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Traditional theater significant
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Emerging from as far back as the 15th century in Northern Italy, how did pantomime become so traditionally British? Delving deep into the antiquity of theatre, this essay looks into how pantomime has developed and become the form of entertainment it is today. Exploring into the history of art forms in which pantomime took its most highly recognised inspirations. The style of Commedia Dell’Arte will be studied in depth as one of the main influences in the life of pantomime. Victorian pantomime and Music Hall theatre will be briefly investigated also. The similarities and differences between early pantomime and the style in which it is performed today will be heavily studied. Also, finally a look into what attracts such a wide variety of audience to make the traditional story of star crossed lovers and cross dressing mothers a true British Christmas tradition.
In 1545, the history of pantomime began when Commedia Dell’Arte was first performed. Commedia Dell’Arte, similarly acknowledged as ‘Comedy of arts’. Is an improvisational style of theatre comprising of unpremeditated dialogue and a company of vibrant stock characters. Emerging in Northern Italy in the 15th century, its exact origins are unknown. However, O’Brien (2004, p.23) states that “Commedia Dell’Arte was influenced by ancient Roman and Greek comedy and the medieval traditions of carnival acrobats and performers”.
Commedia Dell’Arte flourished in the 16th and 17th Century becoming increasingly more popular throughout Europe. In the mid sixteenth century, theatre proudly made its arrival throughout the streets of Italy.
“In the village square shadowy figures would come alive, as small touring troupes of players began to gather and play in the streets on a market day. Su...
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...tain surrounding modern Pantomime. The link to Christmas and children has been developed and one of the main attractions of a modern pantomime has been taken from Music Hall productions.
To summarise, pantomime has subsisted throughout its existence by combining elements of theatre history, such as the stock characters of Commedia Dell’Arte and the melodrama of Music Hall theatre, whilst constantly adapting and evolving to keep the audience fascinated. Novelty has always been one of the main elements of pantomime, as well as its ability to incorporate present trends and topicality, within its structured framework. Individuals discuss "traditional" pantomime, but remaining popular meant keeping an eye out for modern trends and using these trends as comedy factors. Intertwining this into its setup remains one of the most predominant forms of entertainment in britain.
Kenrick, John. Musical Theatre A History. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008. Print.
Ever heard of a story that sings of the “Angel of Music” and the “Phantom of the Opera”? A tale that once you have listened to the sweet melody that you will realized that you've pasted the “Point of No Return”? This love triangle has captivated multitudes ever since the 1910 original Phantom of the Opera was published in France by Monsieur Leroux, although most story lovers recall the musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber or the motion picture adaption. Although this story has been entertaining people for over a century, in this new era have prerecorded voices and movements begun to overshadow the talented performers of live theater? Although “The lavish screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera (2005) only deepened the damage” of the dislike of musicals made into film “with non-stars in the leads and an unimaginative production,”(Musical),which version, the live performance or the film, makes the story more attractive? To answer these questions, permit this essay to analyze two methods of storytelling: 2011 live performance Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall and the 2005 film, and decide if music and story lovers everywhere have too “turned from true beauty”.
Through strong dramatic plots, characters and music, melodrama has created an engaging, well-developed form of theatre. But melodrama is not limited to one category. Like other forms of the theatre arts, melodrama can be further broken down into Victorian melodrama and Modern melodrama. As the names entail, Victorian melodrama was practiced in the Victorian Era (1837-1901) whereas Modern melodrama is still being performed today. Both equally exaggerated and emphasizing the good vs. evil conflict, these two forms of melodrama have shaped the stage theatrically and developed complexity in character and plot development.
Since theatre was established as an art form, it has constantly been changing and developing as new methods of theatre styles came to light. This is also true with how musical theatre developed into how we know it today. Vaudeville and burlesque were forms of theatre in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that forged the way for the American musical to emerge. The elements that writers used from vaudeville allowed for not just musical acts to be performed during the course of the story, but eventually became a way for the story to further be told. The American musical was not always as big as it is today, and vaudeville and burlesque acts made it possible for such a type of performance style to develop. Musical writers used multiple elements, not just the song element, in their stories. This change did not just happen overnight. The evolution from vaudeville and burlesque was a gradual one, taking years to further develop the performance styles into the Broadway musical we can see today.
In spite of these views, Society was changing. After the restoration period, performers could finally travel again, and it was the French that came to the London stage, bringing with them a quality quite unique to France that had not been seen in England before. In turn this caused English dancers such as Marie Camargo in search of fame and excellence to take on board some of this French quality, technique and style, coincidentally merging two styles and for the first time creating one technique. I believe it is within this merging and unifying of two different countries styles and indeed two individual dancers style; Camargo's and Salle's that we see how the expressive powers and technique of dance on the London stage were extended in the 18th Century. I will seek to portray this throughout my essay and convey how this in turn dictated how they were represented in society.
Christmas and Opera did not merely seem to correlate, but understanding where the two events derived from can help one to understand the similarities and differences between them. The development of Christmas was different from the creation of opera because the working class was controlling the other social classes for profit. Whereas for opera, the different social classes unified to keep opera as entertainment and not a social event. Another difference came within the writing and context throughout the article and the presentation of information conveyed by the author. Yet the events share the similarity of both being refined and reinvented.
Through hundreds of productions of The Nutcracker, that have thrilled several crowds, audiences have experienced the fear from oversized mice and the thrill of the Land of Sweets. Written by Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker is danced around Christmas annually. The Nutcracker was inspired by and based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s novel, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (“The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet”). A girl named Clara receives a nutcracker as a Christmas present who comes to life to fight the Mouse King. Clara journeys through the Land of Sweets as audiences are mesmerized by the dancers with the extravagant, flamboyant, exaggerated, and bizarre costumes, props, and heavy make-up perform the famous piece. But why has this ballet maintained its mass appeal since its first performance in 1892? Perhaps it is because in an effort to outstage previous performances, directors continue to integrate elements of expressionism like plot distortion and stylized acting to create a fantasy world.
In the Elizabethan Era (1558-1603) and the Jacobean Era (1603-1625), there was a fondness for spectacle and pageantry. At court, trumpets and drums resounded to announce mealtimes; in town, these instruments were used by theatre troupes to herald upcoming performances (Renaissance & Baroque Society of Pittsburgh, 2003, and Folkerth, 2002). Music, then, is applied boldly and lavishly in everyday life and in drama, an imitation of life.
Commedia Dell’ Arte was a distinctive form of stage art in the 1600’s and the famous playwright Moliere furthered its acceptance and import throughout his life. Originating in Italy, the popular art form spread quickly with the aid of traveling troops. One area that was greatly affected by this form of theater was France. The French people adored this theater and made it fit in with their culture. This can be seen in an essay by Gustave Lanson when he states, “In Paris Italian farce had replaced French farce.” The success of Commedia Dell’ Arte during the reign of Charles IX is well-known” (Lanson, 137). This effect can be seen through one of the country’s most famous playwrights, Moliere. Moliere was a renowned playwright and actor that continues to be well-known today. He was greatly influenced by Commedia Dell’ Arte. “Well-known definitions of the Commedia Dell’ Arte are that it was a semi-literary form of theatrical performance based primarily upon effective gestures and lazzi, and involving a limited number of generally accepted types who in their contrasting relation provide the setting for a light and flimsy action linked somehow by the eternal theme of love”( 704). His showing of the art form can be seen through his three most famous plays Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, and The Imaginary Invalid. As Lanson stated, “From soiling the noble and pure conception of comic genius given to us by The Misanthrope and Tartuffe” (Lanson, 134). With the progression from an earlier play to his final play, we can see where Moliere used aspects of Commedia Dell’ Arte and where he veered away to fit his own personal tastes and that of France’s. Moliere was born Jean-Baptise Poquelin in 1622 to a father who was an upholsterer for th...
Before discussing the future of opera, it is imperative to examine traditional opera and some modern trends. The primary focus of traditional is on the actors’ and actresses’ singing and acting. Apart from vocal performance, opera also puts emphasis on movement and expression. Movement and expressions are exaggerated so that audiences sitting far away can see. The movements are theatrical. Opera is performed on live stage with sets and costumes designed especially for the performance. For example in Tosca, The actors and actresses all dressed in the costume of the Napoleon era. Males have waxed hair, and they wear breeches and long coats with tall standing collars. Females wear dresses that ar...
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
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