TH E V IS U A L A R TS IN A

W ES TER N M U S IC A L P LAY

W hat is a W estern M usicalPlay or

Theater?
Musical plays or other dramatic
presentations include songs, spoken
dialogue, acting and dancing. Since the
early 20th century, musical theater
stage works have been called, simply,
musicals.

W hat m akes m usicals diff

erent
from other theatricalform s like
opera and dance?
Although musical play has elements
common with other theatrical form like
opera
and
dance,
it
may
be
distinguished by the equal importance
given to the music as compared with
the dialogues, movements, and other
elements of the works.

W hen did the use ofm usic start in

W estern dram a?
The use of music as part of dramatic
presentations has been a tradition of the
Western dramatic presentation since ancient
times but firmly established on the Greek
dramas particularly on tragedies. The modern
Western musical reached its most-developed
form during 19th century as seen with the
works of Gilbert and Sullivan in Britain and
those of Harrigan and Hart in America. Since
then, numerous musical comedies emerged.

H IS TO R Y O F
M U S IC A LS

Greek Amphiteater (500

BCE)

The Roman Theater (300

BCE)

The originator of musicals in Europe can be

traced back to the theatre of ancient Greece,
where music and dance were included in
stage comedies and tragedies during the
pinnacle of Greek civilization in 500 BCE. The
dramatists Aeschylus and Sopocles composed
their own music to accompany their plays
and choreographed the dances of the chorus

The Romans borrowed from the Greeks the

stage-entertainment of songs and dances. In
fact,
they
introduced
some
technical
innovations. For example, to make the dance
steps audible in large open-air theatres, the
Roman actors attached metal chips called
sabilla to their stage footwear the first tap
shoes in the manner of the modern tapdancing. Plautus, the Roman dramatist,
included song and dance routines performed
with orchestrations in 300 BCE.

Traveling
Minstrels/Roving Troupe
(Middle Age 100-1400
CE)

In the 12th and 13th centuries during the

Middle Ages, theater in Europe consisted
mostly of traveling minstrels and small
performing troupes of performers singing and
offering slapstick comedy. However, some
rendered religious dramas on periods
commemorating Christian events.

Europeans Renaissance saw older format

evolve into commedia dellarte, an Italian
tradition where raucous clowns improvised
their way through familiar stories, and later,
opera buffa.
Commedia dellarte
(The Renaissance: 1450s)

In England, during the beginning of 18th

century, Elizabethan and Jacobean plays
frequently included music with performances
on organs, lutes, violas and pipes for up to an
hour before and during the performance.

Musicals during the 18th

century

Later, Courtmasques also developed during

the Tudor period. It involved music, dancing,
siniging and acting, often with expensive
costumes
and a complex stage design,
sometimes by a renowned architect. It
presented a deferential allegory flattering to
a noble or royal patron.
The writer Ben Jonson wrote many masques.
William Shakespeare often included masquelike sections in his plays.

FA M O U S M U S IC A LS
TH
IN TH E 20
C EN TU R Y

FA M O U S M U S IC A LS
ST
IN TH E 21
C EN TU R Y

Elem ents ofM usicals

The book or script of a

musical refers to the story,
character
development,
and dramatic structure,
including
the
spoken
dialogue and the stage
directions. It can also refer
to the dialogue and lyrics
together,
which
are
sometimes referred to as
the libretto (Italian for
little book)

The music and lyrics

together form the score of

a musical but the
interpretation of a musical
by its creative team heavily
influences the way in which
a musical is presented.

H ow are m usicals presented?

Organization

Musicals are usually presented in two acts, with one short

intermission and the first act frequently longer than the second.
The first act generally introduces nearly all of the characters and
most of the music, and often ends with the introduction of a
dramatic conflict or plot complication. The second act may
introduce a few new songs but usually contains reprises of
important musical themes and resolves the conflict or
complication.
Several shorter musicals on Broadway and in the West end have
been presented in one act in recent decades

Arrangement of
Dialogues and
Music

A book musical is usually built around four to six main theme

tunes that are reprised later in the show, although it sometimes
consists of a series of songs not directly musically related.
Spoken dialogue is generally mixed together between musical
numbers, although sung dialogue or recitative may be used,
especially in so-called sung-through musicals such as Jesus
Christ Superstar, Les Miserables and Evita

Story Material

The material presented in a musical may be original, or it may

be adopted or born from novels (Wicked and Man of La
Mancha), plays (Hello, Dolly!), classic legends (Camelot),
historical events (Evita) or films (The Producers and Billy Elliot).
On the other hand, many successful musical theatre works have
been adapted for musical films, such as The Sound of Music,
West Side Story, My Fair Lady and Chicago.

Time

There is no fixed length for a musical. Most musicals range from

one and a half to three hours. Some may range from a short

UsualW ork Flow in a M usical

Direct
or

Choreo
graphe
r

Set
design/
costumes

Musical
director

Technica
l staff

orchestr
a

Stage
backdro
p/
Props/
flight/
sounds

Music/
dialogue
s

INTEGRATED
WHOLESOME
PRESENTATIO
N

D iff
erences betw een
M usicals and O pera

Musicals

Opera

It is more focused on
spoken dialogue

It has some unaccompanied

dialogue, but very minimal

It has dancing performed

by principal performers as
well as the chorus

It has no dancing except as

required by the situation for a
particular actor to act

It uses popular music or

various popular singing
styles or genres
It uses the language of the
audience in the
performance
The performer must
primarily be an actor and

It uses conventional and

classical music
It uses the original language
by which the musical lyrics is
written (mostly Italian, German
and Spanish)
The singer must primarily be a
singer and rarely an actor nor
a dancer

Elem ents ofArtistic Expression

A musical is a kind of performing art which requires elements
for creative expression. Like visual art of painting, it requires
these elements for an integrated wholesome art: lines, color,
shape, rhythm, space, sound, texture and movement.
However, unlike visual art, it must arouse sound and
movement the most essential movements.

1. Lines - In the act Les Miserables, the dead French revolutionaries

played by actors seem to present the horror of death as they lay

flat in horizontal formation. Horizontal line, represented by the
actors lying on the stage, combined by colors in the range of red
and black, is effective in suggesting the idea of death.
2. Colors The technicality of lightning is an important element in

musicals because it presents colors that evoke mixed emotions

upon the audience. Accompanied by sounds and rhythm of music,
it will affect the audience to sympathize, to admire, to love, to side
with, and to be amused. In the musical Hair, lighting disclose the
weird long-haired actor in the center, who is pale and wearing a
grayish-blue vest expressing the feeling of being belittled and
accused. The color red is dominant in the range of natural earth
colors, surrounded the pale color. Gestures and movements of
actors are given emphasis through color.
3. Shape the basic design element that serves as an outline is

shape. It also determines space on stage. Whether it is a twodimensional (painting) or a three dimensional (installation or
sculpture), the weight, size, and texture that form the shape must
be pointed out.

In the beginning of the 20th century when the English

had established the form of musical and had given
emphasis of its distinction from opera, they put
importance on each particular shape installed on the
stage. From costumes to stage properties or props,
shape is emphasized so as to effectively express the
feelings of grandeur and magnificence in accord to the
3D (all-perspective setting). The backdrop calls for
something huge; thus, the design of various geometric,
curvilinear, and rectilinear shapes to express the idea

4. Rhythm The rhythm of the musicals comes out when there is

ordered repetition of movement in the dances accompanied by

songs. It is given emphasis in repetitive movements, providing
variations on a basic theme, or indicating a progressive
development. The casts of the musical Open Boat touched the
emotions with their body rhythm of synchronized dancing and
songs.
5. Space This is the floor space or the entire area in the floor

stage where the casts including their costumes and props are
presented to the open. The area is not large enough nor too
small but suitable enough for the casts to move around.
6. Sound During the antiquity of the Greek and Roman dramas,

the actors are compelled or trained to project their voice to be

audible, firmed and clear enough for the audience to be heard.
This system went on until 20 th century when high technology
assisted the technicalities. Nowadays, the advent of micro
pickup microphone attached near every actors mouth helps a
lot for voice projection. Background soundtracks are also used
nowadays apart from live chorus.

7. Texture Like visual arts, the images of design

of backdrop, props, and costumes may send to

the audience the feelings of roughness,
hardness, fineness, and smoothness. In
musicals, texture is emphasized according to
the feelings conveyed in each act.

8. Movement Various body movements of the

casts
are
differentiated
according
to
movement yet integrated consistently for the
development of the plot.