Essay

1. Unit 27 Musical Theatre - The success of a musical
relies upon the perfect formula and integration of
dance, music and drama. To what extent do you
agree with this statement?
WithinthisessayIwill be consideringif the successof a musical reliesupon the perfectformulaand
integrationof dance,musicanddrama.I will researchmanymusicalsandanalyse certainscenesthat
suggestforand againstthe statement.
The developmentof musical theatre hasseenthe integrationof dance,musicanddramastrengthen
overthe last century. Althoughthere appearstobe awinningformula,the genre hasproven that
anythinggoes! Theatre withinthe 1800s wascompletelydifferentfromtoday.Audienceswere
interestedinromanticballetasa dance formand dramas such as ‘The BlackCrook’and ‘BlackFace
Minstrel’shows.Evidentinthe 1800s Americawentthroughthe civil war,makingthese dramas
relevanttosocietyandthe pressures.
Theatre wasmore popularinbigcitieslike New Yorkdue totransport.However,theatre wasvery
provincial andonlyfewmembersof societywere exposedtoit.New Yorkrepeatedproductionsover
several weekswhichwasdone nowhereelse.Acrossthe Atlantictoanother popularcity,London
preferredMelodramas, Shakespeare,romanticballet andoperetta.These productionsweremainly
accessible tothe upperclassas there wasa huge social divisionwithinGreatBritain.
Drama was consideredtobe one of the most importantart formswithinthe 19th
century.One of the
firstlastingdramasof 1728 wasthe ‘Beggar’sOpera’.Thiswasverypopularas the writer,JohnGay,
changedthe lyricsto popularsongs to create a satirical performance;thiswastoreflectsocietyat
the time and mockedthe upperclass.Itwas one of the firstproductionsto have musicnumbersand
drama togetheralthoughtheydidnotnecessarilyintegrate.The ‘Beggar’sOpera’hashelped
influenceotherproductionstylessuchaspantomimes,andwaspopularinNew YorkandLondon.
‘Black-facedMinstrel shows’were verypopular inthe 1840s, ‘BlackFace Minstrel shows’were white
actors whoappliedblackface make upand performedtoaudiencesmockingAfricanAmericans, this
issignificantwithinsociety asitwasbefore the Civil War. The mockingof AfricanAmericanscould
have influencedwhythe splitof the statesoccurredandwhyblackslaverywasabolishedinsome
parts of the states. Withinthe performance the actorswoulduse singing,dancingandactingasa
varietyact.‘Black Face Minstrel Acts’survivedintothe 20th
centuryand developedNegro
performers,thiswasaway that theycouldgainacceptance intheirownright.Finally‘The Black
Crook’in1866 wasa melodramathatincludeddramaanddance.Howeverthiswasnot intended.A
balletgrouphadto join‘The Black Crook’as theirbuildinghadburntdowntherefore the fusionof a
melodramaanda balletperformance wasinevitable.‘The BlackCrook’castsaw itas an opportunity
to include balletdancersintheirinterval whentheysaw the audience gettingbored.Fromall the
productionsof the ‘Beggar’sOpera’,‘Minstrel shows’and‘The BlackCrook’createda basicformat in
whichstylessuchas: Burlesque,whichwasmainlytargetedatmenand broadcasta lot of sex,

2. Vaudevillewhichwasavarietyact for familyviewing andRevue knownasa multi-acttheatrical
entertainmentinwhichfemaleswouldwearelaboratecostumeswithsome female nudity. Asa
result,manyof these showswere successful withoutall three artforms,thereforedidnotrelyupon
a perfectformula.
The use of dance has changeddramaticallythroughoutthe yearsthroughmusical theatre. These
styleswere mainlyseenfirstin‘Minstrelshows’inthe 1840s. Hardshoe,the Shuffle andthe
Cakewalkare all stylesof dance thatbeganin the minstrel showsand were laterseenintapdancing.
These stylesmovedfrom‘MinstrelShows’todance halls.Althoughtapwasverypopularthere was
alsoanotherformof dance that was beginningtostart inmusicals.Thiswasfrom‘The Black Crook’
and the ballettroupe in1866. Thisbecame verypopularwithaudienceshoweverwasseenas
controversial asdancerswere wearingskincolouredcostumesandexposingtheirlegs.Thisisastyle
that influencedBurlesque.Atthe time of BurlesqueotherstylessuchasVaudeville were also
becomingpopularastheycreatedcertaindance moves.Forexample,the Foxtrot,the Tangoandthe
Waltz.These stylesrequireddance pairstherefore gave menthe opportunitytodance. George M
Cohanwas a Broadwayperformerwhoprovedmenwere able tocarry choreographyina
performance,andagaininfluencedmentobe performers.Asmenwere joiningtheatre another
dance style wasbeingcreated.The ‘Castle Walk’these styleswere mostlypolishedversionsof
AfricanAmericandances.A dance director, NedWayburn,whoworkedforthe biggestproducerof
Revue,Ziegfeld,introducedhisFrenchinfluences.Dancerswere putingeometricformationsand
kicklines.By1907 dance had come alongway andwas progressingbyFlorenzZiegfeld’s‘Follies’.The
‘Follies’representedthe Americandream, Ziegfeldalsostartedtoaddpolitical viewsinto
performances.Duringthe latteryearsof the ‘Follies’AlbertinaRaschbroughtinclassicallytrained
balleticaspectsintoherchoreography.She needed‘dancer’swithbrains’asshe believedthatdance
shouldbe takenseriously.Manyreferredtoheras a ‘choreographer’ratherthanthe usual ‘dance
director’.Raschhad made dance far more sophisticatedandtherefore developeddance inthe
industry.RaschinfluencedmanyotherchoreographerssuchasGeorge Balanchine;he wantedhis
dance movesto be pedestrianmovements,thisbegantoaddto the narrative of a show.By doing
thishe influencedmanyfuture choreographers.One of the choreographersthathe inspiredwas
AgnesDeMille.Herworkin‘Oklahoma!’provedthata narrative canbe toldthroughchoreography.
As a resultdance wouldneverbe the same withinamusical.She hadprovedthatdance wasjust as
importantinthe narrative as the otherart forms. Furthermore,realisingthatall three artforms
possiblycouldbe the keyelementtoamusical to make itsuccessful.
Operettawasa popularstyle thatstill contributestomusicalstoday.Operettaincludesbothart
formsmusicand drama. Operettaisdifferenttooperaasit isa lightheartedversionof operawitha
hintof comedyincluded;additionallythe emotionsare lessdramaticwithinanoperetta.One wayin
whichtheyare similaristhe vocal style.Bothoperettaandoperahave a vibratostyle sothat the
singersare able to singandact at the same time.Furthermore one of the mostfamousoperettasis
Gilbertand Sullivan’s Piratesof Penzance in1879. It isabout a youngpirate Frederic,who,having
completedhis21styear,is releasedonhisbirthdayfromhisshipof pirates.He meetsMabel,the
daughterof Major-General Stanley,andthe twoyoungpeople fallinstantlyinlove. The operettais
mostlyknownforitscomedysong‘Major General’ asit isverysuccessful andpopularbecause
includescertainelements thataudiencesfindentertaining.SimilarlytoJohnGay’s‘BeggarsOpera’
manycomedysongscreate a satirical atmosphere.There are manywaysinwhichit createsa
satirical atmosphere whichare:It isa patter songwhichmeanseachsyllable of textscorrespondsto

3. one note,itis entertainingasthe musicforthe songhas a fast tempo,thisappealstoaudience
memberssince the performer’sdeliveryof the songisextremelycomical asthe lyricsrhyme and
theyhave to keepupwiththe tempomeaningtheyspeedupthe deliveryof the song. Additionally,
the lyricsare mimickedbythe instrumentsthroughoutthe songadding tothe satirical atmosphere.
Furthermore,itclearlysatirises the ‘modern’ideaof the Britisharmyinthe 19th
century.Thisshifts
the moodfor the audience asthe musical becomeslighterandenjoyable.Thiscomedysongcontains
twoart formsmusicand drama.Referringbackto JohnGay’s ‘Beggarsopera’the songis well known
by audience membersasitisveryrepetitive,the same barsof musicand the chorus are repeated.
Comedysongsare effectivewithinamusical since itkeepsthe audience entertainedandlightensthe
mood. Piratesof Penzance doesnotrelyuponall three artformsas itis an operetta.However,itis
still successful due tothe twoart formsand the love storythroughout.
Showboatin1927 wasthe firsteverbookmusical,musicbyJerome Kernandbookandlyricsby
Oscar Hammerstein.The musical followsstagehandsanddockworkersonthe Cotton Blossomfor
over40 years.The premiere of ShowboatonBroadwaywasa phenomenal momentinthe historyof
musicals.Comparedtothe unrealisticoperettas,musical comediesandFolliesRevuesthatdefined
Broadwayinthe 1890s ShowboatchangedBroadwayin1927. Showboatwasknownto be the
greatestrevolutioninanAmericanmusical.Thiswasbecause itsuccessfullyintegrateddramaand
music.It wasdifferentasthe musical neededseriousdramaticskillstoevoke audience emotionand
spreada political message acrosstosociety.The characterswere three dimensional meaningthe
audience connectedwiththe performersforthe firsttime.Itissaidthat the firstperformance of
Showboat,the audience didnotclapastheywere speechlesstowhattheyhadjust watched.
HoweverShowboatisstill successfulinthe musical industrywhichshowsthe perfectformulaand
integrationof music,dance anddrama doesnotalwaysmake a successful musical.
OklahomaopenedonBroadwayasa musical in1943 and isknownto be the mostperfectly
integratedmusical of all time withall the three artforms.Oklahomatellsthe storyof twopairsof
lovers. LaureyandCurlyare inlove butJuddlikesLaurey.Tomake CurlyjealousLaureygoeswith
Judd(whoisa villain) butcurly winsherback.There isalsoa subplotabouta farmgirl namedAdo
Annie whoisengagedtoa cowboy(Will) butalsohasa crush on a peddlerman.AuntEllerisLaurey's
wise Auntwhohelpsherthroughthe way. Oklahomawascreated16 yearsafterShowboat andbuilt
on the innovationsof Showboatsuchasthe developmentof the ‘bookmusical’.Hammersteinwrote
the script andlyricsbefore Rogerswrote the musicmeaningthatthe narrative fora ‘formula
musical’wasevident,italsorepresentsthe Americandream. Oklahomawasextremelysuccessful
due to the fact it waswithinthe start of the goldenage for musicals,itwasa box-office smashand
ran for an unprecedented2,212 performances.Ithasa beginning,middle andend,andwasmost
successful due to AgnesDemile’s choreographyof the revolutionary‘dreamballet’. AgnesDemile
was inspiredbychoreographerGeorge Balanchinewhoaddedpedestrianmovementtohis
choreography. DemileencouragedthisandeventuallychoreographedOklahomatobe the first
musical thatdance advancedthe narrative. The ‘dreamballet’showsLaurey’sdreamof Judtaking
heraway fromCurly.The dream balletsequence existsmainlyforclarificationof Laurey’smind.It
foreshadowswhatJudwill do,andsymbolisesthatCurlyisthe one for her.Thisoccurs outside the
continuityof the production.Italsoprovidesthe opportunitytoimpressthe audience withadvanced
dancingtechniquesandelaborate stagingthatwouldotherwise be impossible ordramatically
inappropriate fordialogue.The sequence showninadreamlike fashion thatrepresents Laurey
cannot choose betweenthe twomencreatingatensionthatisshownthroughoutthe musical.As

4. statedbefore Oklahomawasknownasthe mostperfectlyintegratedmusical of all time withall the
three art forms.Dance is very importantwithinthe musical asitprogressesthe narrative andshows
distinctrelationshipsbetweencharacters.The musiccreatesthe atmosphere throughoutthe dream
balletdistinctlyseparatingJudwithharshminorkeysandcurlywithflowingmajorkeys. Oklahomais
verysuccessful asall the three art formsare equal andit followsthe perfectformula.Audiences
immediatelylovedthe musical andfell inlove withcharacters.Consequentlythismusical reliesupon
all three art formsand the perfectformula,whichmakesOklahomasuccessful.
Howevernotall musicalsthatfollowthisformulaandcontainall three artformsare successful,this
isevidentwiththe 1966 musical SweetCharity. SweetCharitywasdirectedandchoreographedby
Bob Fosse,thiswashisfirstmusical thathe took onthese tworoles. It’sabouta girl called Charity
whoworksas a taxi dancerin a sleazydance hall alongsidehertwobestfriends.Charitywantsmore
than anythingtobe loved.Aftereightyearsinthe business,Charitycomestothe realization thatshe
cannot meetdecentmeninherjob. SweetCharitywasunsuccessful andfinanciallyflopped because
it didnotfollowthe formulaof alove story.AudiencesbelievedthatSweetCharitywasfalling
behindasothermusicalsbegantotell a narrative andwas notshowcasedforpure entertainment.
Similarly toOklahoma,SweetCharityhasadance interlude that the audience didenjoy.However,
thisdance interlude isincludedforentertainmentpurposesnottoprogressthe narrative.Audiences
still enjoythe ‘RichMan’sFrug’ as the dance movementsreflecteachotherandthere are
improvisationoutbreaksthroughout.Richman’sFrugissplitintothree sections.The Aloof,The
HeavyweightandThe bigfinish. The Aloofistocreate humorand innovative movement.The
characters/dancerson stage are supposedtobe rich and show that theyare incapable of expressing
any emotionontheirfacesandreveal theirboredomthroughstylizedlegandarmmovements.The
Heavyweightistorepresentthe competitivenessinrichpeople’slifestyle. The final crouchingline
dance that leadsto a knockoutisa displayof coordination,strengthandendurance.The BigFinish
allowsthe charactersto letloose undergroupexpression.These sectionswithinthe Richman’sFrug
showcase Fosse’sstrengthinoriginal dance styles. Eventhoughthisincludesall three artforms,it
was still seenasafailure. Forthat reasonmusicalsdonothave to relyon all three art formsand the
perfectformulaastheycan still be a failure withinthe industry.
A bookmusical thatis verypopularandsuccessful isWestSide Storywhichwasfirstperformedin
1957. WestSide Storyisbasedon the Shakespeareantragedy‘RomeoandJuliette’.Itincludestwo
streetgangsthe Jets(Americans) andthe Sharks(PuertoRicans) thatfightforcontrol.The situation
becomescomplicatedwhenaJetfallsinlove withaPuertoRican.WestSide Storywas notonlya
financial successin1957 but italsochangedBroadwayfor manyyears after itran fora good 732
performances.JeromeRobbinschoreographedWestSide Story,Robbinswasinspiredbywatching
hissisterdance whenhe wasyoung.Robbinsusesdance stylessuchasSpanish,latin,jazzand
modernto portrayhisnarrative. Robbinsusedhisnarrative asa tool to focuson cultural problems
at the time;mainlyracismandgangfightingwithinAmerica. Thisappealedtoaudiencesasit
addressedproblemswithinsocietythatneededchanging.One aspectof the musical thatmany
audience membersappreciatedwasthe overture.Overturesare usuallyatthe start of a musical
performance andithas multiple purposes.Theyare tointroduce charactersand setthe scene or era
of the musical.The biggestpurpose of anoverture istoplay a seriesof tunesandmelodiesthatare
furtherdevelopedwithinthe musical.Thisismusicthatiscontinuouslyplayedbuthasrepeated
elements,presentingthe audience snippetsof musicthatwill be playedwithinthe musical.This
makesthe audience feelconfidentastheyfeel theyknowthe songastheyhave alreadyheardit
before.The overture isalsoaway forthe orchestra/bandtoshow theirmusical talentwithoutany

5. performersdistractingthe audience withaperformance. StephenSondheimwrote the lyricsand
LeonardBernsteinwrote the musictowestside story,withinthe overtureBernsteinexplores
differentstylesof musictorepresentbothstreetgangs.He fusestogetherJazz,Salsaandclassical.
As a resultthe instrumentsneededforWestSide Storyisa full orchestrawithstring,woodwind,
brass andpercussion.Thisintroducesthe charactersrelationshipsandtheirethnicbackgrounds.For
example,thereisarelationshipbetweenthe musicandchoreographythroughouttoportraythe
gang’sanimosityandsocial status.The Jetsdance to a major keywhereasthe Sharksdancedtoa
minorkeyshowingthe distinct separationbetweenbothgangs. Consequentlythe purpose of West
Side Story’soverture istogive the audience little snippetsof musicthattheywill encounter
throughoutthe musical andalsosetsthe musical withinNew Yorkasthe jazzelementsare played.
The overture justfocusesonmusic and yetisverypopularto an audience astheyenjoy hearingthe
little snippets.Asaresultamusical doesnothave to have all three art forms within anumberto
make it successful.
Grease was writtenin1971 and isa well-knownmusical throughitsmusical numbers.It’sa musical
aboutteensinlove inthe 50's! Dannyand Sandyare in love.Danny'sthe leaderof the T-Birds,while
Sandyhangs withthe PinkLadies.WhentheyclashatRydell'sfirstpeprally,Dannyisn'tthe same
Dannyfrom the beach.Theytry to be like eachotherso theycan be together. Grease isextremely
successful andranfor an amazing 3,388-performances onBroadway.Grease isverypopulardue to
itshighlyenergeticsongsanddancesbutalso itportraysthe rebelliouslife withinthe 1950s that
many people were attractedtoo. Thisisespeciallyshowninthe finale. The finale withinamusical is
one of the mostimportantaspectsof a musical.Thisisbecause itisthe lastthingthe audience will
see,therefore hastobe memorable,italsounitesthe casttogetherbringingeverythingtoa close.
Thisis evidentwithinGrease with‘We GoTogether’asitshowsthe characters have acceptedeach
otherand will alwaysbe friends.The musicisveryupbeatandhasa repetitive rhythmhence the
audience getup and dance. The finale withinGrease doesinclude all three artformswhichmakesit
effectiveaseachcast memberisable totake part.The dance withinafinale isusuallydone inunison
whichrepresentsthe unity of the charactersonstage.I thinkthe use of all the art formsare needed
withinthisnumberinorderforitto be successful.
Chicago1975 is renownedforitsbrilliantsonganddance numbersfromthe brilliantchoreographer
and directorBobFosse.Chicagoisabout nightclubsensationVelmamurdershersisterandhusband,
and Chicago'sslickestlawyer,BillyFlynn,issettodefendher.ButwhenRoxiealsowindsupin
prison,Billytakesonhercase as well turningherintoa star. Neitherwomanwill be outdoneintheir
fightagainsteachotherfor fame. SimilarlytoFosse’sfirstattemptatSweetCharityasdirectorand
choreographer, Chicagowasnota box office successwithinthe 1970s due to Fosse’sdarkand
cynical approach. The audience feltthiswastoohard hittingandwasconsideredtohave toomuch
sexual exploitationatthe time.Itwasn’tuntil 1987 whenpeople realisedthatChicagowasrelevant
to society,asfame wasmore attractive toAmericanpeople andsexual acts became more
acceptable.Chicagowastremendouslysuccessfulbeingone of the longestrunningrevival musicals
inBroadwayand havingplayedits7,486th performance onNovember23,2014 is still verypopular
today. A duetthat audiencesenjoywithinChicagois‘HotHoneyRag’. The duet‘Hot HoneyRag’ isa
significantduetasitshowshowthe relationshipof the womenhasdevelopedthroughoutthe
musical. More or lessthroughoutthe duet‘HotHoneyRag’VelmaandRoxie dance inunison,
demonstratingthe relationshipbetweenthemisunitedastheyhave achievedthe fame andfortune
theybothrequired.Toaudiencesthisisentertainingastheyare performingtheirfinal performance
withthe dreamtheyboth achieved.Againall threeartformsare includedwithinthisduet.However,

6. thisisbecause the twowomenwantedtoperformconsequentlyitisessential forthisduettohave
all three art formsinvolved. Duetscanbe successful inmanyways,neverthelesstheydon’talways
have to include all three artforms as it can ruinthe message behind the duetatcertaintimes.For
example all three artformswouldnotbe includedin‘Iknow himsowell’fromChess(1986) as ithas
an importantmessage toanothercharacter.Generallyduetsworkwellwhethertheyinclude all
three art formsor not.
SweenyToddamusical thrillerwasfirstpremieredin1979. Knownas one of the darkestmusicals
everwritten, Sweeney Todd isanunsettlingtrue storyof a Victorian-erabarberwhoreturnshome to
Londonafterfifteenyears of exile totake revenge onthe corruptjudge whoruinedhislife.When
revenge eludeshim, Sweeneyswearsvengeance onthe entire humanrace,murderingasmany
people ashe can, while hisbusinessassociateMrs.Lovettbakesthe bodiesintomeatpiesand sells
themto the unsuspectingpublic.It’sbeensuccessfulwithmanycrowdsstanding 557 performances
on Broadway. SweeneyTodd’sovertureservesadifferentpurpose tothe audience incontrastto
WestSide Story’s. StephenSondheimwrote the musicforSweenyTodd(wrote lyricsforWestSide
Story) and washeavyinfluencedbyancientmusicthatexistedthousandsof yearsago.Sondheim
thoughtthat he wouldinclude somethingveryoldmusictomake somethingnew tothe modernear.
The purpose of SweeneyTodd’sovertureistosetthe scene,itdoesnot playmusicthat will be
playedthroughoutthe musical.The overture isverypeculiarandincludesalotof dissonance to
create a shrillingatmosphere forthe audience members.The differencesbetweenbothof these
chosenoverturesiswhatmakesthemsosuccessful.WestSide Story’soverture hassnippetsof
musicthat playsthroughoutthe musical andhasa veryupbeatedge tothe music,resultinginthe
audience enjoyingthe music.Whereas,SweeneyToddusesmusicfromthousandsof yearsago
whichissomethingnewtomoderndaymusicmeaningthe audience relishsomethingnew andgeta
thrill fromthe effectthe musicbringscreatingthe darkatmosphere.Overall,overturesare very
successful withinamusical astheygive an audience confidencethattheyknow the musicwithinthe
musical andalsosetsthe atmosphere forthe musical.AnothernumberSweeneyToddisknownfor
isthe chorusnumber‘SweeneyTodd’.ThischorusnumberintroducesSweeneyToddandinforms
the audience thathe is a serial killerinFleetStreet.‘SweeneyTodd’createsadisturbingatmosphere
that iskeptthroughoutthe musical,asthe musicadds tension.The songdoescontainall three art
forms,there issimple choreographytorepresenthow FleetStreetisterrifiedof SweenyTodd,the
musicand the harmoniessome performerssingcreate dissonance causingnotestoclashresultingin
a shrillingeffect. Chorusnumbersare effective asthe atmosphereisset,audiencesgainvaluable
information aboutcharactersandcast membersare able to show theirvocal ability.
Les Miserablesisknowntobe the longestrunningmusical inthe historyof musicals.The musical is
sungthrough andopenedin1985. Les Miserablesis basedonthe novel byVictorHugo,'Les
Miserables'travelswithaprisoner-on-parole,JeanValjean,ashe runsfromInspectorJaverton a
journeybeyondthe barricades.Meanwhile,the life of aworkingclassgirl withachildis at turning
pointas she turnsto prostitutiontopaymoney to the innkeeperandhiswife wholookafterher
child,Cosette. LesMiserablesisaworldwide success The Londonproductionof LesMiserablesisthe
world’slongestrunningmusical whereitplayed7,602 performances,ithasbeenperformedin44
countriesandover349 cities.Itisalsoknownin22 languages.LesMiserablesisrenownedforits
brilliantsolosandshowstoppers.Solosare includedtoevoke audience’smember’semotionsand
give informationaboutacharacter,eithertheirpastor how theyare feelinginthat moment.‘I
Dreameda Dream’isthe solowithinLesMiserablesthatmostaudience membersfindoutstanding.

7. It issuch a powerful solowhichcausesmanyaudiencememberstocry.The role of thissolois to
portray the characters emotions,thoughtsandintentions,ittellsthe audience whatacharacter
wants. The performer’sdeliveryof the songis importantas theyhave to connectwiththe audience
and evoke emotions. Inadditionthe soloshowsthe audience the performer’stechnical abilityto
singand create a memorable songforthe audience toremember.Thissoloismainlysungstanding
inone spot, thisiswhatmakesit successful.The mainreasonFantine wouldbe stoodstill istoshow
the audience thatshe isreflectingoverher life andwantsthe bestforherchild.Thisplaysonheart
stringsforthe audience whoare focussedpurelyonheras there are no otherdistractions.‘I
Dreameda Dream’isthat successful itisknownworldwide.Anadditional songinLesMiserablesisa
comedysong‘Master of the House’.The purpose of thiscomedysongis to lightenthe moodfrom
the fatal incidentsthathave previouslyhappenedwithinthe musical.The songincludes twoart
forms,musicand drama,whichhelpsshow thatthe comedysongsatirises the lowerclass,criminals
and alcoholicswithinthe FrenchRevolution.Itisperfectlyblocked withmovementsothatcuesand
effectshappenatcertaintimes.Thismakescomedysongseffective asthe audience don’texpect
some thingstohappen. Comedysongsare effective withinamusical since itkeepsthe audience
entertainedandlightensthe mood. Finally,asongthat bringsaudience totheirfeetwithastanding
ovationisthe showstopper‘One DayMore’. A showstopperisastand outnumberwhich can often
'stop a show'because the audience applaudsomuch. ‘One dayMore’ includeselementsfromthe
showthat have alreadybeenperformed.ItreflectsJohnGay’s‘Beggarsopera’ideaof repetitive
music,whichimmediatelyinterestsanaudience. ‘One dayMore’ startswithsolosfromperformers
givingita softdynamic,the dynamicslightlyincreaseswhenduetsare introducedaddingharmony
for effect.Thisappliestothe musical instrumentsaswell andare gentlyintroducedasthe song
progresses.The songismade of layersand eachlayerisaddeduntil eventuallyeverychorusmember
and everyinstrumentisbeingplayedorare singingtocreate a strongdramatic ending and
crescendo.‘One daymore’isperformedatthe endof act one leavingaudience membersspeechless
for the interval.Withinthisshowstopperonlymusicanddrama isused,howeverisstill extremely
successful withoutdance asthe musicand lyricsare sopowerful. Overall,LesMisisextremely
successful butdoesnotcontainall three art forms,yetisone of the world’sfamousmusical.Thisis
due to the talentof the songsandthe emotionthe actorsportray.As a resultnotall musicalsneed
to followthe perfectformulainordertobe successful.
AnotherBritishMusical,PhantomOf The opera,1986, isa musical thattellsthe storyof a phantom
in hishideoutbeneatha19th centuryoperahouse,whoschemestogetcloserto vocalistChristine
The Phantom,wearingamask to hide a congenital disfigurement,strong-armsmanagementinto
givingthe buddingstarletkeyroles,butChristineinstead fallsforartsbenefactorRaoul, atthe
notionof herabsence,the Phantomenactsa planto keepChristine byhisside,whileRaoul triesto
foil the scheme. Phantomwas,andstill is successfulandcelebratedits 10,000th performance on
23rd October2010. WithinPhantomof the operathere are variousnumbersthataudience members
come to see,one of these isthe solo‘Music of the Night’. ‘Musicof the Night’showsthe performers
technical abilityto singandcreatesa memorable song. The blockingcorrespondstothe lyricsasthe
PhantomisshowingChristinewhere everythingis. The performerdeliversstrongemotionsduring
the song and needsgreatvocal abilitytocarry the solothrough. Solosare successful due tothe
simple facttheyfocusonone character, bringingthe audience andthe characterto connectas solos
are usuallypersonal.Theyare the mainsongswithinamusical whichcomposerswishtoexist
outside the musical asstandalone hits,whichhashappenedtobothof these solos. The other
numberisthe showstopper‘Phantomof the opera’ thisisdifferentto‘One DayMore’ as it doesnot
include achorus,the main reasonthisisa show stopperisthe musicisbuiltupthroughoutthe song
and the performersconstantlysingwithkeychangesmakingitoverwhelmingtothe audience.One

8. aspectof thissongthat audience memberslove isthe endnote of the song,the performerisable to
showtheirvocal range.‘Phantomof the opera’doesnot include all three artformsandis viewedas
one the most successful showstoppersdue tothe music.Therefore withinamusical ashowstopper
doesnotneedto include all three artformsto be successful asLesMiserables‘One daymore’isone
of the greatestshowstoppersof all time. AsaresultPhantomOf The Operais a good musical that
showsthat notall musicalsneedall three artformsto become verysuccessful.
Rentis a rock musical thatopenedonBroadwayin1996. It tellsthe storyof a groupof impoverished
youngartistsstrugglingtosurvive andcreate a life in New YorkCity.The musical dealswithavariety
of themessuchashomelessness,drugaddiction,love,sexuality,disease,anddeath.Itsuccesswas
shownthrougha 12-year run of 5,123 performancesonBroadway.The mostknownsongfromrent
is‘Seasonsof Love’whichisa chorus number. Chorusnumbersare importantwithinamusical asitis
to entertainandinformthe audience.The role of a chorusnumbercan vary as itcan introduce new
characters,it can setthe moodor emotionandcan give the audience information.Mostmusicals
include achorus numberasan introductiontothe musical or as a finale. Chorusnumbers are
exceptionallylikedbyaudiencesasthe bandplaya more complex pieceof music,harmonyis
includedwithinthe songandthere isa buildupof voicesthatcreate a climax withinthe chorus
number.Inaddition,performersare giventhe chance toshow the audience theirvocal abilityto
perform.‘Seasonsof Love’isperformedsothataudience memberscanconnectwiththe characters
and sympathise.The entire castof fifteenstandacrossadarkenedstage ina row throughoutthe
song.Thischorus numberdoesnotinclude all three artformsand does notprogressthe narrative.
The cast membersdonotdance withinthispiece atall.Howeverthischorusnumberisstill
successful withinthe musical asthe performersaddressthe audience outsideof the storyline,
asking,"Howdo youmeasure a year?"In otherwords,whatisimportant inyour life thatyouuse to
count the days?The answertheygive isto'measure yourlife inlove.'Itisa directmessage of the
play,remindingthe audience tokeepthe thoughtinmindtolive eachmomenttothe fullest.Asa
resultthe audience connectswiththe charactersandappreciate the lyricscreatingasuccessful
chorus numberwithoutall three artforms.
A smashhitmusical is1999 The LionKingbasedon the 1994 animatedDisneyfilm. Thismusical
changedBroadwayas it was completelynew andoriginal,the use of puppetrywasextremely
excitingandappealedtothe public.Itfollowsthe adventuresof the younglionSimba,the heirof his
father,Mufasa.Simba'swickeduncle,Scar,plotstousurpMufasa's throne by luringfatherandson
intoa stampede of wildebeests.ButSimbaescapes,andonlyMufasaiskilled.Simbareturnsasan
adultto take back hishomelandfromScar withthe help of hisfriendsTimonandPumbaa.The Lion
kingisconsideredone of the mostsuccessful musicalsonBroadwayas itis still runningaftermore
than 6,700 performancesanditis Broadway'sthirdlongest-runningshow inhistoryandthe highest
grossingBroadwayproductionof all time,havinggrossedmore than$1 billion. A scene withinLion
Kingthat audience members fall inlove withisSimbaandNala’slove scene shownthroughaduet
‘Can you feel the Love Tonight’.A duetisa songor dance fortwo performersinwhichtheyhave
equal importance tothe piece.Itdiffersfromharmonyasthe performerstake turnsperforminga
solosectionratherthanperformingsimultaneously. Duetsare usedformanyreasonswithina
musical,some are to showhowtwocharacters feel abouteachother,othersare sharingadvice on
whatother charactersshoulddoin theirlivesorsome duetsare includedpurelyforentertainment.
Audiencesimmediatelyloved The LionKingasitstandsfor Africanrhythms,tribal rhythmsandwas
completelyauthentic.Manycriticslovedthe plotandembracedthatNala servesahighpurpose of
puttingeverythingrightwithinthe musical,the factitwasa womanand nota manmeantit spoke
for womenaroundthe world.Anothergroupof people whoembracedthe musical wasAfricans.The
LionKingwas a productionthatwas purelybasedonthe importance of Africa.Therefore African

9. performerswere able tohave spotlightinperforming andfeel proud.The importance of the duet
withinLionKingistoexpresshowNalaandSimbafeel abouteachother,ithas plentyof significance
as it isseenas a betterwayto express feelingswithoutdialogue andalsoprogressesthe narrative.
The duetshowstheirinnerthoughtsina dreamlike waygivingthe duetaromanticeffect.Thisis
reflectedinthe parallelmotionthe twocharactersmove intogethertorepresenttheirlove.The
duetwouldnotworkif it didnot have all three art formsequal.The dancingwithinthisduetnotonly
representsNalaandSimba’slove buttheiranimal characteristics,andthe lyricsshow theirthoughts
on howtheyfeel foreachother.Thiscreatesa lightheartedatmosphere forthe audiencewhoenjoy
to watch the love of Nalaand Simbaflourish.
Hairspraycame to Broadwayin2003 and issuccessful asit raisesissuesthatneededtobe raised
withinsociety.In 1960s Baltimore,dance-lovingteenTracy Turnbladauditionsforaspoton "The
CornyCollinsShow"andwins.She becomesanovernightcelebrity,atrendsetterindance,funand
fashion.Hernewstatusas a teensensationisenoughtotopple Corny'sreigningdance queenand
bringracial integrationtothe show.Hairsprayranfor 2,642 performances.Audience memberslove
the storyline behindHairsprayandlove tosee the finale asitdenouementsthe musical.The finaleis
‘You Can’tStopThe Beat’ thisfinale showshow racismisnota probleminBaltimore atthe endof
the musical.Itincludesall three artforms,isupbeatand createsa happyatmosphere forthe
audience toleave with.Thisiswhatappealstoanaudience withintoday’ssociety,audience’slove a
happyunitedending. The composer’s/director’sideaof afinale istobe one of the biggestnumbers
withinanymusical asit isthe last thingthe audience memberswill see,therefore itiseffectiveforall
three art formsto be includedtosignifyeveryonegetsalongatthe end. Thisfinale showshow
everyone isacceptedandgetsthe moral message outtopublicthat everyone isequal and
important. A finale ismainlysuccessful withinamusical if itusesall three artforms.
To conclude,Ibelievethere isnowinningformulaforamusical and doesnotrelyuponall three art
formsto make it successful.Ibelievethe successof amusical isbecause theyresonate withme asan
individual.Forexample,the musical Hamilton.Iamimmersedintothe narrative of the musical and
each songcleverlyportraysacharacter through a motif of noteswhichcreatesa connection
betweenthe audience andthe character. Asa resultI believethe successof amusical dependsona
varietyof factorssuch as, the narrative,the connectionbetweenthe audienceandthe character,the
songsetc. Notjust the perfectformulaandintegrationof all three artforms.