agmusicals

Musicals Wiki Writing Assignment

Using as source material the videos linked to the wiki schedule page illustrating musical theatre, the dvd seen in class covering the development and making of Taboo, Caroline, or Change, Wicked, and Avenue Q, as well as The Fantasticks, speculate on aspects of the shows presented that appear to have led to their success and/or failure in the periods in which they were developed. In other words, why have some shows succeeded while others have failed, during the period when they were created?

When examining the success of a musical, there are many aspects that must be examined. The score and music, book, choreography, cast, and special theatrical elements can all be looked at when determining which musicals have been successful. There is no perfect combination to decide what makes a musical successful, but certain aspects can be looked at to decide what contributes to a musical's success. It is very difficult and risky venture to take a production to Broadway. There is a slim margin of success, as the movie we watched in class demonstrated. For every successful show that is produced on Broadway, there are dozens that did not make the cut because it is difficult to predict what will make a show successful and the public's reaction to the show.

When examining aspects of musicals that make them successful, it is also important to consider what can contribute to the failure of a musical. For example, the video we watched in class presented that Taboo closed after only one hundred performances. Based on the large following the play appeared to have, it was surprising that it closed so quickly. One person that was interviewed stated that she had seen the musical over ten times. With such devout fans, many were surprised and upset that the musical was closing so quickly. Many speculated that the bad publicity surrounding the show with the producer, Rosie O’Donnell, and her court case had an impact on how long the show ran. Bad publicity surrounding the show, regardless of whether it is directly related to the show, can negatively impact the success of a show. One of the other complaints about Taboo is the convoluted storyline with too many underdeveloped characters. Other shows that are considered Broadway flops have different characteristics that have caused them to be unsuccessful, including a poor score, book, casting, and bad use of props or other special effects.

The score and the music of a musical is one of the most important aspects that contributes to the possible success of a musical. Music is a critical aspect of a musical; most people who go to a musical are expecting good music that fits with the script! In good musicals, the music is well incorporated with the script, or the book. The music cannot restate dialogue in the script; instead it has to be a continuation of the script and dialogue. In the movie watched in class, Avenue Q shone in their score and music. The concept of this musical is based on is very unique and is catered to a specific audience. Their original concept was mirrored in the music and the score. Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx wrote the music and the score, and won a Tony for best score in 2003. The audience this musical was catered to responded very well to the musical numbers and storyline in the musical. Personally, I really enjoyed the score and music in the Lion King. After watching the clips presented on the Wiki page, I appreciated the atmosphere the music was able to create. In one of the clips, the producer comments that the music and storyline from the original movie had to be expanded upon for the musical. While the music was expanded upon, it fit well with the existing music and with the storyline of the musical. Often when music is added to existing music, it can be too similar or repetitive. For example, in The Fantasticks, much of the music in the second act was repeated from the first act because the play was expanded from a one act play to a play with multiple acts. In The Lion King, the music added fit well with the existing music, but was also expanded upon so as to not seem too repetitive. It is important to note that the score and music were able to transport the audience to a different place because of the cultural elements that were used through the music and the set.

The book of a musical is also important. It contains the storyline of the play, which is a crucial element of the success of a musical. There needs to be a definite storyline that will pique interest in the audience and keep them engaged in the story. Again, Avenue Q won a Tony for best book in a musical in 2003. Since Avenue Q was such a unique concept for a musical, it was able to interest certain audience members who normally would not attend a musical. When the critics in the movie watched in class were discussing //Caroline, or Change//, they commented on the book of this musical. This musical is very atypical for what is traditionally shown on Broadway. It is very focused on racial discrimination and historical issues of her time period. One of the fears the critics had about this show is the lack of character development. At the end of the show, Caroline is in the same place she was at the beginning of the show. Traditionally, audiences like to see some sort of change in the main character. This reason might have contributed to the short four month run time of the musical on Broadway. Another musical that lacked character development is //Taboo//. This musical is considered to be a failure due to the short amount of time it ran for. One of the complaints the critics had was that there were many characters, but not enough of the characters were fully developed. Character development comes through in the book of a musical. While the music and score of a musical is important, the non-singing parts in the book are also important. Regardless of how good the songs in a musical are, if there is no storyline, the musical will likely be unsuccessful.

Choreography is another element of a musical that is important. In a traditional play, there is blocking and staging that is important in determining how the play moves. In a musical, choreography to the musical numbers becomes more important. Contact is a musical based solely on dance. Some have even called it a ballet. Choreography is exceptionally important in a musical like this because the choreography to the musical numbers is meant to express the entirety of the story line. Contact was very successful in using the choreography to dance numbers to express the action on stage. While there is no speaking or lines in the musical, the audience can still understand what is going on because of the extremely expressive choreography in the dance numbers. Similarly, in The Lion King, the choreography was essential to communicate the actors and actresses various roles to the audience members. Since the audience members were not in full animal costumes, their actions and movements on stage were used to communicate their animal roles to the audience. The cast was very successful in using specific choreography to portray the animal characters. Movement on stage and choreography are important elements of successful musicals because many messages are communicated through the physical movements and interactions of cast members on stage.

The casting of a musical is also very important when determining the success of a musical. The correct cast members must be chosen for the right roles in order for the musical to be a success. In the 2004 Tony Awards, while Wicked was nominated for eleven awards, they only won Best Actress, Best Scenic Design, and Best Costume Design. Idina Menzel won the Tony for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba. Her performance in the play was so good that it greatly contributed to the success of the musical as a whole. Many of the members of the audience who attended the play would dress up as her character, painting their face green and wearing black witches’ hat. Menzel made her character relatable to the audience, something that the children attending the play became especially excited about. Furthermore, in the musical Cabaret and Taboo, the casting of the unique main character was essential to the success of the musical. Both characters are very unique in both their appearance and actions, and choosing the correct actor to portray these roles can ensure the success, or failure, of the musical production. In the movie watched about the 2004 Tony Awards, in an interview with the actor cast as Boy George in Taboo, he confessed that he was very nervous about playing this role because everyone was expecting him to be great. His role was crucial to the success of the musical because it was essentially a portrayal of his life. Choosing the correct cast for a potential musical can ensure its success or failure. The cast members have to be able to transform themselves into their character, in a believable way that the audience is excited to see.

Furthermore, exciting theatrical elements or special effects can make a musical more successful. Similarly, the overuse of special effects or the use of these effects in a way that is not effective can negatively impact the success of a show. For example, in the movie watched in class, one of the cast members of Wicked mentioned the audience’s reaction whenever a cast member flew out over the audience. It was such a special moment that was very exciting for all of the audience, especially the children to see. Since a lot of the success of Wicked comes from families and younger children, this theatrical effect was a reason for their success. Another example where special theatrical elements are important to the success of a musical is in Lion King. The extensive and elaborate set that was able to effectively create the image of the savannah and special effects that allowed the cast members to transform into their animals greatly contributed to the magic this musical created on stage. It was also a reason that the show was successful on Broadway.

In conclusion, there are many different reasons that a musical becomes a success. There is no perfect combination of right elements it must have to become a success. However, traditionally, successful musicals have good music and scores, books, choreography, casts, and well-places theatrical effects. Furthermore, it is difficult to verbalize the elements of a show that make it a success. All musicals that are truly successful, from a critic and audience member's standpoint, have a certain intangible quality that makes the show shine while on stage.