The Musical Play
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The musical play--also known as "musical"--is a form
of drama in which the characters express themselves by
occasionally breaking into song. Not infrequently, there
may also be dance numbers. Although a musical may contain
a great deal of music and very little spoken dialogue, it
remains a musical rather than an opera
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A581014)if (1.) it emphasises
great theater rather than great music, and (2.) it cultivates
an enthusiastic response from its audience. Unlike opera,
a musical play needs to be presented in a language that
the audience understands in order for it to succeed.
The earliest known musical play was Adam de la Halle's
"The Play of Robin and Marion" (1283), a charmingly
unsophisticated romance about Robin Hood
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A412552) which featured simple
tunes in a pastoral setting. De la Halle's formula was modified somewhat as the years went by. In the 1500's, for instance, comedy
was added to the mix. In the late 1600's, music of considerable weight and stature was contributed by Henry Purcell
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A481015) in plays such
as "The Indian Queen" and "The Faerie Queen." A few
decades later, the ballad opera became popular. In England,
"The Beggar's Opera" (1728 ) succeeded by using spoken dialogue
to further the plot, and popular ballads of the day to provide
the music.
It was in Austria, however, where the roots of modern
musical theater were planted. In 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A395129) agreed to write music
for a fairy tale opera called "The Magic Flute." His collaborator
was Immanuel Schickaneder, a popular comic actor of the day, as
well as owner/manager of a highly popular theater in Vienna
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A190144). Schickaneder's libretto was a lightweight affair that was hastily rewritten halfway through, transforming "good" characters such as the Queen of the Night
into villains by the end. Ever the showman, Schickaneder
pleased audiences with his farcical performances as Papageno
the bird-man. Mozart bridged the inconsistencies of the plot by establishing a core tonality for each character, and then using similar themes as a way of giving the work some thematic unity.
"The Magic Flute" straddles the line between opera and musical
play: when performed in an opera house, the musical aspects overshadow the inconsequential plot. When performed by an
amateur group in an English translation, however, "The Magic
Flute" becomes musical comedy. The actor playing Papageno will typically ham it up, milking laughs from his many spoken lines.
A few decades later, Jacques Offenbach (see at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A546211) wrote a number
of comic operas for the French stage. Although these works
lacked any spoken dialogue, they were close to musical plays
in spirit, often spoofing Greek myths such as Orpheus or Helen
of Troy (see "Homer," http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A179642 ) . Even the operatic convention of beautiful singing
was up for grabs. It is said that Offenbach's "La Vie
Parisienne" ("Parisian Life," 1866) was composed for a troup
of actors who could hardly sing! So much for the triumph of
theater over music.
From the late 19th century on, Britain and the United
States came into their own in an interesting symbiosis that
enhanced the prospects of both countries. Gilbert and Sullivan
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A101782 ) turned Britain's traditional disdain for grand opera to their
own advantage by creating brilliantly witty and tuneful light
operas (or "operettas") such as "H.M.S. Pinafore" (1878 ), "The Mikado," (1885) and "The Pirates of Penzance" (1880). The United States came into the picture by providing audiences for extended
runs of the G&S shows. "Pirates of Penzance" was actually
written in the United States, as G&S attempted to protect
their copyright by having "Pirates" premier in the U.S. before
it played in Britain. This scheme was not entirely successful.
The shows themselves, however, enjoyed (and, indeed, continue to enjoy) great popularity.
In the German-speaking countries, Viennese operettas
were flourishing, particularly the ones by Johann Strauss ("Die Fledermaus," 1885) and Franz Lehar ("The Merry Widow," 1905)
The United States did not yet have artists of the
stature of Gilbert and Sullivan, but George M. Cohan ("Little
Johnny Jones," 1904) came up with a successful formula that
played well on both sides of the Atlantic. America also
benefited from the talent of immigrants from other countries.
Ireland provided Victor Herbert ("Babes in Toyland," 1903).
From Bohemia came Rudolf Friml, who wrote Viennese-style
operettas such as "Rose Marie" (1923). Hungary produced Sigmund Romberg, whose operettas included "Student Prince" (1924)
and "Desert Song" (1926). Indeed, the foreign influence was
so strong in the first decade of the 20th century that young American-born artists either went to England (Jerome Kern) or
wrote in popular idioms such as ragtime (Irving Berlin). (For
more on ragtime, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A189182 .)
(TO BE CONTINUED)
CREDITS
This researcher is greatly indebted to Ethan C.
Mordden's article "Musical Theater" in the "Encyclopedia
Americana," as well as personal experience as a performer
in musicals by Mozart, Gilbert & Sullivan, Johann Strauss,
Irving Berlin, Frank Loesser, and Anthony Newley.
of drama in which the characters express themselves by
occasionally breaking into song. Not infrequently, there
may also be dance numbers. Although a musical may contain
a great deal of music and very little spoken dialogue, it
remains a musical rather than an opera
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A581014)if (1.) it emphasises
great theater rather than great music, and (2.) it cultivates
an enthusiastic response from its audience. Unlike opera,
a musical play needs to be presented in a language that
the audience understands in order for it to succeed.
The earliest known musical play was Adam de la Halle's
"The Play of Robin and Marion" (1283), a charmingly
unsophisticated romance about Robin Hood
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A412552) which featured simple
tunes in a pastoral setting. De la Halle's formula was modified somewhat as the years went by. In the 1500's, for instance, comedy
was added to the mix. In the late 1600's, music of considerable weight and stature was contributed by Henry Purcell
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A481015) in plays such
as "The Indian Queen" and "The Faerie Queen." A few
decades later, the ballad opera became popular. In England,
"The Beggar's Opera" (1728 ) succeeded by using spoken dialogue
to further the plot, and popular ballads of the day to provide
the music.
It was in Austria, however, where the roots of modern
musical theater were planted. In 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A395129) agreed to write music
for a fairy tale opera called "The Magic Flute." His collaborator
was Immanuel Schickaneder, a popular comic actor of the day, as
well as owner/manager of a highly popular theater in Vienna
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A190144). Schickaneder's libretto was a lightweight affair that was hastily rewritten halfway through, transforming "good" characters such as the Queen of the Night
into villains by the end. Ever the showman, Schickaneder
pleased audiences with his farcical performances as Papageno
the bird-man. Mozart bridged the inconsistencies of the plot by establishing a core tonality for each character, and then using similar themes as a way of giving the work some thematic unity.
"The Magic Flute" straddles the line between opera and musical
play: when performed in an opera house, the musical aspects overshadow the inconsequential plot. When performed by an
amateur group in an English translation, however, "The Magic
Flute" becomes musical comedy. The actor playing Papageno will typically ham it up, milking laughs from his many spoken lines.
A few decades later, Jacques Offenbach (see at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A546211) wrote a number
of comic operas for the French stage. Although these works
lacked any spoken dialogue, they were close to musical plays
in spirit, often spoofing Greek myths such as Orpheus or Helen
of Troy (see "Homer," http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A179642 ) . Even the operatic convention of beautiful singing
was up for grabs. It is said that Offenbach's "La Vie
Parisienne" ("Parisian Life," 1866) was composed for a troup
of actors who could hardly sing! So much for the triumph of
theater over music.
From the late 19th century on, Britain and the United
States came into their own in an interesting symbiosis that
enhanced the prospects of both countries. Gilbert and Sullivan
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A101782 ) turned Britain's traditional disdain for grand opera to their
own advantage by creating brilliantly witty and tuneful light
operas (or "operettas") such as "H.M.S. Pinafore" (1878 ), "The Mikado," (1885) and "The Pirates of Penzance" (1880). The United States came into the picture by providing audiences for extended
runs of the G&S shows. "Pirates of Penzance" was actually
written in the United States, as G&S attempted to protect
their copyright by having "Pirates" premier in the U.S. before
it played in Britain. This scheme was not entirely successful.
The shows themselves, however, enjoyed (and, indeed, continue to enjoy) great popularity.
In the German-speaking countries, Viennese operettas
were flourishing, particularly the ones by Johann Strauss ("Die Fledermaus," 1885) and Franz Lehar ("The Merry Widow," 1905)
The United States did not yet have artists of the
stature of Gilbert and Sullivan, but George M. Cohan ("Little
Johnny Jones," 1904) came up with a successful formula that
played well on both sides of the Atlantic. America also
benefited from the talent of immigrants from other countries.
Ireland provided Victor Herbert ("Babes in Toyland," 1903).
From Bohemia came Rudolf Friml, who wrote Viennese-style
operettas such as "Rose Marie" (1923). Hungary produced Sigmund Romberg, whose operettas included "Student Prince" (1924)
and "Desert Song" (1926). Indeed, the foreign influence was
so strong in the first decade of the 20th century that young American-born artists either went to England (Jerome Kern) or
wrote in popular idioms such as ragtime (Irving Berlin). (For
more on ragtime, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A189182 .)
(TO BE CONTINUED)
CREDITS
This researcher is greatly indebted to Ethan C.
Mordden's article "Musical Theater" in the "Encyclopedia
Americana," as well as personal experience as a performer
in musicals by Mozart, Gilbert & Sullivan, Johann Strauss,
Irving Berlin, Frank Loesser, and Anthony Newley.
