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Liam Dodds- Critical Studies Semester 1 exam

1. What has been the contribution of choreography and dance to the development of the

Broadway musical? Discuss at least two key figures and their contribution in your

answer.

Before the late 5Os, choreography in a musical was simply an addition to the performance

to represent either what had just happened, what is happening at that present moment orsimply to add to the content of the show itself. Musicals such as Show Boat, OKLAHOMA!

And other classics used the traditional style of partnered dances and classical ballets to

entertain the audience but didnt entirely add to the development of the plot and therefore

didnt serve much purpose. When Dance started to become such a large factor of the

structure of a show, many directors were becoming the driving force behind the

choreography and were combining the two crafts. By 196O, many well-known directors

were choreographing shows, one of them being Bob Fosse. Fosse wanted to highlight the

human emotions and incorporate them into dance to add more intensity to a performance.

Coming from a background of ballroom, vaudeville and burlesque, his ideas were formed

around sexually insinuating gestures and choreography that questioned what was accept

during this time period. By doing this it created a whole new reaction from audiences, who

developed a love for the risky business they were witnessing on stage. Many of Fossesmoves included articulated hand gestures, sexual hip thrusts, hunched shoulders and of

course the turned in knees. These can be seen in shows such as Chicago, Pippin, The Pajama

Game and Cabaret. Unlike Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins came from a background of classical

ballet and contemporary dance. When taking to Broadway, he used these styles as his main

influence in changing music theatres storylines. Robbins Choreography was aimed to be

able to tell the story through dance. This meant that audiences could see the story in two

lights through dialogue and now through his outstanding emotional movement. A prime

example of this is seen in Steven Sondheims West side story directed by Jerome Robbins in

1957. He fully integrated the storyline and choreography and created something spectacular

with his cast, who were separated into two gangs and not able to socialize on set. Original

cast member Carol Lawrence says; He was the internal perfectionist. The fact that one can

not attain perfection did not deter him for a second.1

2. David Carlyou, states that "between 1750 and 1843 in America, over 5,000 theater and

circus productions included blackface." He writes in his book, Dan Rice: The Most

Famous Man You've Never Heard Ofthat "America was crazy for blackface. To the

twanging thwang of the banjo, and the clatter of tambo and bones tambourine and

bone castanets white men smeared burnt cork on their faces to sing, waggle their legs

in imitation of blacks dancing, and tell jokes in "negro" dialect." What was the attraction

of black face minstrelsy? Where did it come from and whom did it appeal to? What is the

legacy of this style of entertainment?

The Black face performance style originated from a Caucasian American performer by the

name of Thomas Dartmouth Rice in the early 18OOs. His famous character of Jim Crow

would perform in theatres around the Mississippi Valley singing the now legendary JumpJim Crow. Although it is unclear as to where the song originated, it was one factor to the

characters legacy. When performing he would dress in rags and cover his face with burnt

cork to give the visual illusion of an African American man. The mostly male, working class

very well received Rices performance as they watched on for the next twenty years.The

attraction for black face came from the white Americans hatred for the African American

race of the time. They enjoyed making a mockery of their ways of life through Jim Crows

dance. This was to continue right up until the civil war when Black American troupes needed

work and preforming in minstrel shows was sometimes the only career option for them.

Competing against the opposite race, black troupes often advertised themselves as truthful

1The Cambridge companion to the musical / edited by William A. Everett, Paul R. Laird

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Liam Dodds- Critical Studies Semester 1 exam

delineators of plantation life2the unfortunate result of this is that African American

performers were assisting in confirming the racist fantasies in mainstream American culture.

3. What is the history of the integrated musical? How are musicals integrated today?

An integrated musical consists of plot and character development and focuses on influences

from the choreographer, ballet, contemporary and ethnic dance styles. The idea behind an

integrated musical is that all elements will blend seamlessly together. This includes plot,characters, set, orchestrations and dance. Whilst this is not proven, it is said that Rodgers

and Hammerstein were the creators of the integrated musical. There are some key

differences between an integrated and non-integrated musical. When a show is integrated it

uses the songs and sometimes dance to develop the plot where as a non-integrated show

has the musical numbers as a source of entertainment to the audience and served no other

real purpose. When Richard Rodgers was interviewed in the musical as drama, he said;

when a show works perfectly its because all the individual parts complement each other

and fit together. No single element overshadows any other.3This of course relates to one of

their most famous shows, Oklahoma! This musical highlights the elements of an integrated

musical through its songs, for example, The Farmer and the Cowman is used to show the

relationship between the characters and the angst between the two country folk type.

During Laureys songHer solo is not entirely her own, as a female chorus and achoreographed interlude help her carry the load of Many a New Day and its protestations

of female independence.4In todays society you will find that most musicals are integrated.

Today, a musical is integrated using the same elements as any integrated show but with

more technology to enhance this effect, like lighting and sound effects. Dance has come a

long way since this time and there are more creative ways to communicate a message. Les

Miserables is a prime example as the songs drive the entire show. Without them there would

be no development in the plot.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- The Cambridge companion to the musical William A. Everett, Paul R. Laird. New York: William

A. Everett, Paul R. Laird, 2008.

-Theatres of Popular entertainment 185O- 197O

- "The Fully Integrated Musical ."

http://moodle.federation.edu.au/pluginfile.php/670196/mod_resource/content/0/Week_6_The_

fully_integrated_musical_1.pptx.pdf.

http://moodle.federation.edu.au/pluginfile.php/670196/mod_resource/content/0/Week_6_The_

fully_integrated_musical_1.pptx.pdf (accessed June 8, 2014).

- Pretty like the Girl: Gender, Race and Oklahoma! Susan C. Cook Online Publication Date: 01

February 2009

2Theatres of Popular entertainment 185O- 197O3http://moodle.federation.edu.au/pluginfile.php/670196/mod_resource/content/0/Week_6_The_full

y_integrated_musical_1.pptx.pdf4Pretty like the Girl: Gender, Race and Oklahoma! Susan C. Cook Online Publication Date: 01

February 2009