Musical to Musical

Topic: Compare and contrast a musical you watched from (or about) the 1920s/1930s to a Rodgers & Hammerstein or Lerner & Loewe musical you watched.

Concentrate on the following subjects:

1. What makes the 20s/30s musical format different from the “musical play” of the R&H, L&L shows?

2. Do the “musical plays” do a better job of integrating songs into the plot? In other words, how do the composers and librettists move the action forward with song?

3. What types of songs are used in each type of musical? By this I mean: Are they songs about characters? Are they songs about time and place? Are they songs about social issues? Are they songs about feelings? I want you to analyze what the characters sing about and how these songs are important in developing the plot of the show?

4. Compare the structure of the 20s/30s shows with the “musical plays” and indicate whether each has a BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END. Is there a linear movement from beginning to end, or is there a mixed, unstructured gathering of songs around which the producers built a show?

5. Please compare how each type of musical discusses the cultural and social aspects of the period represented.