Before seeing “The Bridges of Madison County Musical” I already had high expectations. The movie starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood was one of the most beautiful storylines and best acting that I have seen on the big screen. Knowing “The Bridges of Madison County Musical” won a Tony Award for Best Musical Score definitely became a must see musical in my eyes. Here are some of the reasons why this musical is now one of my favorites. After seeing this musical, now I understand why it won a Tony Award for Best Score. The music was able to make you feel the emotions that the actors wanted the audience to feel. Every song related to the scene that it was in, so every moment was easy to follow which helps to keep the audience’s attention. It was marvelous how the actors in the present would be reminiscing about the past and the person from that past would come on stage to complete the other half of the story by song. In other words, there may be multiple actors on stage but that does not mean they were in the same time period. Personally, I have never seen this done before in a play or musical so I was intrigued how they played with time. The music really helped to …show more content…
In the movie there was not too many scene changes, but because the playwright, Marsha Norman described in the Playbill that she wanted a sense of community and delve more into Francesca’s past so she created more scenes within the musical. They had the ensemble sitting on stage the entire time to change the scenery, this benefited them by not having too many blackouts. As the audience we saw them change the set from act to act, but they did this seemingly. The lighting design was spectacular on how it switched from night to day and really kept the audience focus on the stage. Both the scenic and lighting designers played a critical role in the overall feel of the musical and it turned out
The choreography kept things interesting and the dances in a musical can make or break the performance. Overall, Cherie and Abby did an amazing job directing each person to have a place among a crowded stage. Last but not least, the costumes! This play was set in the 1890s, meaning it is very important to have correlating costumes so the audience can be aware of what time period they are in.
The Hippodrome setting played a big role in the success of the play, because the seats were close to the stage, which made the audience feel more intimate with the actors. The set was filled with everyday electronics and video games that were popular with today’s generation, and it was good way to capture the attention of the younger audience. The costumes worked for the actors because they were outfits that teens and young adults would wear, which made it easier to relate to the characters. The lighting for the production was awesome because it went well with the sound effects. For example, when Ian was doing a simulation for his new job, he set off a missile and when it exploded the lights changed from blue to red to symbolize seriousness of the situation.
The production had many elements which for the most part formed a coalition to further the plot. The characters, the three part scenery and costumes represented well the period of time these people were going through. As far as the performers entering and exiting the stage, it could have been more organized. There were a few times when the performers exited at the wrong times or it seemed so due to the echo of the music. At certain moments the music was slightly loud and drowned the performers. Many of the songs dragged on, so the pacing could have been more effectively executed. Though the music was off at times, the director's decision to have most of the songs performed center sage was a wise one. Also the implementation of actual white characters that were competent in their roles came as a great surprise to the audience and heightened the realism.
The Music Man made interesting use of the technical aspects of theatre. Sound was used appropriately, as music from the monitors did not overpower the voices of the actors. Lights, however, did not leave any sort of impression on me. Hardly any lights were utilized to enhance the mood were present. This caused for less emphasization on spectacle than what would be expected of such a dramatic play. Although, intricate costumes and set made up for the dull lighting techniques.
...ked throughout the concert. The pacing of the selections seemed appropriate. No piece sounded like the one before it. There was a great variety of songs played. There were songs played that were written by famous jazz composers and songs played that were written by some of the performers themselves. This added to the excitement of the show.
One of its numerous strengths was the costuming and set. This musical would not have been the same had these elements not come together to transport the viewer. In addition to the costuming and the set, the actors were very well cast. Each actor was in a role that fit them and they portrayed their characters very well. For example, the man who played Glen really seemed like a greedy Wall Street worker. The choreography was also well done. It fit true to the style of dance in the 1980s and added to the immersion experience. The only thing that could have made this experience better would be to add more music. This may just be a personal preference, but when I see a musical I like for the music to be central like it is in Hamilton or Les Miserables. However, this musical was very good and not much could be added to enhance the
The musicians were able to keep time by taping their feet, listening to the piano and drums play a steady beat, and along with a lot of practice beforehand. When it comes to the meter of the piece I noticed that when each musician was playing their part in the song the rhythmic structure would change. When the trumpet player and saxophone player were playing together the beat was steady and loud, but when they were playing separately the sound was not as loud, but the beat remained the same. Each instrument created a different feeling to the music, even though they were playing the exact same part.
People have dreams of what they want to do or accomplish in life, but usually musical theatre is just pushed into the non-realistic void. It isn’t a dream for me. In the past four years, musical theatre has been clarified as my reality. Musical theatre has been the only thing I have seen myself wanting to do. My first love was The Phantom of the Opera, seeing how I watched it almost every day and it was one of the first shows I saw. Of course, I started doing all of those cute shows in middle school and making a huge deal about it to my family and friends, but I have never felt so passionate about something. The minute I get up on that stage I throw away Riley for two and a half hours and it’s the most amazing feeling! Being able to tell a story
Of all musical genres country music is perhaps the one most influenced by a male presence. Country music is often associated with the classic cowboy strumming a guitar around a campfire or riding his horse with a guitar strapped to his back. Even the politics of country music is inclined towards a male-dominated, republican, conservative, pro-war stance (Spong 184). The stereotypical women of country music “behave properly” and passively follow the same values as men do. Therefore, in 2003 when the Dixie Chicks, a three member all female country music band, became the top selling female group of all time it was quite an accomplishment. Their success began in 1997 with an image that embraced their versatility. Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, who are sisters, played fiddle and banjo and provided background vocals to lead vocalist Natalie Maines, gifted with a strong, clear voice. Maines stood out from the others with her forceful stage presence. They wore feminine, bling infused, non-countrified outfits. They were pretty to look at and kind of goofy in demeanor (129). The kind of young women fans could imagine having a lot of fun with, but also the kind that young women could identify with through their music. Songs like “Goodbye Earl” described a strong woman who has had enough of her abusive husband and ends up killing him. However, the band delivered it in a style that was far from morose. It sent a clear message of girl power for many women (129). Many accolades followed from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association (CMA) which included Entertainer of the Year, Top Vocal Group, and album of the Year (Towner 293). During the first five years of their career they sold 28 million copies of the three records...
Theatre has heavily evolved over the past 100 years, particularly Musical Theatre- a subgenre of theatre in which the storyline is conveyed relying on songs and lyrics rather than dialogue. From its origination in Athens, musical theatre has spread across the world and is a popular form of entertainment today. This essay will discuss the evolution and change of musical theatre from 1980-2016, primarily focusing on Broadway (New York) and the West End (London). It will consider in depth, the time periods of: The 1980s: “Brit Hits”- the influence of European mega musicals, the 1990s: “The downfall of musicals”- what failed and what redeemed, and the 2000s/2010s: “The Resurgence of musicals”- including the rise of pop and movie musicals. Concluding
The musical selections and songs that were sung told a story and narrated the almost the entire film, as is expected in...
The theatre used to be a cinema, which was converted only a few years ago. The stage is around 10 metres long and 6 metres high, which makes it a fairly small set. The colours usually stay on the neutral side, from white, brown, grey and navy blue. I think the set designers decided to use these colours to give the set a vintage, 1800’s feel. The scene changes are simple, usually only using black outs and spotlights to take the focus away from props, actors and actresses coming in the background. I think this was done effectively because the scene changes happened quickly and the movement in the background wasn’t noticeable. The only major changes on the set from scene to scene would be the props. Some props, such as the windows, drew down from the ceiling. One significant prop from the musical was this vintage looking couch that was used in many scenes. For example, in the beginning of the play, the m...
In addition to the set, the play’s costumes helped me understand the character a lot more. For Cherie, costumes showed that she was a dancer and singer of a nightclub but also an attractive woman who likes to dress up and be well taken care of. Virgil dressed as if to show he was a wise and respectable person. Bo dressed a cowboy who had just came from a bull riding contest and won it, showing he was tough. In addition to the set and the costumes, the play’s lighting also helped understand the story better by helping me keep a track of where the main conversations were going while also keeping a dim light one the other characters who still performing their roles one side like Virgil playing his card, Bo staring out the window and think, Cherie drinking her coffee, and Elma cleaning.
The music I was heard was very pleasing to the ear. It was soothing, steady, and pleasant. It matched up to the rhythm and beat of the original song perfectly. The performers were attempting a historically "authentic" program. The song was originally released in 1965, so they attempted to make it historically authentic.