Lecture 8 Notes

Musical Theatre: Broadway Begins
Broadway of the '40's the Ultimate Professional Theater
Mid 70's Dance Musicals

MUSICAL THEATRE - BROADWAY BEGINS

Minstrel Shows 1845-1900's
Vaudeville 1900-1932

Broadway theaters emerge 1930's-1950's
  Less traveling
  Theaters grow more elaborate
  Electric lighting
  Better stages

Broadway combined:
  Acting
  Singing
  Dancing

Fred Astaire, born1899
  Frederick Austerlitz
  "Over the Top", 1916
  Ginger Rogers
  Eleanor Powell
  Rita Hayworth

Gene Kelley, born1912
  Pal Joey
  Me and My Gal

Hanya Holm
  My Fair Lady
  Camelot

Broadway of the '40's the Ultimate Professional Theater

  Declined in the 1950's due to:
  Television
  Movies
  High cost of production

Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway
Late 50's, early 60's
  Non-profit professional theaters

Mid 70's Dance Musicals

  A Chorus Line
  Chicago
  Dancin'
 All that Jazz 
 White Knights
 Turning Point
 Flash Dance
 Dreamgirls
 Cats

Bob Fosse 
Choreography style: Slick, Erotic, Great Intensity
1973 Oscar, Tony, Emmy
Synthesized jazz dance
Choreography still influences Broadway