It is officially credited with bridging the gap between musical theatre and pop culture. Rent is a contemporary musical revolving around a group of poor, struggling, young artists, or “Bohemians.” It is set in East Side New York City in the height of the 1990s HIV/AIDS epidemic. Despite obstacles of sickness, financial difficulties, and death, the characters locate the ability to remain optimistic and positive. Rent has proceeded to become extremely successful and iconic in modern day musical theatre. Multiple sources of inspiration were utilized in the creation of Rent the Musical. Writer Jonathan Larson’s primary source of inspiration while creating Rent the Musical was Giacomo Puccini 's most notable opera, La Boheme. Alison Kronberg, writer …show more content…
Music and the arts were heavily involved into Jonathan Larson’s life as a child and young adult. He was born February 4, 1961, in White Plains, New York, and was always musically inclined as a child. His parents found it vital to involve musical theatre into Jonathan and his sister Julie’s childhood. The Encyclopedia of World Biography states that “when Larson was a child; he was taken to see a children’s version of La Boheme, Giacomo Puccini’s opera about a group of struggling young artists or “Bohemians.” From that seed, the idea that would become Rent, slowly germinated over the next two decades” (Jonathan Larson). Growing up, Larson had several musical influences that shaped his specific music taste including Kurt Cobain, Liz Phair, Prince, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim became a personal mentor to Jonathan later in his career. In high school Larson began acting and composing. After graduating, he attended Adelphi College on an acting scholarship where he studied under the accomplished Jacques Burdick. It was his time at Adelphi where his interest in playwriting began. Although he struggled immensely, Jonathan Larson had a very fulfilling career. After graduating from Adelphi in 1982, Larson moved to New York City where he performed in multiple summer stock shows and obtained his membership in The Actor’s Equity Association soon after. It was in this time; Jonathan decided to adjust his focus …show more content…
Rent has received a plethora of prestigious awards, honors, and achievements. The production transferred to the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway just four months after its Off-Broadway debut at the New York Theatre Workshop. Rent collected four Tony awards out of an impressive ten nominations. Rent received Tony’s for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Lighting Design. Beyond the Tony awards Rent was also awarded with six Drama Desk Awards, three Obie Awards, and The New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The production ran on Broadway for eight years with a total of 5,123 shows and grossing 280 million. Currently, Rent is the eleventh longest-running show ever on Broadway. After Rent’s Broadway debut, people had contrasting reactions and opinions. Some critics did not appreciate the show not being family friendly, the modern-day issues the show discussed, the manner in which stereotypes were portrayed, and the intense similarity to La Boheme. Musical theatre critic, journalist, and author Scott Miller says “Rent shouldn’t have worked because its music is genuine rock and roll...theatre audiences loved it and so did the pop music audience...Larson...did the near impossible by successfully blending the two without emasculating either...satisfying both audiences. The CD quickly became the best selling cast
Music is used all over the world in movies, plays, and other entertainments. Musical composers are widely known for their talent to create their own original pieces. Each unique composer specializes in a different category of theater and occasionally many categories. One very famous film composer, John Towner Williams, is a very significant part of music history considering his family history, adult development, and musical accomplishments. John Williams, American composer, conductor, and pianist is highly appreciated for his marvelous work of fine arts.
His pieces are branded by “the intensity and compactness of their expression and wide variety of mood” ranging from reflective and emotional to upbeat and comical. “He had the ability to make the most complex movement appear effortless, and totally reflective of the musical score, as if it were created spontaneously for that exact moment in time” (New York City Ballet). One of Jerome Robbins biggest impacts on the world of musical theater was that he redefined theater dance “as an integrated, dramatic element of musicals, setting out to demonstrate that artists like himself need not divide their artistic works from their commercial works, but could create at their highest level for the Broadway stage” (Smith). Robbins had a curious mind and wanted to “explore new influences and ideas”
Nichele Rascoe Jazz Dance Midterm (Bob Fosse Contribution to Broadway) Robert Louis Fosse, better known as Bob Fosse, became Broadway’s leading choreographer and director during the late 1960’s into the 1970’s. Fosse grew up surrounded by theatre and dance. At a young age, he toured throughout Chicago theaters and naval bases as a dancer. In later, years Bob Fosse went into acting. Yet, his acting career was cut short due to his premature balding, causing him to turn to choreography.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has become a household name throughout the entire world. Not only do people flock to see his shows, but the pure fact that people outside of the theatre world know the composer of certain musicals is an accomplishment in itself. He has changed the musical theatre world. Some call him a “Broadway master” because his musical Phantom of the Opera surpassed his own record for the musical Cats to now hold the record for the longest running musical on Broadway as well as London’s West End ( Snelson 1).
Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda revolutionized American culture, but specifically theater, music, and entertainment. Lin-Manuel was born January 16th, 1980 in Manhattan, New York. In the 1980’s, musicals and theater were very popular, but the idea of hip-hop music in them was not even thought about. However, Lin-Manuel Miranda changed that dramatically, and as a result, we have some very great works like Hamilton, and In The Heights that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote. Some of the reasons Lin-Manuel Miranda revolutionized American Culture are because he was very brave, because he revolutionized the way Americans thought about American history with one of his most famous works Hamilton, and because he brought people closer together by combining
One of the most important motifs used by Oates’ in her short fiction piece, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is MUSIC. Oates uses music as something omnipresent in the plot. Music defines the character of Connie that helps provide a greater understanding of her psyche and also in revealing the theme of the story. In the plot, Connie is constantly daydreaming and being conscious of her looks.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and His Influence on Modern Musical Theatre Many people would consider Tony Award winning composer, lyricist, and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda a genius. With his musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, Miranda has been able to relate to modern audiences. His innovative uses of hip-hop, diverse casts, and commentary about race and immigration in his musicals allow his works to stand out amongst other modern Broadway shows.
Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical "Hamilton," inspired by Alexander Hamilton - one of America's founding fathers - has had a lasting effect on American culture and politics. Combining hip-hop, R&B music and other elements, the show tells Hamilton's tale through vibrant imagery. Lin-Manuel Miranda was deeply affected by his social and cultural environment, creating a musical that captures the aesthetic, political values of its time while reflecting those same cultural traits. Musicals fall within the genres of historical fiction and musical theater, each having their own distinct stylistic, dramatic, and formal characteristics. This analysis will explore the cultural and aesthetic values, as well as the historical background, of the musical "Hamilton," to gain a more in-depth appreciation for its impact. "
The Wizard of Oz and Wicked are both very successful and well-known broadway musicals. Both of these musicals are based off of the same story, but each give a slightly different meaning to it. While they are both based on a similar tale, these two broadway musicals have many characteristics that are similar and differ from each other. This paper will compare and contrast the characters, theme, and plot.
Shrek the Musical is a Broadway musical comedy that is created by DreamWorks Theatricals in 2008. It is adapted from Shrek, a 2001 DreamWorks Animation movie, as well as a 1990 children’s literature Shrek! written by William Steig. The original musical is directed by Jason Moore with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. After watching the recording version of Shrek the Musical, I consider that it is a successful production if the purpose of this musical is to amuse audiences and bring them an enduring audio-visual feast.
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz based on a book by Winnie Holzman. The musical is told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz. Wicked celebrated its tenth anniversary on Broadway on 30 October 2013. It is the 9th longest-Broadway show, surpassing Beauty and the Beast. A typical performance runs for approximately two hours and thirty minutes.
Shrek the Musical is a Broadway musical comedy that is created by DreamWorks Theatricals in 2008. It is adapted from Shrek, a 2001 DreamWorks Animation movie, as well as a 1990 children’s literature Shrek! written by William Steig. The original musical is directed by Jason Moore with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. After watching the recording version of Shrek the Musical, I consider that it is a successful production if the purpose of this musical is to amuse audiences and bring them an enduring audio-visual feast.
Two songs that I would argue stood out to me the most within the musical A Chorus Line were “I Can Do That” and “Dance Ten, Looks Three”. “I Can Do That” to me describes how anyone that is in the industry of theatre essentially got their start. Without trying to generalize, it often seems that there was a pivotal moment that showed to a person or a character
La La Land and the use of Mise en Scene La La Land directed by Damon Chazelle known for directing Whiplash (2014) was nominated for several Academy Awards. La La Land (2016) is a film directed and written by Damian Chazelle the acting stars, Emma Stone as “Mia” and Ryan Gosling as “Sebastian”. The film is about two different people Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) who share similar dreams to succeed. Mia, an aspiring actress and Sebastian an aspiring jazz musician. Both seemingly meet up and start dating.
Introduction Roger’s and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is arguably one of the most well known films that many can admit to watching at least once in their lifetime. People all around the world have found this musical inspiring, as it documents growth and hope amidst the horrors of World War II. This incredibly well written film is based on the story of the Von Trapp family who escaped Austria when the Nazis invaded it during the war. Part of what made this movie so interesting on so many different accounts was the music that accompanied the vivid and exciting scenes. Without music, many could agree that our world would be a sad, quiet, dull and depressing place.