines. The kind of heroines we need more of in theatre. And they were finally accomplishing their dreams. It was a vicarious win for me. I watched these remarkable females felt as though they looking to me and saying, “it’s your turn.” And now I feel as though I’m a part of them. All of these women are passionate about their art and so am I. It’s about lifting each other up so we can reach as out to anyone who will listen. The camaraderie is absolutely unbelievable. Females sticking together to better the future of theatre. Now that’s a victory.