Reading Questions - MU 324
Chapter 1
1. If you
had been a member of the Florentine Camerata, what would you have been working
on in the Baroque era?
2. If you
were a composer, what would you have contributed during the creation of an
opera?
3. What
is an orchestra's r™le in a musical stage work?
4. If you
had attended a performance of a commedia
dell'arte troupe, what might you see?
5. Who
composed the first Italian opera heard outside of Italy?
6. Why is
the establishment of public opera houses an important step in the history of
musical theater?
7. What
is unusual about the plot of The
Coronation of Poppea?
8. If a
dramatic situation is tense, and then relaxes, how could a composer illustrate
the sensations in the music?
9. Why
would a composer be interested in text expression?
10. How
did Monteverdi let the music help to "characterize" Nero and Poppea?
11. What
kind of singer originally performed the r™le of Nero?
Chapter 2
1. What
is the difference between the two subtypes of opŽra-comique?
2. What
was a bit risky about the plot of The
Beggar's Opera?
3. Why
was the music of The Beggar's Opera
changed from monophonic to homophonic, and what's the difference?
4. What
are the main differences between a Singspiel
and a ballad opera?
5. Why
did Mozart write Bastien und Bastienne,
and what kind of work is it?
6. How
does Mozart "fool our ears" in "Diggi Daggi"?
7. What
is a metronome, and why do many composers still use Italian tempo terms instead
of a metronome?
Chapter 3
1. What
is an intermezzo, and what did it
eventually become?
2. What
was the "issue" which sparked the War of the Buffoons?
3. With
the advent of the Classic era, what new musical devices could composers use?
4. What
kinds of roles might be found in a dramma
giocoso?
5.
Mozart's "Catalogue Aria" is an ancestor of what type of 20th-century
song?
6. What's
the difference between a "non-standard form" and a
"through-composed" piece?
7. Why is
Cos“ fan tutte considered to be an
"ensemble opera"?
8. In
what way(s) can non-imitative polyphony mimic real life?
Chapter 4
1. The
first works performed in the English-speaking American colonies were all of
what genre?
2. What
was "disappointing" about The
Disappointment?
3. How
did the newer comic operas differ from ballad operas?
4. What
seems to have been the first musical stage work written by Americans and
performed in America?
5. What
is the Tammany Society, and how were they involved with musical theater?
6. How
did Hatton and Hewitt keep the strophic form of "Alkmoonac" from
becoming tedious?
7. When
was the first Òmade-in-AmericaÓ musical exported to Europe?
Chapter 7
1. What
exactly was a 19th-century burlesque?
2. What
was the first collaboration of Gilbert and Sullivan?
3. Why
did Sullivan agree to write music for Trial
by Jury, even though he and Gilbert werenÕt friends?
4. What
"saved" H. M. S. Pinafore
from closing?
5. What's
has happened if a production has been ÔpiratedÕ?
6. What
obstacles did The Pirates of Penzance
face before its dŽbut?
7. What's
a "Savoyard"?
8. Is there anything authentically "Japanese" about The Mikado? If so, what?
9. What
characterized the earliest "musical comedies," and who promoted the
genre in England?
Chapter 9
1. What
does ÔmelodramaÕ mean in the context of musical theater?
2. What
five types of spectacles entertained 19th-century American audiences?
3. Why
has The Black Crook received so much
attention, even though it was not the first work of its type?
4. Why
were the creators of The Black Crook
unsuccessful in prosecuting pirated productions of their show?
5. What
inspired the composition of Evangeline,
and what challenge did its composer face?
6. What
kinds of behavior were inappropriate for vaudeville actors?
Chapter 9, cont.
7. What
was the ÒgimmickÓ of Buster KeatonÕs vaudeville appearances with his father?
Chapter 11
1. Who
were some of the foreigners to achieve success on the American stage? (Name at
least 4)
2.
Although Naughty Marietta is actually
an operetta, how did Herbert describe it?
3. What
was Oscar Hammerstein I's r™le in Naughty
Marietta?
4. What
is a "star vehicle," and how is Naughty
Marietta an example of one?
5. Who
were some of the composers who collaborated with Rida Johnson Young?
6. What
is ASCAP, and what were the circumstances of its "test case"?
Chapter 12
1. How
does a revue (or mixed bill) differ from a vaudeville show?
2. How
did the term "showgirl" develop?
3. Why
was Ted Shawn especially important in the history of theatrical dance?
4. What
new genres are related in format to the revue?
5. How
were the Gaiety shows influential?
6. Why
were 1897 and 1898 important years in the history of African American musical
theater?
7. How is
"I Wants to Be a Actor Lady" an example of a star turn?
8. How
did the English experiences of Williams and Walker compare with their experiences
in America?
9. How would you summarize Cohan's
theatrical philosophy?
10.
Although Little Johnny Jones is a
musical comedy, Cohan gave it a different label. What was the label, and why?
11.What
is Tin Pan Alley, and why doesnÕt it appear in New York street maps?
12. What
advice did Harris have for aspiring song composers? (Name the 4 things you think are the best suggestions.)
Chapter 13
1. Rather than referring to real
estate, what does the word "property" mean in the theater world?
2. In the twentieth century, what
term begins to supplant the word "libretto"?
3. In musical theater, there was an
increasing desire for the music to be Òintegrated.Ó What does this mean?
4. What is a "Princess Show"? (Name at least four characteristics)
5. Is a big "box office
advance" a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
6. What is meant by the term
"programmatic"?
7. How did Kern support himself
before "making it" as a composer?
8. Name at least three of the
ÒlinksÓ in an important musical theater Òchain."
1. What were some of the challenges
Hammerstein, Harbach, & Kern faced in writing Sunny?
2. What was the purpose of a
"scene change song," and why was it becoming less common?
3. WhatÕs a trunk song, and how does
it pertain to Show Boat?
4. Like television and the movies, Show Boat uses underscoring a great
deal. What does this mean?
5. Diagram a (pop) song form, and
give two nicknames for its third section.
6. What is Òword-painting,Ó and how
is it exemplified in "Ol' Man River"?
7. What is a Òbook songÓ?
8. How did a police procedural error
ÒsaveÓ one of Show BoatÕs stars?
1. Why was the subject matter of Porgy and Bess a surprising choice for a
show?
2. What makes "Summertime"
a difficult lullaby to sing?
3. How does the score refer to "I
Got Plenty o' Nuttin'"?
4. What are the strongest arguments
for calling Porgy and Bess an opera
and for labeling it musical theater?
5. What impact did Porgy and Bess have on segregation?
6. How did a song from Porgy and Bess serve the Danish war effort?
1. Who worked as a
"boomer"? Why might you
want a boomer in the audience if you were on stage?
2. How does Berlin's compositional
training compare to many of the earlier composers we've studied?
3. Describe a "quodlibet."
4. What tips did Berlin offer to
aspiring songwriters? Name four
that you find most compelling.
5. The bows were an issue in As Thousands Cheer. What was the issue, and how did Berlin
handle it?
6. Why would "the blues"
be an appropriate style for "Supper Time"?
1. In musical theater
terms, what's a "standard"?
2. How did Alton change
the typical chorus line, and what did he call it?
3. What is the closing
scene of an act called in musical theater?
4. What did Brooks
Atkinson think of Pal Joey?
5. When an audience shouts
"Encore!," what do they want?
6. How did Berlin feel about
"White Christmas"?
7. When a recording is made of a new
show by its performers, what is it called?
8. What are the drawbacks to
"benefits"?
9. What's an "eleven o'clock
number"?
10. How would you diagram a
theme-and-variations form?
1. Why were the doors locked to The Cradle Will Rock's theater, and what
did the performers do about it?
2. Would you consider The Threepenny Opera to have been a
success in Europe? Why or why not?
3. What were some of the unusual
topics of Weill's American shows?
(Name at least three.)
4. Which of Weill's shows could be
called a "concept musical"—and what is a "concept musical"?
5. What is a ÒMoritat,Ó and what
song is an example of one?
Chapter 25
1. What kinds of obstacles did Oklahoma! face before it opened? (name at least four)
2. What's a dream
ballet?
3. What was the Petrillo Ban, and
how did Decca cope?
4. What is a "musical
scene"?
5. How does the music help to
"paint" "Surrey with the Fringe on Top"?
6. What were some of the
unconventional features of Oklahoma!?
7. How did Hammerstein reveal his
sense of humor in the New Year's issue of Variety
in 1944?
Chapter 26
1. What did Sam Goldwyn think the
new team of Rodgers and Hammerstein should do after Oklahoma!?
2. Rodgers and Hammerstein worked on
separate projects after Oklahoma!;
who were their collaborators?
3. How did the author of Liliom initially feel about his play
being used for Carousel? How did he
feel after seeing the musical?
4. What were Carousel's unusual features?
5. What might have kept "What's
the Use of Wond'rin'?" from becoming a hit?
6. What was the property for South Pacific, and what later success
did it enjoy?
7. Why does the character of ƒmile
De Becque sing so little in South Pacific?
8. Why was "Bali Ha'i"
transformed from a song form into a rondo form?
9. In what way was the staged
version of South Pacific similar to a
movie?
1. Autobiography, novel, then
movie—what finally prompted Rodgers and Hammerstein to work on The King and I?
2. Is The King and I a true story?
Why or why not?
3. What made The King and I an unusual show? (name 4 features)
4. What did The King and I have in common with The Black Crook?
5. What musicals might have been
created by Rodgers and Hammerstein, but weren't?
6. What replaces the usual
orchestral overture in The Sound of Music?
7. What special tribute did Broadway
accord to Oscar Hammerstein II after his death?
8. What's an understudy?
9. What four types of women's r™les
did Rodgers and Hammerstein usually write?
1. Where did Lerner and Loewe meet,
and how did they get started as a team?
2. What was the inspiration for Brigadoon?
3. How did the New York Drama
Critics view Brigadoon?
4. How did the film version of
"Almost Like Being in Love" differ from the stage version?
5. What
kinds of functions can dance serve in the course of a drama?
6. Could the title of My Fair Lady be a pun? In what way?
7. What "saved" Camelot from becoming a flop?
1. Why
would Bernstein be considered a "double threat" in the music world?
2. What was
significant about the cast of On the Town?
3. What
inspired the change of East Side Story
into West Side Story?
4. Why was
Sondheim unenthusiastic about working on West
Side Story? What changed his
mind?
5. What
would be the dramatic purpose of having the gangs sing in unison during
"Tonight"?
6. What do
Harnick and Sondheim feel is needed in effective theatrical lyrics?
1. Why didn't Sondheim get to
compose the score to Gypsy?
2. What function does "Rose's
Turn" play in Gypsy?
3. How are most musical theater
overtures constructed?
4. What two form labels
can be applied to "Everything's Coming Up Roses"? How do you diagram its form?
5. Why didn't Frank Loesser get much
early musical training?
6. How does a canon differ from a
fugue?
7. How did Loesser's career proceed
after Guys and Dolls?
8. Why did Loesser give Isobel
Bigley a fancy bracelet?
1. What was Meredith WillsonÕs
explanation for why he began working on The
Music Man?
2. What is
"speak-singing"? Who
used the term?
3. Why did Willson use the same
melody for two different songs in The
Music Man?
4. Where did the original version of
Once Upon a Mattress dŽbut?
5. Was Once Upon a Mattress color-blind? Explain why or why not.
6. Why did Once Upon a Mattress "tour" Manhattan?
7. Why didnÕt Richard Adler follow
in his fatherÕs footsteps, and what did he have to do to compose?
1. What remarkable event occurred at the Tony Awards
when Fiorello! was in the
running?
2. What do The
Shop Around the Corner, In the Good
Old Summertime, You've Got Mail,
and She Loves Me all have in common?
3. In what ways is rhythm an important aspect of
"A Trip to the Library"?
4. What is a character song? What's an example of one?
5. How does an "ensemble show" differ from
a "star vehicle"?
6. Robbins kept asking, "What's [Fiddler on the Roof] about?" What was the answer?
7. How did Fiddler
on the Roof get its title?
8.
What's a charm song? What's
an example of one?
1. How do Kander and Ebb resemble
Stephen Sondheim?
2. What are the three layers of Cabaret?
3. What does "a cappella"
mean?
4. What makes the character Sally
Bowles a difficult r™le to play?
5. What unfortunate record was set
by Kander and Ebb's The Happy Time?
6. How did real-life Chicago of the
1920s contribute to the musical Chicago?
7. What kinds of vaudevillian
references does Chicago contain? (name 4)
Chapter 36
1. What kind of subject matter was the
basis of Lionel Bart's early hits?
2. Was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat really Lloyd Webber
and Rice's first joint show?
3. What sort of musical styles are
mimicked in the "pastiche" numbers of Joseph?
4. When Lloyd Webber and Rice discussed
their idea for a musical about Jesus Christ with various clergymen, what kind
of reaction did they get?
5. Why was Jesus Christ Superstar not considered eligible for a Tony Award?
6. How did MCA describe Jesus Christ Superstar?
7. What was the inspiration for Evita?
1. What are the central
"concepts" of Company?
2. What motifs or symbols hold Company together?
3. How can a show that runs 522
performances be a flop?
Chapter 38, cont.
4. Why is A Little Night Music called a "waltz musical" by some?
5. Prince and Sondheim disagree
about the "theme" of Sweeney
Todd. What is each man's
view?
6. Why did Sondheim abandon the idea
of making Sweeney Todd a
"sung-through" production?
7. What was the unusual plot device
of Merrily We Roll Along?
1. What kinds of show ideas did
Lloyd Webber and Rice consider doing together post-Evita?
2. What was unusual about Lloyd
Webber's lyricist for Cats?
3. What kinds of worries made
investors nervous about backing Cats? (Name 4 concerns)
4. How is "foreshadowing"
employed in Cats?
5. How did the original
London version of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" differ from the
Broadway version?
6. How was the show Song and Dance created?
7. Why was Starlight Express called a Òheavy bookÓ?
1. What new genre labels have been
coined for Lloyd Webber's most ambitious shows?
2. What was Le Fant™me de lÕOpŽra, and how did Lloyd Webber describe it?
3. Who was the original lyricist for
Phantom, and how was a replacement
found?
4. Vocalists who want to play
Christine have to be able to do what in addition to being able to sing?
5. What styles of music are blended
in "The Phantom of the Opera"?
6. What kind of advance did Phantom achieve in New York, and how did
that compare to earlier shows?
7. What inspired Sunset Boulevard, and how was the
musical unusual for a Lloyd Webber show?
8. Why did Lloyd Webber name his
racehorse "Frank Rich"?
Chapter 41
1. What initially inspired the team
of Schšnberg and Boublil to write musicals?
2. How did the French production of Les MisŽrables differ from the London
production?
3. Why was James Fenton fired, and
what benefit did he reap anyway?
4. How are melodies reused in Les MisŽrables? (Name 3 ways)
5. What were the inspirations for Miss Saigon?
6. Why were the stage sets of Miss Saigon a challenge?
1. How did the London staging of Chess differ from the concept album?
2. How did the New York staging of Chess differ from the London version?
3. Rice was not the only theatrical
writer to find his way to Hollywood; who else earned Oscars for their efforts?
4. What was offbeat about Finn's
choices of show topics?
5. How has misfortune dogged
Yeston's career?
6. A long-running London hit was
written by a former hairdresser.
What was the show, and who was its writer?
7. How does a compilation show (or
catalogue show) differ from a traditional book musical?
8. How did African American-centered
book musicals fare in the 1980s?
1. Why was producer Mel Brooks
grateful to Stephen Sondheim?
2. Who is the subject of Sunday in the Park with George?
3. Explain what a tableau vivant entails.
4. How does Sondheim's music for
"Color and Light" resemble the painting technique of pointillism?
5. What is the moral lesson of Into the Woods?
6. How do Venetian gondolier songs
relate to "Agony"?
7. What uncomfortable questions are
suggested by Assassins?
8. How many journals are devoted to
Sondheim and his work, and what are their titles?
1. What do The
Phantom of the Opera and The Secret
Garden have in common?
2. What was the "concept" of Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk?
3. What kinds of shocks did Rent present to its audience?
4. What was the inspiration for Rent?
5. What does a "dramaturg" do?
6. Which composer was hated by critics but loved by
audiences?
7. What's a "Jekkie"?
8. Playwrights Horizons has been an important venue
for many writers. Name at least 2
9. What is unusual about the structure of The Last Five Years?
Chapter 45
1. Does a successful musical film mean that a stage show on
the same subject will be successful?
Why or why not?
2. How is The
Producers a "valentine" to Broadway?
3. How easy is it for you to see a Broadway production of a
show that first premiered before you were born?
4. Is Broadway dead?