Social Relevance and the Musical Theatre

Paper Summary:

This paper explores how music and the theater have always worked together for as long as humanity has engaged in staging productions. It shows that music has played a part, sometimes minor, sometimes major, in many theatrical productions; however, since the late nineteenth century with the birth of the modern musical theater it has continued to gain importance and social relevance. The writer shows that as they gained in popularity, musicals became an entertaining forum for discussing relevant social issues, depicting the plights and victories of modern Western society.

From the Paper:

"The first musical comedies began to emerge in the 1880's, thanks to a pair called Harrigan and Hart. They were the owners of the Theatre Comique on lower Broadway. Unlike the Extravaganzas of the previous decade, Harrigan and Hart's musical comedies began to stir up some social awareness. Many of the comedies that were staged on Broadway took place in the dishevelled streets of Manhattan, with characters reflecting the lives of those who lived and worked there. While the productions certainly took a comical viewpoint, the audience was very aware of the reality of the situation."

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• Article Review # 143443 : "Musical Theatre" - An Article Review"
• Term Paper # 124852 : "Cultural Traditions in American Musical Theatre"

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