Musicals

What are they?

Who are some famous

performers in musicals?

Musicals

• Musicals - a stage, television or film production utilizing popular songs.

• A musical can tell a story and/or showcase the talents of the writers and/or performers.

Musicals

• There are THREE kinds of musicals.

• Stage

• Film

• Television

Musicals

• What makes a musical different from a play?

• A musical uses songs to tell a story. There can be dialogue by the actors; however, songs are included in a musical.

• Musical score - a collection of the songs used in the musical.

Musicals

• The history of Musicals

• Greece – The Greeks included musicals and dance in their comedies and tragedies as early

as the 5th century B.C. • Rome – The Romans included song and dance

routines with orchestral accompaniment to make the dance steps more audible (easier to hear).

The actors attached metal chips called samilla to their footwear.

• Middle Ages – In Europe, performers traveled to sing popular songs and perform slapstick

comedy.

Musicals

• Broadway – 40 large professional theatres located in Manhattan (New York City).

• Broadway musicals began in the 1750s and continue today.

• 1943 – 1968 – The Golden Age of Broadway musicals

Musicals

Fred Astaire – an innovative dancer, choreographer, singer and actor.

His career spanned 76 years, and he made 31 musical films.

Video Example – Puttin’ On the Ritz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFabjc6mFk4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Musicals

Julie Andrews – actress and singer known for starring in “Mary Poppins” (1964) and “The Sound of Music” (1965). Her voice spanned four octaves buring her prime.

Video Example – “Mary Poppins” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bZ0SSyUcw&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Video Example – “The Sound of Music”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dpGmAc3kMk&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Musicals

Andrew Llyod Webber – Famous composer of musicals such as “Cats,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Evita” and “Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat.” He wrote his first musical at the age of six and published his first piece at the age of nine.

Video Example – “Cats”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-L6rEm0rnY&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Video Example – “Phantom of the Opera”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1zMxbhOO0&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Musicals

Rogers and Hammerstein – well known american songwriter duo. They composed musicals together in the 1940s and 1950s during the Golden Age of musicals. Their musicals include “Oklahoma,” “State Fair,” “The King and I” and “The Sound of Music.”

Video Example – “Oklahoma”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpNeHMlJiD4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Musicals

Gene Kelley – an american actor, singer, dancer, film producer and choreographer. He is known for being one of the greatest lead actors/dancers in musicals during the 1940s and 1950s. He starred in the musical “Singing in Rain” which is one of the ten most popular musicals of all time.

Video Example - “Singing in the Rain”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZYhVpdXbQ&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Video Example – “Always Fair Weather”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1InfoCfipM&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Musicals

Judy Garland – an american singer and actress. She starred as Dorthy in “The Wizard of Oz” and starred in “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

Video Example – “The Wizard of Oz”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhzbzwPNgXA&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Musicals

George Gershwin – an american composer and pianist. He composed famous jazz songs such as “Rhapsody in Blue” and songs for musicals such as “I Got Rhythm.”

Video Example – “I Got Rhythm”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIpNepgmCQA&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Musicals

Gilbert and Sullivan – Two famous composers who wrote musicals during the late 1800s. They were known for writing “H.M.S. Pinafore” and “The Pirates of Penzance.”

Video Example – “I am the Very Model”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ONckodX_5U&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Musicals

Irving Berlin – an american songwriter and lyricist. He composed the scores for 19 Broadway musicals. He composed “White Christmas” and “God Bless America.”

Video Example – “White Christmas”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXcNfA4qebQ&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1