Musical theatre is a form of theatre (generally spelled "theater" in the USA, though often spelled "theatre" by people involved in theatre) combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. It is closely related to opera, frequently being distinguished by the use of popular music of various forms (or at least popular singing styles), the use of unaccompanied dialogue (though some musicals are entirely accompanied, such as Les Misérables, and some operas have spoken dialogue, such as Carmen), often a greater emphasis on dance by the principal performers and chorus, and the avoidance of many operatic conventions (though some operas avoid these, too). Amplification of the singers is usually approved of in larger theatres where musicals are played, while it is generally disapproved of in opera houses.

Introduction

---

The three main components of a musical are the music, the lyrics, and the book. The book of a musical refers to the spoken (not sung) lines in the play; however, "book" can also refer to the overall dramaticness of a show. The music and lyrics together form the score of the musical; the lyrics and book together are often printed as the libretto (Italian for “little book”). Other components are the direction, choreography, and technical aspects, such as set, costumes, lighting, etc., that generally change from production to production.

Musical theatre works are performed around the world. The big budget Broadway and West End theatre productions in New York City and London have often been creatively matched by Off-Broadway or regional productions, such as The Fantasticks or The Musical, and by the recent development of musical theatre scenes in Germany, Austria, France, Japan, Eastern Europe, and other places.

More on [ Musical theatre ]

Village Voice Theater


Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
TR Warszawa's Shakespeare made vivid—and almost invisible (By Michael Feingold)

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
Duck, motherfucker (By GARRETT EISLER)

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
Had us at "cocksuckaz" (By ROB KENDT)

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
Masochistically marrying New York (By McCann, Ruth)

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
Another play featuring Lynndie England (By Alexis Soloski)

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
A play that should shock–but doesn't (By Alexis Soloski)

NYT > Theater

Theater Review | 'The Bacchae': A Greek God and His Groupies Are Dressed to Kill
Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:27:55 -0000
The National Theater of Scotland’s playfully irreverent staging of “The Bacchae” keeps you entertained almost to the end.
Arts, Briefly: Film of ‘Passing Strange’
Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:56:45 -0000
Spike Lee will film the Tony Award-winning musical “Passing Strange,” Entertainment Weekly reported on its Web site.
Arts, Briefly: Grants to Compose
Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:58:13 -0000
The Signature Theater in Arlington, Va., has received a $300,000 grant to commission musicals by young composers, The Washington Post reported.
Arts, Briefly: Springtime for a New Musical
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:29:37 -0000
The Tony Award winner Idina Menzel will appear in “Nero” at Vassar College.
Theater Review | 'Marko the Prince': Balkan Tale: Blood Ties, and Ties to Home
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:06:55 -0000
“Marko the Prince” is an ambitious portrait of a fictional shell-shocked village on the border of Bosnia and Serbia in the summer of 1992.
On London Stages, the Devil in Love’s Deep Blue Sea
Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:24:47 -0000
When lovers meet on London’s stages this summer, the odds are it’s not violins they’re hearing. It’s alarm bells.

Subscribe to Theatre RSS feed