Theater relates to my life in many ways. I think that any job I hold I will use the creativity model to get work done. Every process has to have an impulse to create, preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification/revision. No idea that I have for anything is going to work right away. You have to come up with an idea, gather information, ponder the solutions for awhile, let one pop into your head, and then verify if it works or decided if the process needs to be repeated giving you a better solution. This process usually occurs with every problem in life and I have definitely used it in the past. I just never knew that it was an aspect of theater.
Another major aspect of theater that I use in my life is acting. Throughout my life time I have assumed many roles. When I was younger I played soccer, figure skated, danced, and did cheerleading. Those are all very different roles to play. Being a soccer player consisted of being very intimidating and aggressive. I could not be nice out on the field because it was a competition between me and the girl next to me on the other team. Being a figure skater and a dancer was being a performer. I had to be very happy and act as if I was enjoying what I was doing all of the time. There were times when you would be at a competition and you were having a bad day. You could not let those problems from earlier carry out onto the stage or ice. If you so, it would show on your face and the entire performance was ruined. Also, dancing and figure skating was done gracefully and had to look easy. Being a cheerleader is different from those two roles. In no way do cheerleaders look graceful. You are very stiff and give commanding performances. These roles all required being a different character.
Criticism in a part of theater and is a big part of my life. Criticism is something that I deal with almost everyday. Actors/actresses and people in theater receive criticism every show. This is what makes the shows better and improves my life. People involved get criticism from the audience, professional critics, and maybe even friends about what could be improved. I get criticism from my friends and family about how I doing in my life. You could say that my life is a show just like a production. I appreciate the criticism that I receive because I want to know what I can improve to make my life the best it can be. I accept it the way a theater does because they want to be the best and so do I. Criticism is something that will never go away and shouldn't. Criticism shouldn't be dished out to put someone down, but rather constructive. When researching Broadway, I saw reviews where people criticized some of the shows. Not everyone is going to like everything; just like everyone is not going to like everything I do in my life. Criticism also comes from many people. That gives me the option to take parts of everyone's ideas to get the best of both worlds. This again deals with theater because it is about taking lots of different ideas and putting them together. Lots of productions have taken ideas from multiple kinds of art to get their final product. A musical is an example of that. It contains singing and dancing together, which for a long time were done separately. I am able to take an array of ideas to produce a final product.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Concluding Statement
When I started this class I thought it was just going to be another liberal studies class. It is a one hundred level class so usually the workload for those aren't too much. I actually did not need this class because I took my elective Freshmen year in music. This class for me was something to fill up my schedule because I did not want to graduate in December. Well let me say, I was definitely wrong. This class was not a breeze and it was not another liberal studies class. The workload is way more than a lot of one hundred level classes and I am learning that as I am trying to finish my work here at the end of the semester. I don't think that it is a bad thing that this class required a lot of work. It required you to use your brain in different ways. We have to write these blog entries, take quizzes, and write posts on a discussion board. The blog entries are requiring essay writing and formally putting your ideas together. The quizzes required you to read the information in the book, view PowerPoint presentations, read plays, and view videos. The quizzes then tested the knowledge of this information. The discussion boards required your creativity. There are no right or wrong answers but to see what ideas you could come up with certain scenarios.
Even though I was unable to manage my time effectively throughout the semester to get the work done, I have enjoyed doing that work that I have done. I liked theater and only paid attention to the aspects of it that I liked. This basically meant musicals. Musicals have always been my favorite productions to watch because of the singing and dancing. Doing the blog entry on Broadway let me find information on the shows and Broadway itself. I have always wanted to go and see a show there, but never have. I liked being able to research the different shows that are playing. Taking this class has also shown me the different types of theater that exist. I enjoyed researching The Public Theater in New York City. They had such a clear mission to produce the works of Shakespeare as well as works from artists trying to get established for students and the residents of New York City. They also offer workshops for students to give them a chance to perform Shakespeare and develop their writing as an artist. Researching that and doing the readings opened my mind to different kinds of theater.
At the end of this class I am able to say that I am taking away a new respect for Theater. I have realized that theater is not all about musicals. It is something that is very popular among our culture, but not in others. Also from the readings, I learned that many forms of art have come from other cultures through interculturalism. It is nice to see that cultures are blending together their cultural traditions as well as others. The discussion posts have given me the chance to express my creativity. I am not the most creative person, but art doesn't require the most original ideas. As long as you have an original idea then it can be considered an art form. Being in this class makes me want to explore theater more. It has taken me out of my comfort zone which is a good thing. It is good to stray away from the comfort zone because you learn new things like I have. I am taking an interest in the different kinds of theater now. I would like to go see other types of productions away from musicals. I wish that I would have gone to see some of the smaller shows that have came to campus. I always wanted to see the popular shows, but what makes theater interesting is all the other types of theater that exist. From taking this class as well, it has made me want to see not only other types of American works but works from other cultures. Theater doesn't just exist in America, but all over the world in different forms and I see that. I have a new appreciation for the different types of theater that exist. I would like to add that one of my theaters that is not American is the Irish dancing. Riverdance and Lord of the Dance originally aired in Ireland and recently came to America in the late 1990's. I now realize that is a type of theater and I would love to see what other cultures produce.
Even though I was unable to manage my time effectively throughout the semester to get the work done, I have enjoyed doing that work that I have done. I liked theater and only paid attention to the aspects of it that I liked. This basically meant musicals. Musicals have always been my favorite productions to watch because of the singing and dancing. Doing the blog entry on Broadway let me find information on the shows and Broadway itself. I have always wanted to go and see a show there, but never have. I liked being able to research the different shows that are playing. Taking this class has also shown me the different types of theater that exist. I enjoyed researching The Public Theater in New York City. They had such a clear mission to produce the works of Shakespeare as well as works from artists trying to get established for students and the residents of New York City. They also offer workshops for students to give them a chance to perform Shakespeare and develop their writing as an artist. Researching that and doing the readings opened my mind to different kinds of theater.
At the end of this class I am able to say that I am taking away a new respect for Theater. I have realized that theater is not all about musicals. It is something that is very popular among our culture, but not in others. Also from the readings, I learned that many forms of art have come from other cultures through interculturalism. It is nice to see that cultures are blending together their cultural traditions as well as others. The discussion posts have given me the chance to express my creativity. I am not the most creative person, but art doesn't require the most original ideas. As long as you have an original idea then it can be considered an art form. Being in this class makes me want to explore theater more. It has taken me out of my comfort zone which is a good thing. It is good to stray away from the comfort zone because you learn new things like I have. I am taking an interest in the different kinds of theater now. I would like to go see other types of productions away from musicals. I wish that I would have gone to see some of the smaller shows that have came to campus. I always wanted to see the popular shows, but what makes theater interesting is all the other types of theater that exist. From taking this class as well, it has made me want to see not only other types of American works but works from other cultures. Theater doesn't just exist in America, but all over the world in different forms and I see that. I have a new appreciation for the different types of theater that exist. I would like to add that one of my theaters that is not American is the Irish dancing. Riverdance and Lord of the Dance originally aired in Ireland and recently came to America in the late 1990's. I now realize that is a type of theater and I would love to see what other cultures produce.
Oklahoma Lighting Design
I wrote a passion piece on the musical Oklahoma and I have decided to do a lighting desing for the play. Oklahoma was the first musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein together. It was based off of the stage play Green Grow the Lilacs. Oklahoma changed the theater world forever. It was the first show that used music and dance to keep telling the story. It also had the first ever famous dream sequence ballet that featured only dance and music. Since this was the first musical to debut, the lighting for it is important. The right colors and tones had to be used to set the mood. People would be confused with the story if the lighting was not correct. In the beginning the light needs be bright to set the mood that this story is cheerful and not a tragedy. The bright lights would also be used to signify that it was daytime. Bright lights would be used for "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'", "The Surey with the Fringe on Top", "Kansas City", and "I Cain't Say No." All of these scenes take place out side as well. "Many a New Day" would need to have a softer lighting because it takes place in Laurey's house with all the girls. They have stopped on their way to the box social. This softer lighting will also be used for "People Will Say We're in Love." The song is referring to Laurey and Curly's romance. The next song is "Pore Jud is Daid." This takes place in Jud's smokehouse where he lives. The lighting will have to be a harder brown since Jud is a farmhand and rough looking. The song is also not sappy so the mood needs to somber. The end of Act I brings the famous dream scene. This is where Laurey is weighing her options of being with Jud or Curly. Since it is a dream, it needs to heavenly like. The lighting would be blue, red, brown, orange, gray, and yellow. "The Farmer and the Cowman" scene should be a golden wheat color in front and the colors of a dusk sunset in the back. This scene takes place at dusk and then it eventually turns into nighttime. "All Er Nuthin'" takes place away from the box social. The lighting needs to be somewhat dark to show that it is nighttime, but bright lights on the characters because this is when Annie decides to marry Will. The "People Will Say We're in Love (reprise)" occurs when Curly reassures Laurey that she is safe from Jud. That would be another wheat color lighting because Laurey is feeling safe. The find song "Oklahoma" occurs after Curly and Laurey get married and Curly is not guilty for the death of Jud. The light will be very bright across the stage because the entire cast will be out on the stage. This is also the end of the play and a happy ending.
Theater Profile
The theater that I choose was The Public Theater in New York City. It was founded by Joseph Papp in and was originally called the Shakespeare Workshop. The theater was formed to bring people's voices, rhythms, and cultures together. It opened as The Public Theater in 1967 in the former Astor library. The first production to play there was the musical Hair. In the summertime, Shakespeare in the park shows at the Delacorte Theater. One of the newest performing places on the list is Joe's Pub. It is a venue used for musicians, spoken-word artists, and solo performers. The theater is now run by Oskar Eustis(artistic director) and Andrew D. Hamingson(executive director).
The current mission statement of the theater is to produce plays, musicals, and productions from Shakespeare as well as new works of art. The theater supports new plays, musicals, and other innovative works. They also want to reach out to many diverse backgrounds as well as students. A program called Shakespeare Lab is offered in the summer. It is acting intensive and deals with classical performing. Anyone entering 9th grade and above is encouraged to come and perform Shakespeare, write sonnets, and attend performances. Another program offered in New Work Wow!. It is a play reading series for emerging artists and artists that are already established. Internships are available. The theater prefers to take candidates that are pursuing a major in theater. Internships can be done in the following departments: artistic director, artistic intern, associate producer, casting, development, executive producer, administrative intern, general management, Joe's Pub, literary, marketing, press, and under the radar.
Material that they produce is works of Shakespeare, but they also encourage new plays, musicals, and other innovative works of art. Shakespeare plays that have been done are Othello, Hamlet, MacBeth, Julius Caesar, and The Taming of the Shrew.
This theater interested me because it does Shakespeare. I am not a fan of Shakespeare, but maybe going to a theater like this it could help me to understand his work. People that would be in the productions would have a lot of knowledge of his work. Talking to members of the theater could help me to understand Shakespeare's work. I also think that seeing his work is very different from reading it. Seeing it done in a production would give me a sense of emotion from the actors and actresses. Reading it off the page does not give me any emotion or body language. I think that it is great that the theater offers workshops for students and encourages them to come see Shakespeare's work as well as new works of art. Starting kids early is going to open up their mind and help them be creative. They will be more open minded because they will see stuff out of the ordinary. That can be helpful to develop creative and writing skills. The theater also wants to help kids develop their creative skills. Offering the Shakespeare Lab and New Work Wow! gives kids a chance to act and put their ideas down on paper. Another thing I that attracted me to the theater was that it offered internships. It seems that this non-for-profit theater is very different from a Broadway theater. For a student that is majoring in theater, this will give them a chance to see how a theater away from the bright lights of Times Square works. They will get to see how struggling artists work to get their starts. I also think that this would be great for someone starting out because not only are they getting help by doing this internship, but they are helping to establish other artists.
The current mission statement of the theater is to produce plays, musicals, and productions from Shakespeare as well as new works of art. The theater supports new plays, musicals, and other innovative works. They also want to reach out to many diverse backgrounds as well as students. A program called Shakespeare Lab is offered in the summer. It is acting intensive and deals with classical performing. Anyone entering 9th grade and above is encouraged to come and perform Shakespeare, write sonnets, and attend performances. Another program offered in New Work Wow!. It is a play reading series for emerging artists and artists that are already established. Internships are available. The theater prefers to take candidates that are pursuing a major in theater. Internships can be done in the following departments: artistic director, artistic intern, associate producer, casting, development, executive producer, administrative intern, general management, Joe's Pub, literary, marketing, press, and under the radar.
Material that they produce is works of Shakespeare, but they also encourage new plays, musicals, and other innovative works of art. Shakespeare plays that have been done are Othello, Hamlet, MacBeth, Julius Caesar, and The Taming of the Shrew.
This theater interested me because it does Shakespeare. I am not a fan of Shakespeare, but maybe going to a theater like this it could help me to understand his work. People that would be in the productions would have a lot of knowledge of his work. Talking to members of the theater could help me to understand Shakespeare's work. I also think that seeing his work is very different from reading it. Seeing it done in a production would give me a sense of emotion from the actors and actresses. Reading it off the page does not give me any emotion or body language. I think that it is great that the theater offers workshops for students and encourages them to come see Shakespeare's work as well as new works of art. Starting kids early is going to open up their mind and help them be creative. They will be more open minded because they will see stuff out of the ordinary. That can be helpful to develop creative and writing skills. The theater also wants to help kids develop their creative skills. Offering the Shakespeare Lab and New Work Wow! gives kids a chance to act and put their ideas down on paper. Another thing I that attracted me to the theater was that it offered internships. It seems that this non-for-profit theater is very different from a Broadway theater. For a student that is majoring in theater, this will give them a chance to see how a theater away from the bright lights of Times Square works. They will get to see how struggling artists work to get their starts. I also think that this would be great for someone starting out because not only are they getting help by doing this internship, but they are helping to establish other artists.
Broadway
Broadway is probably the greatest place in the world to go see a production. Currently playing on Broadway is Chicago, Hair, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, South Pacific, Wicked, and West Side Story. Those are the ones that most people have heard of. There are also shows playing that aren't as popular such as American Idiot, The Adams Family, Race, Red, Next Fall, Fences, and Love Never Dies. To purchase tickets for these shows, you can go onto www.playbill.com or www.theatermania.com. You click on the show listings and ticket button. The list of shows will come up and on the left there will be a button that says purchase tickets. Once you click on that button, it will take you to the Ticket Master website where the tickets can be purchased. A list of all the dates and show times will appear for you decide when you would like to go. There is also a box office near Broadway where you can go to buy tickets if you are in the city. Green Day's show American Idiot is currently one of the hottest shows playing on Broadway. It offers all of the songs from their album American Idiot plus some from their new album. Another hot show is The Adams Family. A Little Night Music is expected to be a great hit because it is staring Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury.
If a show runs on Broadway for a long period of time then it must have been successful. Some of the longest running shows on Broadway were The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Les Miserables, Rent, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, A Chorus Line, and Chicago. The Phantom of the Opera was the longest running show on Broadway and was the most financially successful. Cats stopped performances in 2000 after 18 years and has not been back. Les Misearbles closed in 2003 and briefly re-opened in 2006. It has not been back since. Rent grabbed people's attention because it dealt with the AIDS crisis. It stayed open until 2008 because of the demand to see it. Beauty and the Beast ran for 13 years and is in the Top Ten longest running Broadway shows. The Lion King opened in 1997 and is still currently running on Broadway today. A Chorus Line closed many years ago, but was recently re-opened. It also has touring companies traveling all over the world. Chicago opened in 1975, but closed in 1996. A revival opened after the movie came out staring Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta Jones. It is currently playing today and the longest-running revival on Broadway.
Going to see a Broadway show is something that I have always wanted to do. Unfortunately, I have never got around to seeing one. I have been in New York City a few times, but never have the time to see a show. When I am there it usually only for a couple hours in a day and I want to do shopping in China Town. Some of the shows that are on Broadway that I would like to see are Mary Poppins, Chicago, American Idiot, South Pacific, and Wicked. Mary Poppins is my favorite Disney movie and I would like to see how it was made into a musical. The music from Chicago is great and I love the 1920's era. I have never see a production of it done and would like to see it live. I think American Idiot would be good to see because it is a more modernized production. The music from Green Day is incorporated into the show. South Pacific is such a classic musical that I would love to see live. From everyone that I know that has seen Wicked has said it was awesome. I think that the story line of it is original and it is something that I have never seen. It would be a new experience to see a show that I don't know what happens in it.
If a show runs on Broadway for a long period of time then it must have been successful. Some of the longest running shows on Broadway were The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Les Miserables, Rent, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, A Chorus Line, and Chicago. The Phantom of the Opera was the longest running show on Broadway and was the most financially successful. Cats stopped performances in 2000 after 18 years and has not been back. Les Misearbles closed in 2003 and briefly re-opened in 2006. It has not been back since. Rent grabbed people's attention because it dealt with the AIDS crisis. It stayed open until 2008 because of the demand to see it. Beauty and the Beast ran for 13 years and is in the Top Ten longest running Broadway shows. The Lion King opened in 1997 and is still currently running on Broadway today. A Chorus Line closed many years ago, but was recently re-opened. It also has touring companies traveling all over the world. Chicago opened in 1975, but closed in 1996. A revival opened after the movie came out staring Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta Jones. It is currently playing today and the longest-running revival on Broadway.
Going to see a Broadway show is something that I have always wanted to do. Unfortunately, I have never got around to seeing one. I have been in New York City a few times, but never have the time to see a show. When I am there it usually only for a couple hours in a day and I want to do shopping in China Town. Some of the shows that are on Broadway that I would like to see are Mary Poppins, Chicago, American Idiot, South Pacific, and Wicked. Mary Poppins is my favorite Disney movie and I would like to see how it was made into a musical. The music from Chicago is great and I love the 1920's era. I have never see a production of it done and would like to see it live. I think American Idiot would be good to see because it is a more modernized production. The music from Green Day is incorporated into the show. South Pacific is such a classic musical that I would love to see live. From everyone that I know that has seen Wicked has said it was awesome. I think that the story line of it is original and it is something that I have never seen. It would be a new experience to see a show that I don't know what happens in it.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Play Review
The performance I choose to see this semester was the musical Grease. The biggest part of the musical was the acting. I've seen the movie many times and couldn't help but compare it to that. I thought the cast did a great job. I thought Danny's character could have been a little more jerky at parts. Sometimes he just seemed too nice for the situation. The girl who played Sandy didn't seem to stand out to me. I think that she should have had a smaller part. She was good but she didn't catch your eye every time she walked on the stage. A character's acting I was really confused about was Cha Cha DiGrigorio. In the show she was portrayed as nerdy. She was not portrayed as the best dance and sexy as she is in the movie. Jan and Frenchie talked and acted the same in the show. In the movie, they are two different people. A person I thought "hogged" all the attention was the girl who played Rizzo. Every time she opened her mouth her voice was very boisterous and carried. Overall I thought the cast was good, but I wouldn't say great.
The writing was definitely well done. It was basically the same as the movie, expect there were some extra things added in. There were added scenes with added songs. The song "Blue Moon" is sang in the show while they are at school. In the movie, it is playing in the background at the dance. Another song is "It's Raining on Prom Night." It is sung by Jan in the show, but is only play on the juke box for a minute in the restaurant in the movie. The genre of the show was a musical. There was a clear conflict between Sandy and Danny. He had met her at the beach over the summer. She was supposed to go back to Australia, but ends up at his high school. Sandy is a goodie goodie and Danny is part of the famous T-Birds. He does like her, but once he finds out that she is a student at the school he acts too cool for her. The story is of their budding romance during Senior year and dealing with the pressure from peers along the way. The dramatic event in the story was when they attend the dance together and it seems that everything is going great for them. They are dancing in the dance off and Sandy gets pushed to the side by some of the guys so Danny can dance with Cha Cha because they have had past relations. On the side you see Sandy exit the stage as to be leaving the dance in disgust.
I thought that the directing was well done. The show moved fast and it didn't seem to drag on. I enjoyed the choreography throughout the show. The only problem I had was that I felt there needed to be more of an ensemble. You had the 2 main characters, the 4 Pink Ladies and the 4 T-Birds, and maybe 5 or 6 other people. For the dance sequences that was only about 16 people on the stage. My high school did Grease when I was in sixth grade and I remember lots of people dancing on the stage. I would have liked to have seen more people dancing to create a greater effect. It just didn't seem to have a lot going on.
Looking at the lighting during the show didn't really show any change. Basically every scene had bright lighting to light up the entire stage. There is a scene in Frenchie's bedroom and I thought that would have had a softer lighting as well as in a basement scene. In the movie, the drive in scene takes place with Sandy and Danny at night. In the show, the stage was still lit as if were the daytime. One of the issues I had with costuming and makeup was that Cha Cha was made to look like a little kid. In the movie, she has a sexy blue and black dress on with a slit up the side. Her hair is also curled. In the show she had on a bright orange dress that was knee length and her hair was in pigtails. Also, Marty has brown hair in the movie and the girl in the show had blonde. I enjoyed the music, but I felt that at times the girl who played Rizzo would over power everyone else when singing. She would also hurt your ears sometimes when she talked because it was so loud. As for minor things, I thought the costuming was good. It matched the time period they were in and didn't stray too far from the movie. I couldnt' really see if there were lines or shadows on their faces because we were sitting on the balcony, so I wasn't too close.
I enjoyed my overall experience of the show. Taylor Hicks, a winner of American Idol, played the teen angel role. It was exciting to see him come out and perform because he is technically "a celebrity." He also received much praise on the show because of the entertainment factor he delivered. He lived up to there comments in his performance. At the end of the show he came back on stage to perform his new single and would be out in the lobby signing autographs for people. I think his presence in the show added to the experience for the audience. Everyone was anticpating his performance from the beginning of the show. I would definitely go see Grease again if it comes back to Pittsburgh. I thought that the tickets prices were a little over priced. I think we payed about $40, but it was in the Benedum and featured Taylor Hicks. So I understand that they have to pay those expenses.
The writing was definitely well done. It was basically the same as the movie, expect there were some extra things added in. There were added scenes with added songs. The song "Blue Moon" is sang in the show while they are at school. In the movie, it is playing in the background at the dance. Another song is "It's Raining on Prom Night." It is sung by Jan in the show, but is only play on the juke box for a minute in the restaurant in the movie. The genre of the show was a musical. There was a clear conflict between Sandy and Danny. He had met her at the beach over the summer. She was supposed to go back to Australia, but ends up at his high school. Sandy is a goodie goodie and Danny is part of the famous T-Birds. He does like her, but once he finds out that she is a student at the school he acts too cool for her. The story is of their budding romance during Senior year and dealing with the pressure from peers along the way. The dramatic event in the story was when they attend the dance together and it seems that everything is going great for them. They are dancing in the dance off and Sandy gets pushed to the side by some of the guys so Danny can dance with Cha Cha because they have had past relations. On the side you see Sandy exit the stage as to be leaving the dance in disgust.
I thought that the directing was well done. The show moved fast and it didn't seem to drag on. I enjoyed the choreography throughout the show. The only problem I had was that I felt there needed to be more of an ensemble. You had the 2 main characters, the 4 Pink Ladies and the 4 T-Birds, and maybe 5 or 6 other people. For the dance sequences that was only about 16 people on the stage. My high school did Grease when I was in sixth grade and I remember lots of people dancing on the stage. I would have liked to have seen more people dancing to create a greater effect. It just didn't seem to have a lot going on.
Looking at the lighting during the show didn't really show any change. Basically every scene had bright lighting to light up the entire stage. There is a scene in Frenchie's bedroom and I thought that would have had a softer lighting as well as in a basement scene. In the movie, the drive in scene takes place with Sandy and Danny at night. In the show, the stage was still lit as if were the daytime. One of the issues I had with costuming and makeup was that Cha Cha was made to look like a little kid. In the movie, she has a sexy blue and black dress on with a slit up the side. Her hair is also curled. In the show she had on a bright orange dress that was knee length and her hair was in pigtails. Also, Marty has brown hair in the movie and the girl in the show had blonde. I enjoyed the music, but I felt that at times the girl who played Rizzo would over power everyone else when singing. She would also hurt your ears sometimes when she talked because it was so loud. As for minor things, I thought the costuming was good. It matched the time period they were in and didn't stray too far from the movie. I couldnt' really see if there were lines or shadows on their faces because we were sitting on the balcony, so I wasn't too close.
I enjoyed my overall experience of the show. Taylor Hicks, a winner of American Idol, played the teen angel role. It was exciting to see him come out and perform because he is technically "a celebrity." He also received much praise on the show because of the entertainment factor he delivered. He lived up to there comments in his performance. At the end of the show he came back on stage to perform his new single and would be out in the lobby signing autographs for people. I think his presence in the show added to the experience for the audience. Everyone was anticpating his performance from the beginning of the show. I would definitely go see Grease again if it comes back to Pittsburgh. I thought that the tickets prices were a little over priced. I think we payed about $40, but it was in the Benedum and featured Taylor Hicks. So I understand that they have to pay those expenses.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is my absolute favorite musical of all time. Oklahoma was the first musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The idea came from a 1931 play by Lynn Riggs called Green Grow the Lilacs. The musical debuted on Broadway on March 31, 1943. It was an instant success. It ran straight for 2,212 performances.
Rodgers and Hammerstein were the creators of Oklahoma. Rodgers composed the music and Hammerstein wrote the lyrics. They created many productions in the 1940's and 1950's. These include The King and I, The Sound of Music, Carousel, State Fair, South Pacific, Cinderella, and Flower Drum Song. After doing some searching, I found that Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the theatre world. They added the aspect of music and dance to shows. Their music was used to continue telling the story of the plot and of the characters. Unlike productions before them, music was just used as a diversion from the story. It made me see that without Rodgers and Hammerstein that musicals may not exist or in a different manor. They brought the idea of musicals to the stage and have had an impact on theatre up to now. Some plays use only music to tell the story and use the dialogue as fillers. If a musical by them had never been wrote, productions may still use music as a diversion. We have them to thank for the wonderful music in productions we see today.
There are two stories that occur within Oklahoma. The first is between cowboy Curly McLain and farm girl Laurie Williams. The second is between Ado Annie Carnes and Will Parker. The stories take place in a town called Claremore in 1906 in the Oklahoma territory. Laurie's romance lies between the characters Jud Fry, a farm hand, and Curly. Ado Annie's romance lies between Will Parker and Ali Hakim, a Persian peddler. The entire play goes through telling of the girls struggles of which guy to pick. There is a box social that night and both get stuck in a bind of who to go with. Each girl takes a lunch basket to be auctioned off to raise money for the schoolhouse. Which ever man bids the highest gets that basket and eats lunch with the girl who prepared it. In the end, both girls end up with the guy that they wanted.
One reason that I absolutely love this musical is because it is a good production. The concept of the story is great and the music is wonderful. The dancing dream scene in production was the first of its kind. No musicals had a scene where only music and dancing occured. Many musicals still do not offer that. The music and lyrics are very well composed. Not only is the story told through the dialogue but also through the music. This was one of the first musicals to still portray the story of the plot and characters through music. The music was not used as a diverion while scenes were changed, people walked on and off stage, or other things going on stage. The music is also very catchy. It makes you want to sing and hum after you are done watching it. No other musical takes place out in the west during the time of cowboys and farmers like this does either. That is also very intriguing to see the lives of how those people lived in the early 1900's. They were real life cowboys and farmers!
Another reason I like this musical is because of the story of love. Both girls are dealing with a love triangle. I think that most girls can say that they have been in a love triangle. It may have been the girl likes a guy but his friend likes her. Or it could be that the girl likes a guy, but he likes another girl. We have definitely all been caught in that one at some point in our lives. Watching the story progress makes you think how you would deal with the situation. Yes both girls are in love triangles, but I viewed them as opposites. Annie had Will Parker, but because he was in Kansas City she started to fall for the Persian peddler. Laurie had Curly and Jud both vying for her and she was unsure of which one to pick. I think we have all been in similar situations. Depending on the point you are in your life, it's up to you to pick which story to relate to as you watch the show.
Rodgers and Hammerstein were the creators of Oklahoma. Rodgers composed the music and Hammerstein wrote the lyrics. They created many productions in the 1940's and 1950's. These include The King and I, The Sound of Music, Carousel, State Fair, South Pacific, Cinderella, and Flower Drum Song. After doing some searching, I found that Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the theatre world. They added the aspect of music and dance to shows. Their music was used to continue telling the story of the plot and of the characters. Unlike productions before them, music was just used as a diversion from the story. It made me see that without Rodgers and Hammerstein that musicals may not exist or in a different manor. They brought the idea of musicals to the stage and have had an impact on theatre up to now. Some plays use only music to tell the story and use the dialogue as fillers. If a musical by them had never been wrote, productions may still use music as a diversion. We have them to thank for the wonderful music in productions we see today.
There are two stories that occur within Oklahoma. The first is between cowboy Curly McLain and farm girl Laurie Williams. The second is between Ado Annie Carnes and Will Parker. The stories take place in a town called Claremore in 1906 in the Oklahoma territory. Laurie's romance lies between the characters Jud Fry, a farm hand, and Curly. Ado Annie's romance lies between Will Parker and Ali Hakim, a Persian peddler. The entire play goes through telling of the girls struggles of which guy to pick. There is a box social that night and both get stuck in a bind of who to go with. Each girl takes a lunch basket to be auctioned off to raise money for the schoolhouse. Which ever man bids the highest gets that basket and eats lunch with the girl who prepared it. In the end, both girls end up with the guy that they wanted.
One reason that I absolutely love this musical is because it is a good production. The concept of the story is great and the music is wonderful. The dancing dream scene in production was the first of its kind. No musicals had a scene where only music and dancing occured. Many musicals still do not offer that. The music and lyrics are very well composed. Not only is the story told through the dialogue but also through the music. This was one of the first musicals to still portray the story of the plot and characters through music. The music was not used as a diverion while scenes were changed, people walked on and off stage, or other things going on stage. The music is also very catchy. It makes you want to sing and hum after you are done watching it. No other musical takes place out in the west during the time of cowboys and farmers like this does either. That is also very intriguing to see the lives of how those people lived in the early 1900's. They were real life cowboys and farmers!
Another reason I like this musical is because of the story of love. Both girls are dealing with a love triangle. I think that most girls can say that they have been in a love triangle. It may have been the girl likes a guy but his friend likes her. Or it could be that the girl likes a guy, but he likes another girl. We have definitely all been caught in that one at some point in our lives. Watching the story progress makes you think how you would deal with the situation. Yes both girls are in love triangles, but I viewed them as opposites. Annie had Will Parker, but because he was in Kansas City she started to fall for the Persian peddler. Laurie had Curly and Jud both vying for her and she was unsure of which one to pick. I think we have all been in similar situations. Depending on the point you are in your life, it's up to you to pick which story to relate to as you watch the show.
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