The Development of The American Broadway as Theatre and Culture - Research Paper Example

 American Broadway Musicals Historians typically attribute the beginning of the American Broadway Musical to the production of Show Boat which debuted on December 27, 1927. In this regard, American Musical Theatre is divided into two distinct eras: Pre-Show Boat and post-Show Boat. This distinction is attributed to the fact that Show Boat was American in every sense of the word. It was not only American-themed, but it was also produced by Americans. Previously, any Broadway show that had any lasting impression was frequently imported from Vienna or Britain. Some examples are William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore in 1879 and Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow of 1907 (Block 2004, 4). This paper examines the significance of this genre to American theatre with the emphasis on Broadway. The history and development of the American Broadway Musical is traced with a view to demonstrating its place in American theatre and culture. The American Broadway Musical has enjoyed success since its inception, gradually coming to be recognized as a truly American contribution to theatre. Success is measured in terms of the length of its run on Broadway. In fact “long runs became the norm for a hit show” (Hischak 2004, 449). Plays such as My Fair Lady 1956, Hello Dolly! 1964, Grease 1972 and Cats 1982 have maintained the record for Broadways longest running musicals (Hanschak 2004, 449). However, Phantom of the Opera enjoyed the longest run of over 8,000 performances between 1987 and 1988 (Hischak 2004, 450). Typically when a Broadway musical enjoys immense success directors are inclined to transfer the production to the big screen. This is obviously an economic incentive in the sense that movie producers anticipate making money from a film version of a successful and popular Broadway production. In return, the Broadway Musical producers are entitled to royalties from the box office returns and in most cases a token advance payment against future royalties (Vogel 2001, 520). However, a successful Broadway musical does not automatically guarantee that the subsequent film version will be equally successful. For instance, The Phantom of the Opera, while immensely successful on Broadway was a relative flop in the cinema. It has been argued that the box office failure may be attributed to the fact that the film version came too late, having gone into film production some twenty years after its first theatrical debut. By that time the momentum and popularity had faded somewhat (Broadway n.d.). Therefore, timing is significant for film producers if they hope to cash in on a musical’s success and popularity. When Broadway musicals are turned into big screen films the latter can be seen as a form of advertising for the Broadway musical. Conversely, a Broadway musical can also be viewed as advertisement for a future film. It is also worth noting that Broadway musicals have the potential to meet a limited geographical market whereas film versions can take the musical to a wider and more spread out population. It is therefore conceivable that the film production of a popular and successful Broadway musical serves as a means of ensuring that the production and its success are shared by a larger market. As an alternative to spoken theatre, musical plays provide genres such as operetta, ballet, pantomime, minstrelsy, vaudeville, burlesque, extravaganza, revue, musical comedy and play. Despite their different compositions and constructs, they each share one common theme: the intent to convey what theatre arts embrace. The musical theatre recognizes that drama and realism is what the theatre seeks to reproduce. However there is one caveat, the musical play seeks to be a theatre of romance to the extent that life should be represented as it should be. Musical theatre accomplishes this through dance and song “in the service of romantic ideals” at the exclusion of all “other alternatives” (Kislan 1995, 2-3). The fact is, as Kislan (1995) explains, song: Song raises the listener and the singer to a higher artistic level than does ordinary speech. Song invests its ideas with a radiant emotional power that gives sentiment the wings to soar above reality. Song recalls in the listener personal experiences of deep and highly charged feeling, permitting an audience to feel together what has been felt before alone (3). Having watched a number of blockbuster musical films such as Grease, Oliver and The Sound of Music and the London theatrical performance of Orpheus in the Underworld, the author found that musicals connect with the audience in a way that is impossible in spoken theatre. A wide range of emotions can come across in song and dance in a way that is not communicated via spoken dialogue and expression. Song and dance convey emotions that not only bring the audience into the vocalists/dancer’s world, but also bring the audience into immediate contact with its own experience and memories. The musical piece is almost always reminiscent of some personal experience or event. In this regard, the audience engages in self-reflection almost immediately and is able to connect with the piece in a unique and satisfying way. In spoken theatre, the audience is more inclined to respond to the piece with less self-interest or reflection. Americans were entertained by their first musicals during the colonial period by virtue of Ballad Operas produced by touring companies comprised of British actors. During the period from 1776-1783 writers and composers domiciled in the US produced what is characterized as “the first American comic Operas” (Banharm 1995, 771). In the 1840s a number of European producers contributed to the emergence of American musical theatre with burlesques depicting natives which were particularly popular with American audiences during the 1830s and gained momentum in the 1850s (Banham 1995, 771). This approach to musical theatre is reflective of theatrical attempts to produce satires and dramas of real life conditions. Musicals, like other art forms attempt to either make light of societal and political struggles or to make value statements about them. During the Civil War, American Musical Theatre was phased out with the pantomime gaining momentum after the war with the production of Humpty Dumpty in 1868 and burlesque reinventing itself with British actor Lydia Thompson in the British Blondes. Despite its rich history, the most significant event in American Musical Theatre is attributed to The Black Crook which debuted in 1866. The Black Crook was a comedy musical performed by a French ballet company in New York and spawned a number of imitations. By the 1900s, American Musical Theatre was comprised of comedy opera, operetta, and revues with Broadway hosting the dominant theatre although the introduction of advanced transport made it possible for these musicals to tour the nation (Banham 1995, 772). During the First World War, American Musical Theatre had been more inclined toward the production of American musicals particularly ragtime. By the 1920s American Broadway Musicals were influenced by jazz following George and Ira Gershwin’s successful run of Lady, Be Good! (1924). During the depression era musicals began to mirror America’s economic turmoil and its increasing unrest. In 1936 Johnny Johnson debuted delivering a strong anti-war rhetoric. Another socially based musical followed in the revue Pins and Needles. Another social statement came in the form of musical The Cradle Will Rock which featured discourse between capitalism and labor (Banham 1995, 773). This era of American Broadway Musicals clearly demonstrate that musicals were determined to connect with issues and feelings that its audience could identify with. The propensity to reflect social issues on the American stage via musicals did not last long, however. During World War II, the theatre focused more sharply on escapism. This is entirely understandable as the war was not something that American audiences at home could directly identify with, although it had far reaching economic and tragic consequences for the entire population. This might explain why there continued to be the odd musical that reminded Americans of social and political issues. The introduction of Oklahoma! influenced a flurry of imitations and has been characterized as the “most influential and widely imitated musical of its day” (Banham 1995, 773). Rodgers and Hammersmith continued in this vein, creating and producing Carousel in 1945, South Pacific in 1959, The King and I in 1951, Flower Drum Song in 1958 and The Sound of Music in 1959 (Jasen 2003, 346). Despite Rodgers and Hammersmith’s influence, American musical theatre did not abandon comedy. American comedy musicals continued to attract attention during the 1940s and 1950s. Annie Get Your Gun by Irving Berling received positive accolades by critics in 1946. Similarly, Frank Losser’s Guys and Dolls in 1950 was also well received by audiences and critics alike. Another notable successful musical success was Damn Yankees in 1954 (Smith 1987, 203). By the 1960s experiments in Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway musicals introduced rock musicals forming a part of what is described as alternative theatre. By the 1970s however, Off-Off Broadway began to decline having failed to spill over into Broadway. These plays were presented with a stronger emphasis on content over craft (Hischak 2008, 27). Broadway in the mean time was reproducing a number of the earlier successful musicals. It was these reproductions that rendered composer Stephen Sondheim’s new productions of Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Merrily we Roll Along and Into the Woods significant to the development of the American Broadway Musical Theatre (Banfield 1995, ix). Sondheim’s musicals emphasized the “concept musical” which was characterized by directors rather than interpreting scores and librettos “into theatrical terms during rehearsals” came together with composers, lyricists and librettists during the course of the show to ensure that “every element is conceived in terms of production” (Banham 1995, 774). Banham (1995) explains that: Because of the emergence of the concept musical – and because so few new composers, lyricists and librettists of stature appeared during the period – the musical theatre of the 1970s and the 1980s was dominated by the choreographer-director (774). Some of the most popular concept musicals were Bob Fosse’s Pippin produced in 1972, Chicago of 1985, Dreamgirls of 1978, Michael Bennet’s A Chorus Line in 1981, Tommy Tune’s Nine in 1982 and The Will Rogers Follies in 1991. By the 1990s, the concept musical had lost its pull and Broadway turned instead to producing musicals based on successful and classic films. Some of the successful film turned Broadway musicals were Grand Hotel of 1989, City of Angels in 1989, Nick and Nora of 1991, Red Shoes of 1993 and Sunset Boulevard produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber in London in 1993 and Broadway in 1994 (Banham 1995, 774). Chicago, The Phantom of The Opera and Mamma Mia! serve as good examples of the success of American Broadway musicals. Two of these shows transferred some of their popularity to the big screen with phenomenal success. Although The Phantom of The Opera’s film version did not live up to its theatrical success, it’s box office failure did not harm its Broadway and international acclaim. The musical Chicago originated from a play written by Maurine Watkins in 1926 based on the Roxie Hart and the murder of her love. A filmed was produce in 1942 but titled Roxie Hart staring Ginger Rogers. Thirty years later, Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb and John Kander produced the musical version of Watkins’ play titled Chicago. Fosse based the in a musical parallel that mirrored his previous production of Caberet (1972) so that Chicago presented “its musical numbers in ironic parallel to, rather than within the main dramatic action” (Knapp 2009, 111). At the onset, Chicago only enjoyed moderate success. However, as time went on, it began to catch on with the American audience. The success of the musical play encouraged the 2002 film production which adopts the strategy utilized in the musical play but refocuses it by as Knapp (2009) explains: deriving the numbers more overtly and specifically from Roxie’s imagination, intertwining the staged numbers more securely with the dramatic action by embedding them within the sensibilities of the characters themselves (111). The 1975 musical also influenced the production of a second play which debuted in 1996 which enjoyed far more success than its predecessor (Knapp 2009, 111). The musical ran from 1975 to 1977 putting out over 900 performances. The musical based on the 1975 Broadway production was produced in London and Australia. Chicago was nominated for 10 Tony Awards in 1975 but it did not win any of the nominations. The 1975 was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards and won Outstanding Lighting Design. The 1996 revival of Chicago was nominated in 8 categories and won six of them. Most telling was the award for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical, Best Costume Design and Best Lead Actor and Actress. In 1996 Chicago was nominated for five Drama Desk Awards and won all of them (Chicago n.d.). The 2002 movie which was adapted from the Broadway Musical enjoyed success as well. Chicago 2002 was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and picked up five including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Flim Editing and Best Sound Mixing. The musical film also received three of seven Golden Awards including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Chicago 2002). The successful production of Chicago on Broadway in both traditional plays and musicals and on the big screen is demonstrative of the chain reaction within the entertainment industry. A successful and popular Broadway production will inevitably make it to the box office as Chicago did. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is described as the most financially successful play with thirteen companies “playing the show” worldwide (Green 1996, 278). The Phantom of the Opera is American Broadway’s longest running musical “brining fans back for repeat viewings like no other theatre attraction” (Hischak 2004, 579). The musical debuted in New York’s Broadway in 1988 and its success continues today as it continues to run in 2010. The musical picked up both the Tony and Oliver Awards for the best musical in its initial viewing. The Broadway show has netted at least US715 million and is described as the most profitable piece of entertainment ever (BBC 2006). The success of Phantom of the Opera is attributed to its adoption of “colloquial language” and its “accessible music” (Lundskaer-Neilsen 2008, 51). Webber himself has referred to the musical as an operetta, maintaining that he had been inspired by Puccini (Lundskaer-Neilsen 2008, 51). Patinkin (2008) described The Phantom of the Opera as: A romantic operetta (with a score that frequently wishes it sounded like Puccini) about a masked man who haunts the Paris Opera House and saws down a chandelier in order to make his favorite soprano star (480). Patinkin (2008) goes on to state that apart from its “brooding, romantic, masked antihero, its most famous for its production values” like the “boat that glides along the stage floor”, illuminated candelabras “that rise from below the stage floor”, “lots of fog”, a “second-act opener with costumes” and an elaborate “staircase” (480). Despite Patinkin’s essentially critical approach to The Phantom of the Opera its advance ticket tales of US$16.5 million set a new record in American Broadway musical productions. Moreover the score is quite popular with highlights such as The Music of the Night, All I Ask of you, Masquerade, The Point of No Return, Prima Donna, Think of Me, Angel of Music and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again (Hischak 2005, 579). Although Hischak (2004) describes the plot as “somewhat muddled” he maintains that the music was presented like a “grand opera” and “the visuals often provided the dramatics” that would have otherwise rendered the storyline incapable of concise interpretation (579). The fact remains, The Phantom of the Opera has become a hugely profitable product as well as a hugely successful musical regardless of its venue. The musical success of The Phantom of the Opera naturally resulted in a film reproduction based on the musical play. Fans of the musical had tall expectation. Although the film version produced by Warner in 2004 was not a complete flop it failed to live up to expectations. The fact is, The Phantom of the Opera had already been the subject of several films therefore there was little suspense for both those who had not seen the stage production and those who had. Regardless the film version did not stray far afield from the Broadway musical. Compared to the phenomenal success of the stage musical the film was “box office disappointment”, disappearing from cinemas within one year while the Broadway musical continues to enjoy success (Hischak 2004, 580). Mamma Mia! was adapted from a play composed by British playwright Catherine Johnson whose play is based on ABBA’s songs and composed by former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. The musical is characterized as a musical jukebox and the musical itself focuses more profoundly on the hit single Mamma Mia. The musical itself contains a number of ABBA hit songs including Lay all Your Love on Me, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Take a Chance on Me, Thank You For the Music, Money, Money Money and SOS (The Gazette, Montreal, 2008). Debuting in New York’s Broadway in 2001, Mamma Mia! was an instant hit (Hisrich 2009, 239). The musical netted over US$27 million in advance, representing Broadway’s largest advance in ticket sales since The Phantom of the Opera in 1988. Mamma Mia! continued to win coveted awards to such an extent that critics began to speculate that it was the popularity of ABBA that won the awards rather than the actual Broadway musical production (Hirrich 2009, 239). The music is perhaps the most engaging factor in Mamma Mia! it’s a feel good romance which comes across with a lighthearted approach buttressed by the romantic and upbeat music. This approach obviously resonates around the globe as Mamma Mia! has claimed the title of the world’s most performed show. By 2005, Mamma Mia! outperformed previous blockbusters such as The Sound of Music, The King and I and Damn Yankees reaching up to 1,500 performances (Craymer, Ulvaeus and Andersson 2006, 3). The film adaptation in 2008 was widely successful and much of its success have been attributed to its star power. The film is directed by Tom Hanks together with Rita Wilson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. Meryl Streep, Donna Sheifan, Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan of James Bond 007 fame star in the film adaptation. Julie Waters, Colin Firth and Christine Baranski also appear in the film. Like the play the film is both a romantic and comedic production (Mamma Mia! 2008) The film itself grossed US$602, 609, 487 and is the 5th most profitable film of 2008 and the most profitable musical film of all time. Internationally the film is the most profitable for the year 2008 (Irvine 2008). Perhaps it is the international element or simply the story telling and the popular catchy music that accounts for the success of both the film and the musical play. It may even be a combination of each of these factors. Regardless, Mamma Mia! as both a musical film and play is obviously entertaining for both Americans and persons outside of America. Success among musical plays produced and shown over America is measured by a number of factors. The three plays offered as examples of success demonstrate how diversity of subject matter, genre differences can all be successful musicals and films. Although The Phantom of the Opera did not enjoy the kind of success that corresponds with its Broadway parallel, it continues to be a significant source of entertainment on Broadway. The reality is, if musicals are accompanied by good music that can tell a story or clarify that story, the shows will at the very least catch on if the music and the plot are connected and relevant. 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