Many Americans are familiar with the title The Phantom of the Opera, and most of them probably think of the musical when they hear the phrase—for a good reason. The musical adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera has been making headlines for more than twenty-five years. The Phantom of the Opera became well respected for its longevity and its success and has inspired an elite franchise of musical properties To answer one of the guiding questions as one of the reasons why the Phantom has been so very popular over the last twenty-five years is because the musical is very spectacular.
The Phantom of the Opera focuses on a love story. Intentionally or not, the original tale of a horrific-looking outcast and cold-blooded murderer whose “death’s head” appearance and heinous crimes would make it impossible for Christine to choose him—even though her character has always felt a great connection to him. Instead, the show emphasized the Phantom’s isolation, his musical vision, and the mysterious attraction Christine feels for him. It also brought to life both the emotions of despair and hope: the leading ladies have always needed to depict Christine’s enduring grief for her late father, her tragic relationship
…show more content…
There is mystery and magic, power and seduction, and passion and love as well as a special effect that has become a classic of contemporary theater—the crashing chandelier. All this is accomplished through dramatic melodies that are, in turns, exciting, seductive, and haunting, through emotional lyrics that engage the mind and touch the heart, and through admired performers who have beautiful singing voices and great acting talent that allow them to express a tortured Phantom, a conflicted Christine, and a romantic Raoul. In addition, the show provides versions of some of the conventions of musical theater: dramatic sets, intense costumes, elegant dancing, cheerful singing, and unique special
Kislan, Richard. The Musical: A Look at the American Musical Theater. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1980. 84, 110, 116-121, 125-127, 128, 134, 163, 195, 201, 209. Print.
If you don't think this is romantic, consider that Jonathan Larson's sensational musical is inspired by Puccini's opera "La Boheme," in which the lovers Mimi and Rodolfo are tragically separated by her death from tuberculosis. Different age, different plague. Larson has updated Puccini's end-of-19th-century Left Bank bohemians to end-of-20th-century struggling artists in New York's East Village. His rousing, moving, scathingly funny show, performed by a cast of youthful unknowns with explosive talent and staggering energy, has brought a shocking jolt of creative juice to Broadway.
As in all genres, the musicals have had its share of failures. Some worthy dramas have been pressed into service and musicalized and sometimes butchered in the process, and audiences have had to watch a fine play diluted into a mediocre musical. But the successes have been many and spectacular and they have left a long lasting effect on the American art and culture.
To begin, it must be said that Phantom of the Opera (and by association, Andrew Lloyd Webber as well as the entire genre of Broadway musicals) is famous for its subtle, yet powerful repetition, as well as motivic development. Halfway through the musical, patterns and snippets come back from earlier songs in new and interesting ways. For example, in the ending of the song “Prima Donna,” one of the most used motifs in the musical comes back as the Phantom declares war on the Opéra Populaire. This motif, five chromatic notes that are played descending and then ascending repeatedly in a ghostly manner, are heard in nearly every song as a coherent, connecting device. It’s incredibly subtle, as
Lloyd Webber’s widely regarded masterpiece Phantom Of The Opera uses key motifs and themes throughout the musical to establish its characters and scenes in an effective manner. Throughout the production the motifs, themes and songs all develop to reflect the changes their respective characters undergo. This is particularly evident when analysing The Phantom, his motifs and songs, and how they develop throughout the story.
Ostlere, Hilary. “Taming The Musical.” Dance Magazine 73.12 (1999): 84. Expanded Academic ASAP. Westfield State College Library, MA. 15 April 2005.
On October 12th, I saw Tosca by Giacomo Puccini held at Atlanta Opera. Tosca is an Italian opera, directed by Tomer Zvulun, accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Arthur Fagen, included a cast of Kara Shay Thomson, Massimiliano Pisapia, and Luis Ledesma (The Atlanta Opera). Opera is an art form in which singers act out drama through a combination of acting and vocal performance. Singers deliver conversation in a musical manner, essentially singing the conversation. Since we recently learned about opera in class, I want to explore the future of opera - where it will go next with the ever advancing modern technology, media and entertainment, and what researches are currently being done at both the industry and academic levels. I will briefly describe what the traditional opera is like using Tosca as an example. Next, I will look at modern opera after the World War II. I will also select one example from the industry and university that are experimenting with opera. At last, I will offer my imagination of what the future of opera may be.
The Lion King musical is a well-known musical that has taken the stages of Broadway, West End and the rest of the world by storm (The Lion King, 1997). Regarding the process of the musical, Artistic Director Julie Taymor’s first thoughts for choosing the Lion King as the next big thing on stage, was classed as ‘impossible’ due to the film’s lack of theatrical material (The Lion King, 1997). Therefore, staging this particular work contained a great deal of uncertainty and the need for taking huge risks. Taymor (1997) suggests how ‘the Lion King was the worst idea possible to create a stage show.’ It has become evident that a number of significant barriers had to be overcome to secure the practicality of the production. In view of this controversy, this dissertation will critically analyse the success of the Lion King by exploring two significant aspects that have helped to make the musical a success. Firstly, the essential components that make up this theatrical production will be explored and secondly, the roles of each producer within the Lion King and their combined and individual influences they have had from the production will be evaluated. By analysing these two central themes, this paper will show how and why this musical has developed and achieved its phenomenal success.
But while young people may be wooed to opera with overdone productions, they are not likely to become devotees unless they are captured with beautifully sung music. Otherwise, it's back to The Phantom Menace, where the scenery doesn't get stuck.
From physical deformities and mental illnesses, society has oppressed people who differ from normality. In those times, these issues were kept secret and their problems were considered irrelevant. However, with times changing alongside advancements in education, people have socially and morally accepted these flaws, allowing for the proper treatments necessary. Gaston Leroux incorporated symbolism, character depth, and history on the real life Opera House to create The Phantom of the Opera, impacting how we handle modern societal situations and injustices.
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
Stage musicals are risky business ventures, but can garner mass appeal and subsequently big profits (The Economist 2013). Musicals attempt to attract a wide audience by interpreting universal stories or emotions, often looking to high culture source texts that contend with real events. The Lion King is considered the highest grossing musical (Johnson 2014). While based on the Disney film, it clearly utilises the narrative of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and encapsulates such themes as mortality, identity and family.
...of Christine as being so emotionally tortured and romantically torn that both Raoul and the Phantom should ask themselves if there is another man” (Ebert).
Neher, Erick. "Movie Music At The Philharmonic." Hudson Review 64.4 (2012): 668-674. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
After the opening sequence, the musical moves to the stage of the theater, which displays a mixture of opera and ballet performance. With the entry of Christine Daae, the musical soon moves to the phantom’s lair as he lures her in with hauntingly beautiful music. They cross a lake underneath the opera house to reach the phantom’s watery domain. The trip across the lake is simulated on stage with smoke and a rolling boat as the title song is sung. After discovering her “angel of music’s” disfigurement, she retreats back to the opera house above and back to the arms of Raoul, the rival for her love.