INTRO TO MUSICAL
THEATRE HISTORY
An overview of the genre
The purpose of this short unit
◻ What is musical theatre?
◻ What makes it different from other types of
theatre?
◻ What are some things I need to know to be able to
talk about musical theater intelligently?
◻ What do I need to know in order to do a brief
musical performance of my own?
What, exactly, is musical theatre?
◻ Musical theatre is a theatre
piece that contains music,
spoken dialogue, and
dance.
◻ Musicals use popular styles
of music, as opposed to art
music meant for the concert
hall
◻ The story of a musical is
told through all aspects of
the piece
What makes musical theatre different from
other forms of theatre?
◻ Differences from opera
Focus on spoken dialogue
Dance is much more important
Generally amplifies the singer
Uses popular styles
Almost always in the same language as the audience
◻ Differences from “straight” plays that have music
Music drives the plot and characters
Songs are usually outside the normal action
What do I need to know to talk about
musicals intelligently
◻ Every musical has three components: music, lyrics,
and book
◻ The book is the story of the show- generally refers
to the spoken dialogue
◻ The book and the lyrics combined are sometimes
called the libretto
◻ The lyrics and the music combined are called the
score
What do I need to know to talk about
musicals intelligently?
◻ Every musical production generally has five “major”
positions
Director
Musical Director
Choreographer
Producer
Stage Manager
What do I need to know to talk about
musicals intelligently?
◻ Other terms to know:
Lead role
Featured role
Ensemble
Swing
Pit
Understudy
Standby
Basic Structure of most musicals
◻ Overture- Orchestral introduction previewing from
the show
◻ Act I
◻ Intermission (10-20 minutes)
◻ Act II
◻ Curtain Call
◻ Exit music
Types of musicals
◻ Book Musical
Traditional musical with a strong story that drives the music and
characters
◻ Revue
A collection of songs, generally with some common element. May
or may not have a plot
◻ Concept Musical
A musical where the message or metaphor is just as, if not more
important, than the actual story
◻ Jukebox musical
Musical using only songs from an artist or group
◻ Rock (or Pop) Musical
Musical that uses rock music (or pop music) as the main style of
music. If there is little spoken dialogue, it could be called a rock
opera or pop opera
“Triple Threat”
◻ A performer who is able to sing, dance and act at
an equally high level.
Examples: Amy Adams, Gene Kelly, Neil Patrick
Harris
