Susie Gibson

June 27, 2002

Musical Drama

Definitions:

Drama – a composition to be acted on the stage, the branch of literature dealing with plays, a serious of real emotional events

Musical – a form of light entertainment in which songs, dialogue, dancing, and humor are combined with a not too serious plot

(Webster’s Encyclopedia of Dictionaries)

            Dramical – a combination of drama and musical

(Dr. White/Regina Richardson)

Example:

            Rent – Broadway Musical Drama written by Jonathan Larson opened in 1996.  Rent deals with social issues that most people try to ignore. Issues such as: drug addition, the homeless, AIDS, homosexuality, bi-racial relationships, poverty, eviction, and death. The voices are of the people, combination of male and female.

Representational genre: Single Voice, Narrator+Dialogue, Multiple Voices in Song

Narrative: Tragedy, Romance, a little Comic Relief

Subject Genre: serious social issues, romance, musical

Identifiable highlights of genre in example:

Drama:  the characters deal with tragedy in their everyday life

Musical: approximately 90% of the play is in song

Additional Examples: Sunday in the Park with George (1984), A Chorus Line (1975), 

            How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), Fiorello (1959),

            South Pacific (1949), Of Thee I Sing (1931)

            <http:/perth.uwlax.edu/English/konas/musicals/Ppmusicals.html>

Questions

While most death scenes we have recently studied have been played off stage, the death of Angel is played on stage.  Are spectacles more meaningful on stage or off?

What type of audience would this type of drama appeal to and should there be a ratings system on Broadway plays?

Class Discussion

1.      He had a type of transcendence- looks like he was rising above everyone- I thought it meant more than somebody saying that he is dead.

2.      Way more dramatic to see the spectacle than to hear what it implies.

3.      Maybe it is a point of surprise.

 White - It is risky it risks being ridiculous on stage-the stage craft sounds like it works well- example: of the spectacle of most sitcoms-if you take it off stage it does not look silly.

3. I saw a play at a high school- (the spectacle) the death scene was effective because of the blood that was used on stage. 

White - It wasn’t crude blood and guts

2. What about Hair

Susie- Hair dealt with a different era- what about the rating system

4.      Rating are good- you wouldn’t take a five year old to see blood and guts.

2. The should not see that

4.      Some kids can handle but others cannot. 

  3. You should have permission because of the age gap.

5.      I don’t have children but theatre is the last free enterprise- rating them it cheapens the one last true drama we have one pure form of drama- if you don’t know don’t go.

3. Shouldn’t have a rating system

4.      The theatre I work with is funded by old people if we do something new they protest – there goes our funding

6.      I am all for kind learning about homosexuality and aids

Jen. If I had nieces that were suicidal- I wouldn’t take them I would be sensitive to their needs- there are things that I wouldn’t want to see.

White- Confusing subject genre with representational genre- Tragedy is great but that doesn’t mean that the other genres are not good.