PURPOSE        ROUNDABOUT--MUSICAL THEATRE IN AMERICA

Aim:  Musical Theater From and Review

Rodgers & Hammerstein shows dominated the musical theatre in America (and the world) for several decades.  The post-W.W.II era in the U.S. was marked by creativity and energy.

American Examples:

• Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe - Brigadoon, My Fair Lady
• Cole Porter- Kiss Me Kate
• Irving Berlin - Annie Get Your Gun
• Harold Arlen - Bloomer Girl
• Jule Styne - Bells are Ringing, Gypsy
• Leonard Bernstein - On the Town, Wonderful Town, West Side Story (highlighted by           choreography by Jerome Robbins)

The British emerged with the appearance of:

• Andrew Lloyd Webber - Jesus Christ Superstar (1971), Evita (1978), Cats (1981), Starlight Express (1984), Phantom of the Opera (1986)
• Lionel Bart - Oliver!

Influenced by Webber:

• Claude-MIchel Schonberg & Alain Boublil - Les Miserables (1985), Miss Saigon (1989), Stephen Sondheim, Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd

Later Examples of Americans:

• Jerry Herman - Hello Dolly, Mame
• Cy Coleman - Sweet Charity, City of Angels
• John Kander & Fred Ebb - Cabaret, Chicago
• 1776, A Chorus Line, Nine, Big River, Th eMystery of Edwin Drood, Disney's gargantuan transfers of animated films - Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King -- and Rent

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PURPOSE        ROUNDABOUT -MUSICAL THEATRE IN AMERICA

Aim: Musical Theater Form and Review (continued)

Musical Theatre Form:

Musical is very expensive to produce, more than a play Rodgers & Hammerstein had ballet dancers added to the cast, trained by Agnes de Mille.  The dance numbers were worked into the plot.

Basic Components of Story, Song and Dance

    Plots were Simple:

• Boy meets girl
• Boy loses girl
• Boy gets girl
• Happy endings with songs, chorus lines and solo dance numbers

1900-1927: Musicals were two acts.

1927-New Era: Trend toward using literary and historical sources

Form:

a) Several kinds of song

1. Romantic ballad
2. Rhythm song
3. Comedy song
4. Patter song (pronounced beat)
5. Production number

b) Performance number (a show within a show)

c) Dance

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PURPOSE

Family Issues

Students will work on computers to do digital designs for posters of the play - stressing the issues that plague the family - as well as family today.

Aim: 1) To identify the issues

        2)How are these issues different/similar to those of families today?

        3) Collect visuals that illustrate the issues you have identified.  Use museum files - photographs,     etc.  You may also use text and background lettering.

        4) Color should be an important part of your piece.  Color should express mood.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PURPOSE           

Aim: a) Read excerpts from play

        b) Discussion of 1930's "Bronx"

        c) Four sessions with teaching artist

    Teaching Artist

    Students to see "Awake & Sing" on May 17,2006