Theater TCU Humphrey Exam 3
Questions with Correct Answers
Pal Joey (1940) - Answer-A. Major breakthrough in more adult form of musical theater
B. Major Shift for Rodgers & Hart
1. Partnership near an end
C. Unsavory, true-to-life characters & unhappy ending
D. Suggestion of cocaine use and homosexuality within minutes of overture
E. Radio and records made it a hit
1. New Long Play record format
F. One song made it a hit "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"
1. A STANDARD on all record labels
Original Cast Albums - Answer-A. Age of long running musicals coincides with
availability of Original Cast Albums
B. Oklahoma! was NOT the first Broadway show that was recorded BUT it's cast album
sold over a million copies
C. Helped advance the long-running musical
D. Record "album"
1. 78 RPM (3-4 minutes per side) - 1 song per
2. By late 1940's the new LP Format gave records about an hour total of music
Overtures - Golden Age Musicals - Answer-5 minute overview of what was going to take
place.
A. Provided buffer for latecomers
B. Let audience settle in
C. Created mood transition from noisy outside world
D. Instantly establishes the ton of the musical
1. Gives a hint of what is to come- exotic, sophisticated, time period, etc
Modern Musicals - Answer-Rarely have an Overture
Start "cold" with song or scene or high-concept production number
Began to fall out of favor with advent of Rock n Roll in the 60's
Audience has shorter attention spans
The Union overtime was a fear for producers- running long meant paying more
1939 - Answer-Europe enters WWII
1941 - Answer-US enters WWII - world views change and broadway changes with it.
This is the Army (1942) - Answer-A. Irving Berlin wrote and appeared in it
B. Produced by US Government
C. Revue sanctioned by the Army
D. Greatest morale boosting show of WWII
,E. Benefit for the Army Emergency Relief Fund
F. Cast of 300 was entirely real soldiers
G. Draftees view of the Army, but also included Navy and Army Air Corp
1. Military was strictly segreagated until 1948
2. BUT - Army was the first to integrate in WWII and Berlin portrays that
"Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning" - 10 minute standing ovation on opening night
Larry Hart dies - Answer-November 1943
The Rodgers and Hammerstein Era - Answer-The 1940's and !950's
Oklahoma! (1943) - Answer-Broadway stunned at pairing of Rodgers and Hammerstein
Hammerstein had 6 flops in a row
Will contribute more to musical theatre than any other individual in history
Based on the real city of Claremore, OK (outside Tulsa)
What is Oklahoma! based on? - Answer-Based on a flop- a dark play called Green
Grow the Lilacs
Story not considered suitable for a musical, just like Show Boat which Hammerstein
wrote
Why did Oklahoma! change it's name, and how many times did it? - Answer-Changed
titles twice: Green Grow the Lilacs, Away We Go! , Oklahoma!
Song, "Oklahoma!" was added right before Broadway opening
Show's name changed
Did Oklahoma! have ethnic sound, lyrics, & music? - Answer-Had ethnic sound and
lyrics and music
Singing is like dialogue
Folk speech
1st time since Show Boat to see real Americana onstage
How did Hammerstein firmly establish the "intergrated" musical he has started with
show boat? - Answer-Lyrics now drive and propel the story
Book, characters, music, dance all contribute to telling a solid story
Songs no longer written to showcase a star or become a hit
Explores relationships- now vital to successful play or musical
Fascination in all the characters
How did Oklahoma! stay true to the (dark) book? - Answer-"No gags, no gals, no
chance" - not true anymore
Contentious love affair
Most dramatic song goes to villain
Perfects the Conditional ballad
Established long Act 1 and shorter Act 2
Musical scene (Hammerstein invention) vs song
, How were the folk dancing and dream ballet the focal points and for what musical? -
Answer-Oklahoma!
Dance now integral: tells what script and score cannot
Agnes DeMille - choreographer
What is now an integral component? - Answer-Director (along with dance) NOW is an
integral component
Prior, had been the musical director or credit given as "staged by"
Revues didn't need character development
How long did Oklahoma run? - Answer-Ran 5 years - 2,212 performances
National tour ran 10 years
Returned in revival on Broadway
Longest running musical for 15 years until My Fair Lady (1956)
Most often produced musical in the world
How is the "musical scene" perfected in Oklahoma? - Answer-Perfects the "Musical
Scene"
Song
Into dialogue as underscoring continues Back to song- so music never stops
How is the "Conditional Ballad" perfected in OK? - Answer-Perfects the "Conditional
Ballad"
First heard in Show Boat - "Make Believe"
Love song in Act I
Can now sing about love even if not yet in a relationship, or if the characters just met
Example: "People Will Say We're in Love"
Who is the most dramatic number stung by in OK? - Answer-the villain
Dream Ballet - Answer-Go inside a character's dreams/head
a. Dreams expose WHY
b. Hopes and fears not expressed aloud by the character
Tells story solely through music and action
Dream Ballet vs. Tap - Answer-1943 - Oklahoma! Dream Ballet prompted many
musicals to include a Ballet through the 1950's
b. Ballet's popularity pushed tap out of the limelight for decades
1) In 1921 tap became the rage on Broadway with Shuffle Along
2) 1940's through 1970's - style of musical and dark shows had no use for tap dancing
3) 1960's and '70's - rock n roll also kept it at bay
4) Won't see tap return until 1980's, but British mega-musicals of 1980's also kept tap at
bay
5) Won't actually realize significant comeback until 1990's
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