Dreamgirls: A Feast for the Ears and Soul

At the end of World War I, an excited America was poised for a cultural renaissance; patriotism was on the rise, the strong concept of Manifest Destiny had passed its peak of influence, and, most importantly, there had not been a clear shift in culture for decades. The Jazz Age of the 1920s was about to dawn, bringing with it youthful, risqué morals and a carefree look on life. From these ideals, a new, strongly American form of entertainment would emerge: musical theatre. Most commonly found in New York City on Broadway even to this day, musical theatre became an escape from reality and an entry into the imagination. The grand and splashy components that make up what is considered a classic Broadway musical can ultimately be traced back to Cole Porter. Porter’s writing, albeit at times controversial or raunchy, was able to harness the frantically beating heart of the Jazz Age and turn it into treasured shows. Using his unique melodies, romantic or idealistic lyrics, and his pioneering of writing about the human experience, Cole Porter shaped American music and theatre from the 1920s through the 1940s.

Escaping current events might be found in the company of neighbors, but for New York theatre audiences, witnessing Oklahoma! put its viewers into a far removed realm for the time being. One might question if the events and activities the musical replicated for American society were intentional or not; however, given that musical theatre has the ability to convey relatable circumstances between the characters and the audience, it would not be a reach to assume the musical did this intentionally. Oklahoma! helped the American people grasp onto serenity, and even a bit of nostalgia, if only for

“If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” remarks Kathy Selden about movies after first meeting silent film star Don Lockwood in the beginning of Singin’ in the Rain (Singin’ in the Rain 17:38). While Kathy was slightly off base when saying that all movies are the same, movies belonging to the same genre often do share certain conventions which author Bernard F. Dick discusses in his book Anatomy of Film and Tim Dirks confirms in his assessment of the genre for the American Movie Classics Company. What do one of the best musicals ever made and the newest musical to receive raving reviews have in common? With 64 years separating Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and La La Land (2016), the advancements in film technology are apparent, but the

Reading these alien terms through its application in musical theater gave me a better understanding and at the same time shattered my susceptive way in enjoying a musical. From the stage direction, lyrics, books, and even costume design, I have started to read musicals differently in reference to the class material. I admit that I miss enjoying musical gullibly, but again, I found great joy in critically reading these musicals through a different performative

The use of music is a key to determining if a film is in the musical genre. Not only are songs used to further the story along in a musical, but they also have the ability to put the audience in the emotional state of the character singing. Song has always been used as a good conductor for emotional understanding. For example, during the song "You Were Meant for Me" in Singin’ in the Rain, Don Lockwood is able to confess his love to Kathy Selden in a way that feels magical and shows a connection between the two would be lovers. Also, the song “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” in Grease is able to betray the emotional depth of the character Rizzo’s fear, shame, and anger. At the time this film came out, topics such as teen pregnancy were not generally presented in films. By having this character sing her issue, the audiences, who may have dismissed her outright for her actions, are able to sympathize with her plight. Moreover, in Rent, the song "I'll Cover You" by Angel and Collins allow the viewer to get caught up in this young couple's relationship without having to worry or even consider that this is a gay couple.

Standing on stage behind The Philadelphia Orchestra, I peered into the empty auditorium. The red velvet-lined seats were plush; the crown molding was elegant and classic. As I stood on the stage of Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium, I wished I had smuggled my camera onstage to capture the scene from my vantage point as some of my fellow choristers of The Philadelphia Singers had done. Here I was, at the mere age of twenty-five, performing on the same stage as musical greats such as Enrico Caruso, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Yo-Yo Ma, Joni Mitchell, and Itzhak Perelman. In the moment I felt scared and excited, and unsure I even deserved to be there.

To my dismay the band had already started, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear music of a few decades passed being performed by a band that, at first glance, seemed to young to understand the songs of those decades. I was mistaken. A young woman on stage was belting out a bluesy rendition of Hurt So Bad (performed by Linda Rondstadt on the 1976 LP Mad Love). Olivia Klein's unique style and old school power house voice and maybe add just a splash more gruff to her voice and Janis Joplin would have been proud, I sure

This combination allows for the musical to obtain a severe plot, however, maintains the audience’s attention. The unique combination of pop melodies with sophisticated musical techniques along with complex use of musical elements allows the songs within the musical to depict a profounder meaning than what is originally perceived. This is depicted well in the song The wizard and I as it uses complex musical elements along with sophisticated musical techniques.

A musical film is a genre of movie where songs sung by characters are added into the storyline, occasionally complemented by choreography. The musical numbers in these films do not always develop the plot and characters, but they do give the films a more exciting quality. The primary difference between musical theatre and film musicals is the use of extravagant scenery that would be extraordinarily unreasonable for a stage performance. While making movies, the individuals involved have the luxury of being able to shoot multiple takes and have the time to move backgrounds around or change their entire location. Stage performances, on the other hand, must have scenery that can be easily and efficiently moved on and offstage when it is needed. In order to be able to thoroughly comprehend this relatively recent- in the grand scheme of things- form of entertainment, one should understand the history behind these musical films, be aware of some of the “big names” that are well-known, and recognize major titles that revolutionized musical film forever (Scaruffi, P., 2005).

Many people look at musicals as unrealistic and pointless, mostly because "no one can learn anything by singing and dancing." People who think this way couldn't be more wrong. There are many things to be learned from these masterful musical selections.

In the University of Alabama’s performance of A Chorus Line, the performers tackled this infamous piece for its dramatizations of what actors and performers endure in the line of work that is theatre. As explained by the actors in the documentary “Every Little Step”, being a performer in A Chorus Line is the ultimate dream because it was made by actors for actors. There were a few factors that made the University of Alabama’s performance stand out to me including the choreography, seeing the documentary Every Little Step before the show, and the live music.

"It's been a roller coaster ride full of highs and lows." He states. The group ventured beyond their small town and ending up performing a sold out tour in North Wales and the west. "We have had the show performed in Glasgow, Windsor and at one point thought we were going to America!" Still, Ryder wanted to fulfill his promise to the original group, something that ended up taking a few years to achieve. This past February, he was able to tell the women that the dream was coming true. "It's incredible that the dream is coming true." The show has been featured Broadway World and LondonTheatre.com as well as many other media

Musicals are a wonderful experience for everyone involved. Whether someone is watching the musical, preforming in the musical, or working behind the scenes of the musical, it really turns out to be a magical experience all around. My project was to help out the directors of the musical by guiding students working backstage and by operating the backdrops for the musical. The project is extremely significant to me because I have been volunteering to help out with Middle School East’s musical for years and it feels so great to be able to help out the directors while working with my friends. In this paper I will be touching on what the project is, why I chose to do this project, and what I have learned from completing the project.

The actors had great accents, exaggerated their gestures to captivate the audience, and sang beautifully, which showed the dedication and hard work the team went through to make such a wonderful production. Collins, who played Billy, was wonderful at portraying emotions throughout the production, and Marie, who played Hope, conveyed her rising talent, especially for a sophomore. These two made their love seem so real that the audience could almost feel it. Noelle, who played the showgirl Reno, was fabulous at portraying her bold, outspoken, clever character. When Noelle, Dustin, and Collins joined together in the number, “Friendship,” their actions and facial expressions toward one another allowed their true friendship to shine on stage. During the number “Anything Goes,” the choreography was rousing and extraordinary with the tap and synchronized motions. Throughout Noelle’s numbers, her fabulous singing and acting had me glued to her every move. She, as well as the rest of the cast, were exceptional in portraying their

Aside from the fact that the overall format for musical theatre had changed, thanks in part to Kern, it was the idea of characterization in song that really brought the modern musicals we see today to life. “Kern's exquisitely flowing melodies were employed to further the action or develop characterization. The integration of song and story is periodically announced as a breakthrough in our musical theaters” (Bordman). Before this innovation, early “musical plays” and minstrel shows often threw songs in at random points, hardly relating it to the scenes at hand, moving along the plot, or revealing information about the characters’ lives. “The musical revue format, with unrelated numbers strung together, was replaced