MUSIC RESEARCH PAPER

Music Research Paper



Music Research Paper

Part 1: History

The Broadway musical's annals is a fascinating one. While Broadway was a well liked place visited for theatre-goers for many years, it wasn't until the end of the 19th century that plays boasting melodies and promenade became an entertainment staple on the large White Way. Here is a short history of the melodious on Broadway.

Early Years

The Seven Sisters opened in 1860 and was the first ever musical presented on Broadway. The melodious output ran for 253 performances. There are no known exact replicates of the play or its score still in existence.

The Black Crook, which premiered in 1866, is considered by numerous to be the first real Broadway musical. It was a gigantic success, running for over a year. There were eight revivals of the show on Broadway. Initially, the display was a melodrama. Ablaze at a close by theater replaced a ballet troupe and its ensemble, so the manufacturers of The very dark Crook decided to add the group to the display to conceive what they called "A melodious Spectacular(Healy, 2010)." Burlesque was well liked Broadway fare throughout the 1800s. In 1868, Lydia Thompson brought her Burlesque troupe The British Blondes to New York. The elaborate output, topped up with comedy, extravagant groups and risqué costumes, was a gigantic hit.

Early 20th Century

In 1907, A new Broadway occurrence was born. Originally called Follies 1907, Flo Ziegfeld's lavish production would become a Broadway staple for numerous years to come. New productions were climbed on each year until 1925, with additional productions produced in 1927, 1931, 1934, 1936 and 1943. Alast Ziegfeld Follies display was made in 1957, but was a failure.

When Showboat opened in December 1927, it was unlike anything The large White Way had ever seen. The early part of the 1920s had been filled with lighthearted comical performance, such as No No, Nanette and Funny Face. Showboat boasted dramatic themes and the first-ever absolutely integrated book and score.

In 1935, the Gershwin male siblings and DuBose Heyward debuted Porgy and Bess. It featured an all African-American cast, which was rather controversial at the time. While advised a masterpiece by numerous, it has also been admonished for its racist portrayal of African-Americans(Block, 1997).

A New Era

Produced in the midst of the politically turbulent 1960s, Hair was rather a exodus from the musicals of the '40s and '50s, with its counter-culture themes and rock-inspired score. With high power and a sparse use of costumes and sets, it opened the door for a more aggressive, nontraditional pattern of melodious, compared with the elaborate song-and-dance shows that overridden preceding decades(Kantor, 2004).

In 1977, the hugely thriving Annie debuted. Its juvenile celebrity, Andrea McArdle, drew much acclaim for her portrayal of the charming red-haired orphan. Broadway display permits sold very quick for this hopeful, upbeat musical, which comprised a come back to contented displays following a decade of grittier, more dramatic musicals(Bloom, 2004).

Cats started its thriving 18-year run in 1981. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, already well established with ...