Musical Theater
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Musical Theatre
A musical is a production in which songs and dances, instrumental
accompaniments and interludes, and often also dances, are integrated into an
emotional plot. This genre was reborn as it is known today in 19th century Europe
as a variant of the operetta, although in different countries there was musical
theatre with different styles: zarzuela, género chico and musical comedy in Spain,
comic opera and music hall in England or operette in France. Much later, during
the first half of the 20th century, it was developed in the United States, the country
where it has experienced its greatest development.
Musical theatre is a theatrical or cinematographic genre in which the action
unfolds through singing and dancing sections. It is a form of theatre that combines
music, song, dialogue and dance, and is performed on large stages, such as the
West End theatres (London) or on Broadway in New York, the main venues for
musical theatre, followed by Argentina, Australia, Canada, Spain and Mexico.
The origin of this word is Anglo-American.1 Throughout the 20th century it
was extremely successful, especially in New York City.
A musical or "musical theatre" is a musical genre typical of American
culture, although they are also often performed in other countries. It is a form of
theatre that combines music, song, dialogue and dance. They are usually
performed on large stages, such as the Western Theatres in London or
[[Broadway○3] in New York.
In other countries, there is also an attempt to take this genre to the highest
level, such as in: Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Chile, Mexico and Peru. In Mexico:
the largest show producer is OCESA. In Peru: Contra Escena Producciones,
Preludio Cultural Association, among others.
History
It can be said that the musical was born on September 12, 1866, the day in
which an opera (The Black Crook) was staged for the first time in the United
States, arising from the union between a European dance company and a theater
company. This collaboration arose from the fact that the former found herself
without a venue in which to perform while the latter was putting together a
production that turned out to be much more expensive than expected. Once the
financial and organisational difficulties were overcome, the piece premiered on 12
September at Niblo's Garden in New York.
The musical therefore has its origins in the lower classes of American
society and develops as a form of theatre aimed at the masses and for a very
diverse audience. Its structure and style allow the viewer to be able to follow the
show as in a vaudeville (variety theatre), resulting in a simpler and easier to
understand representation than traditional prose.
Musical comedy was born in the United States in a historical context of very
strong immigration with a complex urban population of very different ethnic and
cultural origins, who often do not even speak English. These groups represent a
vast potential audience for the musical, because this form of entertainment is able
to easily attract the interest of the public with a story that is clearly evident in the
development of the show, without the need for a deep knowledge of the language,
and which is at the same time visually attractive.
Musicals in other countries
Musicals have left their original Anglo-Saxon context and have been
exported and adapted to countries around the world where the tradition of lyrical
theatre already existed in forms such as zarzuela, opera, operetta and musical
revue. Very recently, several countries have begun to create their own musicals,
without starting from adaptations.
In Spain, and composed by Spanish composers in recent years, there are
Mar y cielo by Dagoll Dagom, Sancho Panza el Musical with music by José Luis
Morán, La Maja by Goya, with music by Fernando Arbex, among others.
Brazil has a solid repertoire of musical theatre, among which the most
notable are La Opera del malandro and Vida y Muerte Severina by Joao Cabral,
with music by Chico Buarque, which has been performed in many countries.
Anselmo Duarte's play The Payer of Promises was adapted for the big screen.
The best-known Chilean musical comedy is The Pergola of Flowers by
Isidora Aguirre.
Mexico usually stages the American repertoire, due to its geographical
proximity, however it has its own works such as Que plantón, Bésame mucho,
Ciudad Blanca or Mentiras el Musical.
Cuba is a country with a tradition of musical comedy dating back to the
farces of the Teatro Vernáculo, since the Alhambra Theatre was established at the
beginning of the 20th century and continued presenting seasons for 35 years.
Just like the Martí Theater. The great Cuban musician Ernesto Lecuona
premiered his famous María La O in the 1930s, and Gonzalo Roig premiered his
emblematic piece Cecilia Valdés; as did Rodrigo Pratts with his musical work
Amalia Batista. Cuban musical theatre has influenced the rest of the Spanish-
speaking countries, as well as the musical cinematography of Mexico and
Argentina. Composers such as Ernesto Lecuona, Jorge Ankerman, Gonzalo Roig,
Rodrigo Prats and the duo Piloto y Vera have contributed with their works to the
development of this theatrical genre.
Characteristics
The musical traces its origins to several 19th-century theatrical sources,
including operetta, comic opera, pantomime, minstrel show, vaudeville, and
burlesque.
Musical theatre is a theatrical production in
which songs and choruses, instrumental
accompaniments and interludes, and often also
dances, are integrated into a dramatic plot. This
genre emerged in 19th century Europe and was
invented by Asof Over, as a spin-off of opera, in
England where comic opera and Music Hall were
established, then it spread to France, Germany, and
in Spain it appeared as the minor genre or zarzuela. Much later it was developed in
the United States, during the first half of the 20th century.
The modern musical developed in stages, from Show Boat (1927), through
the jazz fantasies of the 1930s, and the dramatic musicals of the 1940s such as
Oklahoma (1943), Carousel (1945), and South Pacific (1949). In the 1960s and
1970s, rising production costs and wages put an end to many large theatres, while
small, non-commercial experimental companies known as off-Broadway and off-off
Broadway proliferated.
Nowadays, it is rare to find new works in authentic Broadway theaters,
whose shows mainly focus on British musicals, revivals or the occasional
performance by established stars.
Lately there has been a proliferation of shows with songs from famous
groups with musical theatre overtones such as Hoy no me puedo levantar (with
songs from the group Mecano), Mamma Mia! (by the group ABBA) and We will
rock you by Queen, which are not really musicals, since the songs have not been
composed for the story, but the other way around, whereas a good example of
musical theatre in Spain would be A un musical by Nacho Cano, since the songs
have been created by Nacho Cano exclusively for that musical.
Broadway, one of the most important shopping streets in New York City,
runs along a north-south axis. Since the 1980s, New York City has been
attempting to revive theatrical activity in the Broadway district. The Lincoln Center
for the Performing Arts and Columbia University, where actors in this theatrical
discipline also train, are also based on Broadway.
Hundreds of works have been presented on this street, classic musical
comedies such as Gypsy, Sweet Charity, Hello Dolly, Annie, A Chorus Line,
Godspell, Dreamgirls in the 80s as well as resounding successes such as the
works of Andrew Lloyd Weber that crossed oceans to be presented in the British
equivalent of the West, such as Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Starlight
Express, Sunset Boulevard.
Some famous musicals:
• Mamma Mia!
• Show Boat (1927), by Jerome Kern,
• West Side Story (1957), by Leonard Bernstein,
• Bertold Brecht's The Threepenny Opera,
• The Man of La Mancha,
• The King and I (musical),
• My Fair Lady,
• Evita (musical),
• The Lion King,
• The Phantom of the Opera,
• Chicago,
• Grease, Wicked,
• The Miserables,
• In the Heights,
• Fame,
• Cats,
• Hairspray
• The Wizard of Oz,
• Spring Awakening
• Dreamgirls
