What is a musical short description. Musical - the history of development as a musical genre

1. "My Fairy Lady" (My Fairy Lady) (1956)

Frederick Lowe (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (libretto and lyrics) analyzed the dramatic material of Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion" and decided to write a musical. The plot of the musical largely repeats Shaw's play, the story of the transformation of the main character from a vulgar flower girl into a charming young lady.

Professor of Phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet with his linguistic colleague, Colonel Pickering, to turn a London flower girl named Eliza Doolittle into a real lady. Eliza moves into the professor's house, learning is not easy, but, in the end, she begins to make progress. At the embassy ball, Eliza passes the exam with brilliance. The ending of the musical is optimistic - Eliza returns to her teacher Higgins.

The musical premiered on March 15, 1956. The London premiere took place in April 1958. The role of Higgins was played by Rex Harrison, and Eliza was played by Julie Andrews. The show immediately became wildly popular, tickets were sold out six months in advance. However, the overwhelming success of the musical was a complete surprise for its creators.

The musical was performed 2,717 times on Broadway and 2,281 times in London. It was translated into eleven languages, including Hebrew, and was successfully performed in more than twenty countries. The musical received 6 Tony awards. The original Broadway cast recorded over five million copies sold, and George Cukor's film of the same name was released in 1964. Warner Brothers paid a record $5.5 million for the film rights to the musical. The role of Eliza went to Audrey Hepburn, and Rex Harrison successfully moved from the stage to the big screen. The film was nominated for an Oscar and received eight of the 12 statuettes.

The musical "My Fair Lady" is still loved by the public and thanks to producer Cameron Mackintosh and director Trevor Nunn, the show can now be seen in London.

2. "The Sound of Music" (The Sound of Music) (1959)

In 1958, American screenwriters Howard Lindsay and Russell Cruz, along with producer Richard Halliday and his wife, actress Mary Martin, teamed up to work on a play based on the German film The Von Trapp Family. The film tells about an Austrian family who, fleeing Nazi persecution, were forced to leave their homeland and go to America. The story was not invented - the film was based on a book written by Maria von Trapp, a direct participant in the events described.

Mary Martin was a musical theater star, and although this time it was a dramatic performance, she could not deny herself the pleasure of performing as a singer. Initially, the authors intended to use folk songs and religious hymns from the repertoire of the von Trapp family for the musical design of the production. However, Mary wanted to perform a song written especially for her. Composer Richard Rogers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein helped Martin in this. They composed completely new musical numbers, turning the play into the musical "The Sound of Music".

November 16, 1959 premiered on Broadway. The play was directed by David Jay Donahue. The main role, of course, was played by Mary Martin, the role of Captain von Trapp - Theodor Bickel. The audience, in love with Mary Martin, struggled to get into the musical, which provided him with excellent fees.

The Sound of Music was played 1,443 times and won 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the original album won a Grammy. In 1961, the musical toured the United States, and in the same year the show opened in London, where it ran for more than six years, thus becoming the longest-running American musical in the history of the West End.

In June 1960, 20th Century Fox acquired the film rights for $1.25 million. The plot of the film was somewhat different from the story told in the play, but it was in this version that The Sound of Music gained worldwide fame. The film had its world premiere in New York on March 2, 1965. The picture was nominated for an Oscar in 10 categories, of which it won five.

The film adaptation did not become the last page in the history of the musical, it is still loved by the public and is staged all over the world. In the 1990s, the show could be seen in the UK, South Africa, China, the Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Peru, Israel and Greece.

3. "Cabaret" (Cabaret) (1966)

The literary basis for this legendary performance was Christopher Isherwood's Berlin Stories about Germany in the early 1930s and John Van Druten's play I Am the Camera. The musical tells about the romance of a young American writer Cliff Bradshaw and a singer from the Berlin cabaret "Kit-Kat Club" Sally Bowles.

In Berlin in the 1930s, the fate of a young Englishman Brian Roberts, an aspiring writer forced to earn extra money by lessons, throws. Acquaintance with the American cabaret singer Sally gives Brian a fresh, unforgettable experience. The writer and the singer fell in love with each other, but they are destined to survive the separation. Sally refuses to go to Paris with her beloved, Cliff leaves Berlin with a broken heart. Cabaret, the last refuge of the spirit of freedom, is filled with people with swastikas on their sleeves...

The premiere took place on November 20, 1966. The production was directed by the famous Broadway director Harold Prince, John Kantser wrote the music, song lyrics - Fred Ebb, libretto - Joe Masteroff. The original cast included Joel Gray (entertainer), Jill Haworth (Sally), Bert Convy (Cliff) and others.

The production withstood 1,165 performances and received 8 Tony awards, including in the Best Musical nomination. In 1972, Bob Fossey's Cabaret was released with Joel Gray (entertainer), Liza Minnelli (Sally) and Michael York (Bryan). The film received eight Oscars.

In 1987, Joel Gray again played the role of the entertainer in the revival of the show. In 1993, in London, and then five years later, on Broadway, a completely new production of "Cabaret", created by director Sam Mendes, opened. This version of the play has also received numerous awards. The musical went through about 2,377 performances and 37 previews and closed on January 4, 2004.

4. "Jesus Christ– Superstar" (Jesus Christ Superstar) (1971)

"Jesus Christ" was conceived by Andrew Lloyd Webber (composed music) and Tim Rice (libretto) not as a traditional musical, but as a full-fledged opera, written in a modern musical language, observing all operatic traditions (hero's aria, chorus, heroine's aria, etc.). d.). Unlike traditional musicals, there are no dramatic pieces in "Jesus Christ" - everything is built on vocals and recitatives. The combination of rock music with classical motifs, the use of modern vocabulary in the lyrics, their high quality, the so-called sung-through principle (the whole story is told exclusively through songs, without the use of unsung dialogues) made "Jesus Christ Superstar" a real hit.

The musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" tells the story of the last seven days of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, seen through the eyes of his disciple Judas Iscariot, disillusioned with what the teachings of Christ had become. The plot covers the period from the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to his execution at Golgotha.

The opera was first heard in the form of an album in 1970, on which the main role was played by Ian Gillan, who is the vocalist of the "golden composition" of Deep Purple, the role of Judas was played by Murray Head, Mary Magdalene by Yvonne Elliman. On the Broadway stage, the musical was first shown in 1971. Some critics believe that Jesus was portrayed as the first hippie on earth. The Broadway production only lasted 18 months.

A new production of the musical was created at the London theater in 1972, the role of Jesus was played by Paul Nicholas, Judas - Stephen Tate. This production was more successful, ran on stage for eight years and became the longest-running musical. American director Norman Jewison made a feature film based on the work in 1973. In 1974 the film won an Oscar for Best Music. In addition to great music and vocals, the film is interesting for its unusual interpretation of the theme of Christ, which is an alternative to orthodox Christianity.

One of the most famous musicals, also called rock opera, generated a lot of controversy and became a cult work for a whole generation of hippies, without losing its relevance today. "Jesus Christ Superstar" has been translated into different languages, has been staged many times and has been staged for more than 30 years in Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Sweden, America, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Bolivia, Germany, Japan and the UK .

5. "Chicago" (Chicago) (1975)

On March 11, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, the Chicago Tribune published an article by journalist Maureen Dallas Watkins about a certain variety actress who had killed her boyfriend. Because sex crime stories were especially popular with readers, another article by Watkins appeared on April 3, 1924. This time it was about a married woman who shot her lover. The buzz that accompanied these and other crime stories made a deep impression on Maureen. Later, leaving the newspaper, she went to study drama at Yale University. It was there, as an educational assignment, that she wrote the play "Chicago".

On December 30, 1926, Chicago opened on Broadway. The play withstood 182 performances, in 1927 the film of the same name was shot, and in 1942 the film "Roxy Hart" directed by William Velman with Ginger Rogers in the title role was released.

Bob Fossey, the famous choreographer and Broadway director, could not pass by such a plot. Fossey brought in composer John Kander and librettists Fred Ebb and Bob Fossey to implement the project. The score of "Chicago" is a brilliant stylization of American hits of the late 20s, and in terms of the way the musical material is presented and its theme, "Chicago" is very close to vaudeville.

This is the story of corps de ballet dancer Roxie Hart, who murdered her lover in cold blood. Once in prison, Roxy meets Velma Kelly and other killers. Roxy is helped out by the prison warden, Matron Mama Morton, and the sly lawyer Billy Flynn. The court finds Roxy innocent, but this does not bring her joy. In the musical's final scene, the entertainer announces the debut of the "duo of two sparkling sinners," Chicago crime queens Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart. They made their way into show business.

The musical premiered at the 46th Street Theater on June 3, 1975, with Gwen Verdon as Roxy, Chita Rivera as Velma, and Jerry Orbach as Billy. Chicago only opened in the West End in 1979. This production had nothing to do with the performance of Bob Fossey. After 898 performances on Broadway and 600 showings in the West End, the show was cancelled. In 1996, the show was revived under the direction of Walter Bobby and choreographer Ann Rinking. The four performances played at the City Center were received with such enthusiasm that the producers of the show decided to move it to Broadway. The cast included Ringing herself as Roxy, Bebe Neuwirth as Velma, James Naughton as Billy Flynn and Joel Gray as Amos. "Chicago" was awarded six Tony Awards, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Album.

In 1997 the musical opened at London's Adelphi Theatre. Chicago London won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical and Ute Lemper for Best Actress in a Musical. The performance was remastered in Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Holland, Argentina, Germany, Sweden, Mexico, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal and Russia.

At the end of 2002, the Miramax film studio released a film adaptation of the musical with Catherine Zeta-Jones (Velma), Renee Zellweger (Roxy) and Richard Gere (Billy Flynn), directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall. The film "Chicago" was enthusiastically received by the public and was awarded the "Golden Globe" in the category "Best Musical or Comedy". In addition, the picture was nominated for an Oscar in 12 nominations, of which it won six.

6. "Evita" (Evita) (1978)

In October 1973, Tim Rice was driving a car and accidentally heard the end of a radio broadcast. The program was about Evita Peron, the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron, and this story interested the poet. Tim Rice felt that Eva's life story could well be the subject of a new musical. His co-author Lloyd Webber was unenthusiastic about the idea, but on reflection he agreed.

Rice studied the biography of the main character of his future musical in detail, walking through London libraries and traveling to Argentina, where he wrote most of the storyline. "Evita" combines various musical styles, the score includes Latin American motifs. Tim Rice introduces a narrator, a certain Che (whose prototype is Ernesto Che Guevara), into the musical.

In the summer of 1976, the first demo recordings of a new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were presented to guests at the first Sidmonton Festival. Soon the studio "Olympic" began recording the album. The part of Evita was performed by the actress Julie Covington, the young singer Colm Wilkinson became Che, and Peron was performed by Paul Jones. The album was a wild success. Already three months after its release, the number of copies sold was 500 thousand, and even in Argentina, where the disc was banned, every self-respecting family considered it necessary to purchase it.

Celebrity director Hal Prince began work on the production. Elaine Page became the new Evita, and the famous rock singer David Essex was invited to play the role of Che. Evita premiered on June 21, 1978. The play was a huge success and received the West End Theater Society award for "Best Musical of 1978", Elaine Page received the award for Best Actor in a Musical. The CD with the original London line-up of Evita went gold in the first weeks after going on sale.

On May 8, 1979, Evita opened in Los Angeles. Four months after the American premiere, on September 21, 1979, the same cast performed for the first time on Broadway. "Evita" won the hearts of the public and received 7 Tony awards.

After the success on Broadway, the musical was staged in a huge number of countries: Australia, Spain, Mexico, Austria, Japan, Israel, Korea, South Africa, Hungary. Filming began twenty years after Evita was born. Directing was entrusted to Alan Parker, Madonna played Eva Peron, Spanish film star Antonio Banderas was invited to the role of Che, British actor Jonathan Pryce was Peron. Especially for the film, a new song was written - "You must love me", which brought its authors "Oscar".

7. "Les Misérables" (Les Miserables) (1980)

The novel Les Miserables by Victor Hugo received its second birth in a musical created by composer Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil. Work on the musical lasted two years and, finally, a two-hour sketch of the future musical was recorded. With the help of librettist Jean-Marc Nathel, this sketch was turned into a concept album, which was released in 1980 and sold 260,000 copies. The hallmark of the musical was an engraving depicting a little Cosette.

The stage version was presented to the Parisians on September 17, 1980 at the Palais des Sports. The performance was attended by over half a million people. Maurice Barrier played the role of Jean Valjean, Jacques Mercier - Javert, Rose Laurence - Fantine, Marie - Eponina, Fabienne Guyon - Cosette.

In 1982, the young director Peter Ferago, who really liked the concept album Les Misérables, brought it to the attention of British producer Cameron Mackintosh. McIntosh turned the project into a show of the highest class. A strong team worked on the creation of the new version of the musical "Les Misérables": directors were Trevor Nunn and John Kead, the English text was composed by Herbert Kretzmer in close collaboration with the creators of the musical. The performance was staged at the Barbican Theater under the auspices of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The premiere of the new version of the musical took place on October 8, 1985. The most "long-lived" production of the musical "Les Misérables" is proud of the Palace Theater in London. In total, the performance was shown in this theater more than six thousand times.

In 1987, Les Misérables crossed the Atlantic and settled on Broadway, thus beginning their triumphal march around the world. Despite the fact that the musical is already over twenty years old, it does not leave the stage and continues to be very popular all over the world. Les Misérables has been translated into many languages: Japanese, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, German, Polish, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, Czech, Spanish, Mauritanian, Creole, Flemish, Finnish, Portuguese. In total, the musical "Les Misérables" was seen by residents of two hundred cities in thirty-two countries of the world. The creation of Alan Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg was watched by more than 20 million viewers around the world.

8. "Cats" (Cats) (1981)

The basis for "Cats" was a cycle of children's poems by T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, published in 1939 in England. This is a collection of ironic sketches of feline characters and habits, behind which various human types are easily guessed.

Andrew Lloyd Webber began writing songs based on Eliot's poetry in the early 70s. By 1980, the composer had accumulated enough musical material, which was decided to be processed into a musical. The cat show was destined for success: the British are known for their love for these animals. The musical team consisted of talented people - producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Trevor Nunn, stage designer John Napier and choreographer Gillian Lynn.

When it came to stage performance of Webber's songs, the main problem faced by the creators of the musical was the lack of a plot. Fortunately, thanks to the widow of T. S. Eliot, Valerie, the authors had at their disposal letters and drafts of the poet, from which they fished out bit by bit ideas for the plot outline of the play.

There were special requirements for the actors of the musical - they had to not only sing well and have perfect diction, but also be extremely plastic. In the UK, it was not easy to recruit a troupe of 20 people, so the line-up of the performers included the premiere of the Royal Ballet Wayne Sleep, and pop singer Paul Nicholas, and actress Elaine Paige, and young singer and dancer Sarah Brightman.

In the "Cats" theater, created by designer John Napier, there is no curtain, the hall and the stage are a single space, and the action takes place not frontally, but throughout the depth. The stage is designed as a dump and is a mountain of picturesque rubbish, the scenery is equipped with sophisticated electronics. The actors are transformed into graceful cats with layered make-up, hand-painted leotards, yak hair wigs, fur collars, tails and glittery collars.

The musical premiered on May 11, 1981 in London, and a year later the play opened on Broadway. Until its closing on May 11, 2002, the performance was a great success in London, earning the title of the longest-running theatrical production in the history of the English theater (more than 6,400 performances). The musical "Cats" broke every conceivable record in the United States. In 1997, after 6,138 performances, the musical was voted Broadway's number one centenarian. Over 8 million people have watched the London production in 21 years, and its creators have earned £136 million.

During its existence, the musical has been staged more than forty times, it has been visited by more than 50 million viewers in thirty countries, translated into 14 languages, and the total amount of fees at the moment has exceeded $ 2.2 billion. Cats' awards include the Laurence Olivier Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, seven Tony Awards, and the French Molière Award. Recordings from both the London and Broadway original cast were awarded Grammys.

9. The Phantom of the Opera (1986)

The birth of the musical began in 1984, when British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber married the young actress and singer Sarah Brightman. Based on the voice of Sarah, Lloyd Webber composed "Requiem", but he wanted to show his wife's talent in a larger work. This work was the musical "The Phantom of the Opera", created based on the novel of the same name by the French writer Gaston Leroux. This is a dark and romantic story about a supernatural creature that lived in a dungeon under the Paris Opera.

Sarah Brightman played the role of the main character - Christina Daae. The main male part was performed by Michael Crawford. The role of Christina's lover, Raul, was played by Steve Barton in the premiere cast. The libretto was written by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd-Webber, the lyrics were written by Charles Hart. Theater artist Maria Bjornson conceived the famous Phantom mask and insisted that the infamous falling chandelier be lowered onto the audience rather than onto the stage.

The musical premiered on October 9, 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre, in the presence of members of the royal family. The first Broadway production of The Phantom premiered at New York's Majestic Theater in January 1988. It became the second longest-running play in Broadway history after Cats, with 10.3 million viewers.

More than 65,000 performances of The Phantom have been performed in 18 countries, including Japan, Austria, Canada, Sweden, Germany and Australia. Productions of The Phantom of the Opera have received more than 50 prestigious awards, including three Laurence Olivier Awards and 7 Tony Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards, and the Evening Standard Award. "The Phantom of the Opera" won the sympathy of more than 58 million viewers from all over the world. Nearly 11 million people have already watched it in New York alone, and over 80 million worldwide. Income from ticket sales for the Phantom of the Opera exceeded $ 3.2 billion.

10. "Mamma Mia" (Mamma Mia) (1999)

The idea of ​​creating an original musical based on ABBA songs belongs to producer Judy Kramer. The basis of the musical is 22 songs of the group. Since in the original all the songs were performed by women, the story of mother and daughter, about two generations, was offered as a starting point. It was necessary to come up with a story worthy of the famous hits of the Swedish quartet. The writer Katherine Johnson came to the rescue, writing a story about a family living on the Greek islands. History is of no less interest to the viewer than songs. Katherine was able to logically build the songs into a single storyline, the songs are broken into dialogues and colored with new intonations. The music was written by Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

"Mama Mia" is a modern, ironic, romantic comedy in which two main lines appear: a love story and a relationship between two generations. The plot of the performance is an interweaving of comedy situations, which are emphasized by the cheerful music of ABBA, original costumes and witty dialogues of the characters. The essence of the project is expressed in the characteristic logo "Mama Mia" - the image of a happy bride. This picture has become an internationally recognized brand.

A young girl Sophie is about to get married. She wants to invite her father to the wedding to take her to the altar. But she doesn't know who he is, as her mother Donna never talked about him. Sophie finds her mother's diary, in which she describes relationships with three men. Sofia decides to send invitations to all three. All the most interesting things begin to happen when guests arrive for the wedding ... Mom gets married at the same time as her daughter.

The first test of the musical "Mama Mia" took place on March 23, 1999, when the pre-premiere screening took place in London. Then the reaction of the audience could be described in one word - delight: people in the hall did not sit in their seats for a minute - they danced in the aisles, sang along and clapped. The premiere took place on April 6, 1999.

After the London production, the musical "Mama Mia" is staged in parallel in 11 different places around the world. 11 worldwide productions gross more than $8 million per week. More than 27 million - the total number of viewers around the world who visited the musical "Mama Mia". More than 20,000 people visit the musical "Mama Mia" every day around the world.

US$1.6 billion worldwide box office revenue from Mama Mia.

For eight years of hire, the musical was staged in more than 130 major cities. The album recording the first production of "Mama Mia" became "platinum" in the US, Australia and Korea; double platinum in the UK and gold in Germany, Sweden and New Zealand.

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Musical is a genre of theatrical and musical production, where choreography and music, singing and dialogues, theatrical dramaturgy are intertwined.

The emergence of the musical as a genre, the concept and features

This art form originated in the United States in the 20s of the last century. However, this art form was recognized as an independent direction only in the 40s, when the first ever musical “Oklahoma” was successfully staged on Broadway. Despite the fact that the authors themselves called the work a "musical comedy", the audience perceived it as something new and unusual. Later, the authors themselves called their work simply "musical" - this gave the name to the new genre. "Oklahoma" existed on the stage for five years. And in 2002 she returned to the stage again.

For a long time, musical performances were the preserve of the American entertainment industry. Only in the 80s of the last century Les Miserables were staged on the London stage - from that moment the history of European productions of this genre begins.

The main "three pillars" of the genre:

• libretto, lyrics and music are equally the basis of the work;
• wide genre range - from comedy to drama;
• based on famous literary works;
• a large number of people involved: directors, screenwriters, costume designers, lighting, choreographers, decorators.

Musical as a genre of art. Difference from vaudeville and operetta

Both of these areas of art have many similarities. So, for example, until the beginning of the 20th century, the musical was called the "American operetta." After local traditions and preferences began to form the basis of musical works, it became an independent genre of art. The operetta is perceived as a light, comedy genre, in which music is an essential part of the performance. In contrast, in the musical, dialogues, music close to pop music, more complex choreographic and musical arrangement are the main ones. Moreover, dancing is an integral part of the genre.

Vaudeville is a comedy play with dances and couplet songs. It is easier to understand, less expensive in terms of production and use of various effects.

The most famous musicals in the world

Famous world works such as

"My Fair Lady", "Cabaret", "Cats", "Chicago", "Evita", "Les Misérables", "Phantom of the Opera", "Mamma Mia"

do not lose their relevance, they are still staged on Broadway and in London.

The most legendary work, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as a musical champion, is "Fantastics". It has been popular for 42 years. During this time, 17,162 performances took place.

The most famous production of "Jesus Christ Superstar", which captivated the audience with its spectacularity and tragedy, was staged around the world only for 33 years (we are talking only about the original production).

Music and dramaturgy as a reflection of the basis of the musical

The main components of the musical are equally:

• words,
• music,
• Scenery,
• choreography.

They complement, explain each other, giving the production dynamism. Musical dramaturgy is an important part of the action, a generalizing tool that is present in the performance from beginning to end. Music accompanies what is happening on the stage, follows the text, reflects the change of mood, joy and tragedy, expresses the main idea of ​​the work. Together, this allows the viewer to feel the full depth of the dramaturgy of the work.

The dramaturgy of a musical performance consists in reflecting the acute social issues of its time and their critical assessment. This is another feature of the development of the genre.

The origin of the musical in Russia

In Russia, as well as in the United States, jazz became a prerequisite for the emergence of this trend.

The “Russian way” of the development of the musical differs from the American one. It originated in the Russian theatrical environment, has a different specificity than its "colleague" from across the ocean. So, in the 70s, they began to consider musical and dramatic performances, which were based on classical works, in which, for the maximum effect of the perception of the production, musical accompaniment was in parallel.

American musical productions, on the contrary, actively use a special form of theatrical practice that is widespread on Broadway: the entreprise. Universal actors, producers - everyone is working on the commercial success of the play. For them, contact with the audience is just as important as the financial part, in contrast to the Russian one, where the material is secondary.

The more interesting is the fate of the work "Juno and Avos", which went precisely along the American path of development, preserving the audience for several decades.

Musical in the USSR: from Utyosov to The Three Musketeers

After the release of "Jolly Fellows", where the jazz band of Leonid Utesov played so brilliantly, in the USSR they first started talking about the musical. Although there were not many musical numbers in the film, nevertheless, they were participants in the film, along with the main actors. After that, the musical line began to be traced in other films: "Circus", "Volga-Volga", where musical numbers were built into the film.

Thanks to the success of the films released on the screen, productions in the same genre are released one after another: Scarlet Sails, Orpheus and Eurydice, Juno and Avos, Free Wind, White Acacia and others.

In addition to theatrical productions, musical films are released on Soviet screens not only for adults, but also for children: Pinocchio, Devil. And the adaptation of the novels by A. Dumas "The Three Musketeers" brought the actors and the director a stunning success with the audience, and the film itself has not lost its attractiveness to this day.

Contemporary musical in Russia

The musicals of the Russian period did not support the high-profile successes of similar productions of the USSR. Only in the late 1990s did such productions begin to appear on the Russian theater stage. The first production of this genre was an adapted version of the Polish "Metro" (1999).

Soon after that, a Russian production came out - "Nord-Ost" (2001). It was a large-scale production of V. Kaverin's work "Two Captains", which promised to become very popular. Unfortunately, the prospects of this work were crossed out by a major terrorist attack - the hostage-taking on October 23-26, 2002 in the building of the Theater Center on Dubrovka. As a result of a three-day confrontation and a military operation, according to various sources, about 174 people died. Since then, the name "North-Ost" has been associated exclusively with the tragedy. The work itself was tried several times to restart, but to no avail.

For several years, one after another, appear:

• "Notre Dame de Paris", "Chicago", "Forty-Second Street" (all 2002),

• The Witches of Eastwick, The 12 Chairs (2003),

• "Romeo and Juliet" (2004),

• "Cats" (2005).

In 2006, a production based on the songs of the ABBA group was released - the musical "Mamma Mia!" - he became the most successful at that time in Russia. However, except for "12 Chairs", these were all productions under license from foreign authors.

An important milestone in the history of the development of the genre in modern Russia is 2008. At this time, the first Russian musical film "Stilyagi" was released on the screens. Since that time, the production of musicals in Russia has been put on stream. Well-known and not so well-known, successful and failed, foreign and Russian - every year 5-7 works were published.

Today musicals are still in demand and have not lost their popularity, they are translated into different languages ​​of the world and played all over the world. There are new productions that have yet to win their audience.

Musical composers of the USSR:
I. Dunayevsky.
G. Gladkov.
A. Rybnikov.
A. Kolker.
V. Dashkevich.
M. Dunayevsky.

Russian musical composers:
M. Dunayevsky.
A. Rybnikov.
A. Gradsky.
A. Zhurbin.
A. Ivashchenko.
G. Vasiliev.

Musical

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A musical (sometimes called a musical comedy) is a musical stage work in which dialogues, songs, music, dances are intertwined, while the plot is usually uncomplicated. Many genres had a great influence on the musical: operetta, comic opera, vaudeville, burlesque. As a separate genre of theatrical art, it was not recognized for a long time and is still not recognized by everyone.

The musical is a staged genre, work on each project begins with writing a play. The production of the play is carried out by the director. Choreographers, singing specialists can also participate in the production.

The musical is one of the most commercial theater genres. This is due to its spectacularity, variety of themes for staging, unlimited choice of means of expression for the actors.

When staging musicals, crowd scenes with singing and dancing are often used, and various specials are often used. effects.

The form of the musical is most often a two-act performance.
Content
1. History
1.1 The beginnings of the musical
1.2 Development in America
1.3 Further development
2 Most famous musicals
2.1 Broadway musicals
2.2 French musicals
2.3 Austrian musicals
2.4 Russian musicals

Story

The origin of the musical

The forerunners of the musical were many light genres, where variety shows, French ballet and dramatic interludes were mixed. In September 1866, a production of Black Crook took place on the New York stage, where romantic ballet, melodrama and other genres intertwined. It is she who is considered the starting point of a new genre. English producer George Edwards described one of his hits "Chorus Girl" as a musical comedy. A musical comedy meant a light entertaining performance, where the main thing was not the plot, but rather popular vocal numbers performed by the idols of the public. Edwards' productions were a resounding success in New York, and until the early 20th century English performances dictated fashion in the new genre.

Development in America

In the years leading up to the First World War, talented émigrés Herbert, Friml, Romberg and others gave impetus to the active development of the musical in America. In the period of the 20s and 30s, with the advent of new American composers Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Col Porter and others, the musical takes on a true American flavor. The libretto became more complicated, the influence of jazz and ragtime became noticeable in the rhythms, typical American turns appeared in the songs. Many songs from musicals have become musical classics. The acting skills of the singers have increased significantly. Gershwin won the Pulitzer Prize for the first time in 1932 for his work on the musical Of Thee I Sing (1931). Rogers and Hammerstein II collaborated to produce productions such as Oklahoma! (“Oklahoma!”, 1943), “Carousel” (“Carousel”, (1945), “South Pacific” (“South Pacific” (1949), distinguished by a high level of dramaturgy. They were a resounding success with the public.

After the Second World War, the plot of musicals became more serious, there was "West Side Story" ("Westside story", 1957) by Leonard Bernstein. The production is based on Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, and the action takes place in modern New York. The expressiveness of the dances indicated the growing importance of choreography.

Further development

In the late 60s of the XX century, under the influence of new musical styles, a new understanding of the musical as a genre comes. The play "Hair" ("Hair", 1967) reflected the then fashionable ideas of the hippies, thus the production was called "a musical of primitive American lyrical rock." Since the 70s, the number of performances has been reduced, but the scenery and costumes of new musicals are becoming more luxurious. Dramatic changes in the concept of the musical were presented by the production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" ("Jesus Christ Superstar" 1971) by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and librettist Tim Rice. The serious theme of the musical "Evita" ("Evita", 1978) proved the long way that the genre has come through during its development. Webber's creation "Cats" ("Cats", 1981) based on the poem cycle by T.S. Elliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" presents vivid, memorable imagery, feline intonations are recognizable in music, and dances are supple and plastic. Another popular work of Webber was the musical "The Phantom of the Opera", which combines elements of detective and thriller.

The Anglo-American monopoly of musicals ended in 1985 when the French production of Les Miserables, based on Victor Hugo's novel of the same name, premiered on the London stage. The authors are composer Claude Michel Schonberg and librettist Alain Boublil. The high level of the musical as a genre proves "Miss Saigon" ("Miss Saigon"), Puccini's modernized opera "Madama Butterfly".

The most famous musicals

Broadway musicals

Broadway musicals brought worldwide fame to the genre.
My Fair Lady / "My Fair Lady": music: Frederick Lowe, libretto and song lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner (1956)
Sound of Music, The / "Sound of Music" music: Richard Rogers, libretto: Howard Lindsay & Russell Crews, song lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein (1959)
Oliver! / "Oliver!": music, libretto and song lyrics: Lionel Bart (1960)
Fiddler on the Roof / Fiddler on the Roof music: Jerry Bock, libretto: Joseph Stein, song lyrics: Sheldon Harnick (1964)
Jesus Christ Superstar Music: Andrew Lloyd-Webber Lyrics: Tim Rice (1970)
Les Miserables / Les Misérables: music: Claude-Michel Schonberg, libretto: Alain Boublil (1980)
Cats / "Cats" music: Andrew Lloyd-Webber, libretto: T.S. Eliot (1981)
42nd Street / 42nd Street: Music: Harry Warren, Lyrics: Al Dubin, Libretto: Mark Bramble and Mike Stewart (1981)
Phantom of the Opera, The / The Phantom of the Opera music: Andrew Lloyd-Webber, libretto: Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd-Webber, song lyrics: Charles Hart (1986)
Jekyll & Hyde / "Jekyll & Hyde" music: Frank Wildhorn, libretto and lyrics: Leslie Bricass (1989)
The Threepenny Opera / Music: Kurt Weill, libretto: Bertolt Brecht (based on The Threepenny Novel)

French musicals

At first, musicals in France took a different path: they were less spectacular and cost less scenery (compared to Broadway ones) and, in general, more like concerts of several crooners. A vivid example of this is the original version of the musical Nôtre-Dame de Paris by Riccardo Coccante and Luc Plamondon. But over time, tastes have changed, and in recent years, France has presented quite colorful, in terms of costumes and scenery, musical performances, such as Romeo et Juliette, Autant en Emporte le Vent, Le Roi Soleil, etc.
Starmania / Starmania: music: Michel Berger, libretto: Luc Plamondon (1979)
Misérables, Les / Les Misérables: music: Claude-Michel Schonberg, libretto: Alain Boublil (1980)
La legende de Jimmy / "The Legend of Jimmy": music: Michel Berger, libretto: Luc Plamondon (1990)
Nôtre-Dame de Paris / "Notre Dame Cathedral": music: Riccardo Coccante, libretto: Luc Plamondon (1998)
Romeo et Juliette / Romeo and Juliet: music: Gerard Presgurvik, libretto: Gerard Presgurvik (2000)
Ali Baba / "Ali Baba": music: Chatel Aboulker (June 12, 2001)
Les Dix Commandements / "10 Commandments": music: Pascal Obispo (2001)
Le Petit Prince / "The Little Prince": music: Riccardo Coccante, libretto: Elisabeth Anais (2002)
Don Juan / "Don Juan": music: Felix Gray (August 3, 2003)
Le Roi Soleil / The Sun King: music: Albert Cohen, libretto: Elie Shuraki (2005)
Dracula, Entre l'amour et la mort / "Dracula: between love and death": music: Simon Leclerc, libretto: Roger Tabra (2005) - Canadian musical in French
Cléopâtre, la dernière reine d'Egypte / "Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt": (2009)

Austrian musicals
Elisabeth / "Elizabeth": music: Sylvester Levay, libretto: Michael Kunze (1992)
Tanz der Vampire / Vampire's Ball Music: Sylvester Levay, libretto: Jim Steinman (1997)
Mozart! / "Mozart!": music: Sylvester Levay, libretto: Michael Kunze (1999)
Rebecca / "Rebecca": music: Sylvester Levay, libretto: Michael Kunze (2006)

Russian musicals
"Orpheus and Eurydice" - perhaps the founder of the Russian musical. It still sounds performed by the St. Petersburg Rock Opera Theater
Juno and Avos is a rock opera by Alexei Rybnikov, first performed on the Lenkom stage in 1981.
"The Star and Death of Joaquin Murieta" - the performance was published on a vinyl record in the USSR.
"Nord-Ost" is the first world-class Russian musical. Staged by Georgy Vasilyev and Alexey Ivashchenko
"www.silicone fool.ru" - a musical by Alexander Pantykin and Konstantin Rubinsky, staged in Yekaterinburg in 2007 and received two "Golden Masks" in 2008 in nominations.
"Night of Open Doors" - a musical by Evgeny Karmazin and Konstantin Rubinsky, staged in Yekaterinburg in 2005 and received the "Golden Mask" in two categories, including "Best Performance".
"12 Chairs" is a Russian musical based on the novel of the same name by I. Ilf and E. Petrov.
Mowgli is a Russian fantasy musical staged at the Moscow Operetta Theatre. It has been running in Moscow since 2005. Music and libretto - Vlad Stashinsky, production director - Alina Chevik, music director - Vlad Stashinsky, choreographer - Boris Baranovsky, artist - Viktor Arefiev, costume designer - Valentina Komolova, make-up artist - Andrey Drykin, lighting designer - A Kuznetsov, choirmaster - P. Suchkov.
"Monte Cristo" is a Russian musical based on the novel by A. Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo". Composer - Roman Ignatiev, libretto author - Yuli Kim, musical producer - Vladimir Tartakovsky and Alexei Bolonin, production director - Alina Chevik, choreographer - Irina Korneeva, production designer - Vyacheslav Okunev, make-up and wig designer - Andrey Drykin, lighting designer - Gleb Filshtinsky, parkour stunt director - Oleg Krasnyansky
"The Last Test" is a fantasy musical by Anton Kruglov and Elena Khanpira.
"Children of the Sun" - ethno-musical by Vladimir Podgoretsky.
"The Bremen Town Musicians" is a family musical based on the mega-popular songs of Gennady Gladkov and lyrics by Yuri Entin.

What is a musical, the history of a musical

Musical theater as a special form of art was formed by mixing several areas of creativity. Musicals are able to tell a classic story in a completely new way, more poignant and deep, and to make an author's modern play popular in an instant. In the context of a prosaic reality, is this not a miracle generated by music, colors, voice and a powerful emotional message that goes from heart to heart?

Read the history of the musical and many interesting facts on our page.

This is a theatrical show, where, in addition to dialogues between the characters of the performance, there are vocal and dance numbers. Any musical is a form of storytelling. The story can have a purely dramatic or historical basis, tell about love, sincere feelings, or contain deep political, philosophical or social overtones. Whatever the plot turns out to be, it must be embodied in such a way that the audience has the opportunity to enjoy a fantastically spectacular performance that can evoke a real emotional response.

The genre finally took shape in the United States. In the 1930s, the stronghold of the democratic system plunged into the so-called Great Depression. In those difficult times, it was musicals, colorful, dynamic, “alive”, that acquired the status of an outlet for people who were in constant anxiety about their future. This circumstance helps to understand how large-scale the impact of art on the psychological state of a person. The musical in this vein is the most simple, accessible, "lightweight" form.

Broadway is considered to be a conditional citadel of successful musicals. Theaters on this street in New York boast an enviable repertoire, as well as the title of premiere venue for performances that later became the highest grossing and won phenomenal popularity. In actual reality, the production of one musical included in the Broadway repertoire costs several million dollars.

Musicals are always spectacular and exciting. The incredible effect of viewing, in terms of impressions, is achieved through painstaking, time-consuming work, which invariably remains “behind the scenes”. The viewer gets a chance to see only the result. It can be difficult not only to install multi-ton sets (sometimes the creators are content with a very modest stage setting) and staging tricks, but also the work of make-up artists, costume designers, all members of the creative team, whose efforts create another bewitching and "catchy" reality.

Popular musicals

The most sought-after and favored by the public reviews of musicals are mostly based on the immortal literary works of recognized geniuses. There are exceptions, because they bring to art notes of inspiring unpredictability and anticipation with an uncertain mood. Taking the film as a basis for the musical (example - " Sounds of music ”), an original authentic life story (“ Chicago "), children's poems (" cats ”) or stories about contemporary authors (“Cabaret”), the directors take risks, but the applause of enthusiastic spectators sounds all the sweeter. The list of the most popular musicals is constantly updated, but there are performances that have already become inimitable legends.

The story of the transformation of a modest girl named Eliza Doolittle, who happened to be in the professor's house, fell in love with the public. The play itself was also highly acclaimed by critics. The musical has won a number of prestigious awards. In 1964, a film with the same name was released, the main role went to the beautiful Audrey Hepburn, the style icon of her time.

"Jesus Christ Superstar"

A distinctive feature of the musical is the absence of dance numbers. An unforgettable biblical picture depicting the circumstances of the last week of the earthly life of Jesus of Nazareth was recreated on the theater stage in New York in 1971. The production became a cult, not only because of the religious aspects affected, but also because of the successful integration of musical ballads into the narrative canvas rock style. An interesting circumstance was the fact that the life and teachings of Christ were described through the eyes of his follower, Judas, whose mental torments and throwings led first to disappointment, then to betrayal, but were not resolved by repentance.

Mamma Mia

The musical, created with the inclusion of 22 songs by the Swedish ABBA quartet, was doomed to popularity from the very beginning. In 1999, the premiere performance was organized, after 9 years a full-length film was released, after another 10 - a sequel. This is a story about a young girl who is looking for love, and when she finds it, she seeks to share the joy with her closest people. However, Fate has prepared trials for the young lady that will help her find her way and distinguish the wheat from the chaff.

"Fiddler on the Roof"

The musical debunks the stereotype that musical theater is certainly extravaganza, masquerade, entertainment and a happy ending. A musical performance about true, strong love without a romantic flair and excessive sentimentality can have a tragic, “painful” ending. It will simply need to be accepted, like so much in real life, with which art goes side by side.

"Cats"

Connoisseurs of the genre owe the existence of this musical to Mr. Andrew L. Webber's love for children's poetry. The performance was first presented in 1981 in London, its literary base was a book for children in verse by T. Eliot under the title "The book of an old possum about practical cats." The uniqueness of the musical lies in the most complex, multi-stage work of make-up artists and set designers. At the same time, the creative space where the action takes place does not have a delineated border with the audience. Such a solution creates a feeling of incredible closeness and realism of what is happening on the stage, which appears as a dump where homeless, but not losing their dignity, cats gather.

"Phantom of the Opera"

Infernal mysticism and sincere feelings - a musical based on the novel by G. Leroux is built on the display of these ephemeral matters. A mysterious ghost who lives in the labyrinth of catacombs under the Paris Opera House is imbued with tender feelings for Christina, an artist who shines on stage. The ghost seeks to protect his beloved and help her fulfill her dreams, but his own aspirations for the location of the beauty must remain imprisoned in the gloomy corners of consciousness.

For film directors, successful musicals acquire the status of manna from heaven, allowing them to take advantage of a priori successful storyline: it only needs to be “polished” by the available range of expressive means and the play of talented actors. For the creators of the musicals themselves, in an arbitrary “menu” that generates inspiration, classic works are a tasty morsel, interest in which does not fade away.

The genre originated in the USA, but a historical retrospective is impossible without looking back at European influence. In the 18th century, the opera was rapidly gaining momentum in development, in order to reveal itself as the most important theatrical form by the beginning of the 19th century. However, productions in Italy, France, and Vienna gathered in the halls mainly the aristocracy, representatives of the privileged social strata. Opera was considered entertainment "for the elite", America, on the contrary, sought to provide society with such art, which, in terms of content, presentation and design, was accessible to the mass audience, regardless of their social status and financial situation.

Surprisingly, it was in the spiritual aspect that the Americans made an attempt to move away from the trend of class and stereotypes. Unfortunately, only in the matter of defining the audience. With regard to the plots, the authors were given complete freedom: the content of the performances was often intended to ridicule a certain phenomenon or person.

The forerunner of the musical is the minstrel show, which gained popularity by the end of the 80s of the last century. The comedic spectacle was a staging in a satirical vein, where the characters were conveyed in a somewhat grotesque style. The structure of the performance implied 3 acts, in each of which the plot developed through songs and dances. Minstrel shows have evolved over time, transforming into vaudeville, burlesque and, of course, the musical. Already at that time, the artists participating in such scenes had to be universal in terms of creative skill: they were dancers, singers, actors.

Musicals are extremely popular these days. They become part of the repertoire of famous theaters, and can also be staged at peripheral venues. Schoolchildren and students turn to this genre when organizing their own events within the boundaries of individual educational institutions. Amateur performances are held in churches and on spontaneously installed street stages.

The Tony Award is an award given each year for excellence and achievement in the creative arts within the American musical theatre. Every year, the award ceremony becomes a landmark, summing up event in culture, gathering in a solemn atmosphere a huge number of outstanding talented artists.

Interesting facts about the musical

• The first performance resembling a musical was the Beggar's Opera. The production was released in 1728 in the British capital. The action in 3 acts was characterized by a comic plot, which, according to the idea, was to become a parody of the Italian dramatic opera. In the course of the action, the life of the marginal layers was ridiculed: robbers, courtesans, thieves. The first musical in the form in which it most closely matches the concept can reasonably be considered the production of "Show Boat". The premiere took place in 1927 in the USA.
• Two musicals that turned out to be "record holders" in terms of box office receipts are musically the creations of Andrew Lloyd Webber. We are talking about the legendary "Cats", which have collected more than two billion dollars for the entire time of productions, and the musical "Phantom of the Opera", striking with the luxury of scenery and exciting suspense. Psychological tension is reinforced by special effects worthy of participation in a cinematic action thriller. Despite the colossal costs of reproducing sets and stunts, Phantom of the Opera has been staged over and over again, regularly gathering audiences on Broadway since 1988. The total profit was about $5 billion.

• Spider-Man has been named the most commercially unsuccessful project in the musical genre. The production, despite the epic plot from the comic book, has become notorious. Work began back in 2007, but was constantly suspended due to lack of budgetary funds to implement the grandiose idea. By 2009, the debt on the project was approximately US$25 million. However, the creators did not lose heart, believing that the fees would pay off the current costs. Hopes were not justified. The premiere show was shown to the world in 2011, but two years later it became obvious: the musical could not have a future, the audience did not accept the show, did not appreciate it, despite investments that were not inferior in scale to the plot scope.
• Surprisingly, the American public did not accept the musical based on the story of Stephen King. Books and adaptations of the author's novels are still incredibly popular among readers and fans of the talent of the "king of horrors" around the world. However, the 1988 production of "Carrie" was staged only 5 times. Set to music, the story of an unfortunate and cruel girl with telekinesis abilities, told from the stage on Broadway, did not succeed with the public at all, although the process of preparing the performance cost the creators $ 7,000,000.
• The most famous domestic production in the musical genre is Juno and Avos. A poignant love story that knows no boundaries was embodied on stage by Mark Zakharov. The premiere took place in 1981.

• The musical belongs to those genres that are either recognized and ardently adored, or considered a low-grade spectacle, emphasizing the fact that the productions are set on a commercial footing. french chansonnier Charles Aznaur defined the musical as a musical genre for those who do not have the skills of stage speech, and colloquial - for those who do not have the ability to sing. The American composer Frederick Lowe frankly admitted that he did not like the music he created. At the same time, he ironically noted that his opinion means nothing in comparison with the judgment of the audience. The authorship of Low belongs to the musical based on the play by B. Shaw about the flower trader "My Fair Lady", which has become an ornament of the genre.
• The fundamental difference between a musical in theater and cinema is that the cinema format provides for greater freedom in the embodiment of background scenery within which the action is played out. In the film, one can observe magnificent natural landscapes or other surroundings that cannot be reproduced technically in the theater. At the same time, the musical is a special genre in cinema that allows the actors to look directly into the camera during filming (which is difficult to imagine in traditional cinema). In this way, the effect of theatricality is achieved: through a look directed from the stage into the hall, an imitation of the dialogue between the artist and the audience takes place.
• It is a mistake to believe that any musical implies both dances and songs. There is a term "musical staging", which describes the implicit result of the director's work. For example, in a musical there may be no dancing at all, not a single one, but the work of the choreographer will be colossal, which will be embodied in every movement, a fleeting gesture of the artist.

In one invariably popular Soviet film, one of the characters uttered the phrase that in the near future television will replace cinema, theater, and books. How erroneous and absurd this opinion seems to be in the 21st century, when musical theatrical performances have acquired the status of a spectacular show capable of capturing the imagination of even the most demanding spectator!

Video: watch fragments of popular musicals

Yugra State University

Humanitarianinstitute

Department of Pedagogy and Psychology

Abstract on the topic

"Musical as a musical genre"

by academic discipline

"History of the development of strand and jazz music »

Performed:

4th year student

group no. 9175

HER. Sokolova

Checked:

Associate Professor of the Department

music education

N.M. Provozina

Khanty-Mansiysk

1. What is a musical?

2. "American Way" of musical development.

3. Musical in Russia.

Bibliography.

What is a musical?

Modern musical art is filled with a variety of genres and trends. Now on the stage you can meet representatives of the classical school, and various youth subcultures, and all kinds of musical trends. What is a musical and what are the features of this unique genre?

Musical (sometimes called a musical comedy) is a musical stage work in which dialogues, songs, music are intertwined, choreography plays an important role.

The musical is a special stage genre, where dramatic, musical, vocal, choreographic and plastic arts merge in an inseparable unity. Their combination and interrelation gave the musical an extraordinary dynamism, a characteristic feature of many musicals was the solution of serious dramatic problems with simple artistic means. At the present stage, it is one of the most complex and peculiar genres, in which, to one degree or another, almost all the styles of stage art that existed before were reflected. While the musical was at the initial stage of its formation, many did not believe in its success.

The three main components of a musical are music, lyrics and libretto. The libretto of a musical refers to the "play" or story of the show - in fact its spoken (not vocal) line. However, "libretto" can also refer to dialogue and lyrics together, like a libretto in an opera. Music and lyrics together form a musical score. The interpretation of the musical by the creative team greatly influences the way the musical is presented. The creative team includes a director, a music director, and usually a choreographer. The production of musicals is also creatively characterized by technical aspects such as sets, costumes, stage properties, lighting, etc. This generally varies from production to production (although some notable aspects of the production tend to stick with the original production, such as Bob Fosse's choreography in "Chicago").

There is no fixed length for a musical, and it can run from a short one-act performance to several acts and several hours (or even several evenings). However, most musicals run from half an hour to three hours. Musicals today are usually presented in two acts, with one break of ten to 20 minutes. The first act is almost always somewhat longer than the second act, and generally represents the bulk of the music. A musical may be built around 4-6 main theme tunes that are repeated throughout the performance, or may consist of a series of songs not directly musically related. Spoken dialogue is usually interspersed between musical numbers, although the use of "vocal dialogue" or recitative is not excluded.

"American way" of musical development.

How old is the musical? The art of telling stories through songs dates back to time immemorial. We know that the ancient Greeks included music and dance in their theatrical performances as early as the 5th century BC. Some of them wrote special songs for each musical, others used existing ones. These plays combined political and social satire and anything else that could entertain the masses. With the help of songs, it was possible to comment on actions, talk about what was happening, etc.

The Romans copied almost all the forms and traditions of the Greek theater, but they also made some changes. In particular, they began to pad shoes with metal to better hear the movement of dancers, which began to emphasize the importance of special effects.

The forerunners of the modern musical were many light genres: operetta, comic opera, vaudeville, burlesque. Some generally consider it just an American variety of operetta. There is no big mistake in this. Art genres tend to develop, and the operetta has changed its national and genre specificity more than once. The sentimental-melodramatic operettas of I. Kalman and F. Lehar were so unlike the Viennese operetta of the late 19th century, and the musical comedies of Soviet authors were so different from Western productions that sometimes they also gave reason to talk about them as a new genre. The words "this is not an operetta" were well known to many operetta authors of the 20th century. The main structural difference between the operetta and the musical lies in the role played by the music in comparison with the conversational scenes. The operetta has largely retained the features of a sustained musical form with ensembles and finales, with leitmotifs and elements of symphonic development. The musical is more of a theatrical form, in which music is one of the means of musical stage montage along with choreography, plasticity, staged effects, etc. "In terms of structure, the musical is close to the variety of operetta that we have, as and in other countries, received the name "musical comedy" and which supporters of the purity of the genre sometimes fundamentally separated from the operetta. continuity with the operetta.

A huge role in the emergence of the musical (one might say, the musical appeared thanks to this genre) was played by jazz, which at the beginning of the 20th century. gradually became not just music, but also a way of thinking, it penetrated into all spheres of artistic culture, including the theater. Gradually recognized as original national music, jazz compositions gained more and more popularity. By the early 1940s, it was difficult to find a performance of the musical comedy genre that did not include jazz numbers. Against their background, the triviality of other scenes and sketches looked more and more vulgar. A qualitative leap in musical and theatrical performances became inevitable. It was jazz thinking that united all musical and entertainment genres that are not too different from each other on new principles, giving their light and superficial character an unexpected depth. The change in the nature of music inevitably led to a fundamental change in the dramatic basis. So, at the intersection of seemingly incompatible artistic directions, a musical arose.

The history of the world musical today has about 100 years. Although some experts consider Georges Bizet's opera Carmen (1874) to be the world's first musical, some go even further and start counting from Mozart's Magic Flute (1791). The absolute forerunners of the musical can be considered John Gay's Beggar's Opera (1787) or the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan (mid-19th century). The first true American musical is considered to be "Show Boat" by composer Jerome Kern and librettist Oscar Hammerstein (1927). In it, for the first time, the degree of integration of text and music reached a "musical consistency". However, back then, "The Floating Ship" was not called a musical, but also a musical comedy.

The official birth date of the new genre is considered to be March 1943, when the play premiered on Broadway. Oklahoma! R. Rogers and O. Hammerstein. Although at first the authors traditionally called their performance a "musical comedy", the public and critics perceived it as an innovation that destroys the established canons. The performance was compositionally a single whole: it did not have inserted divertissement vocal and dance numbers; the plot, characters' characters, music, singing - all the components existed inseparably, emphasizing and developing by various means the general line of the stage work. Behind a simple and unpretentious plot, there were fundamental values ​​- love, social community, patriotism. Not without reason, ten years later, the state of Oklahoma declared the song from this performance its official anthem.

Already after the premiere, which was an extraordinary success, the authors proposed a new term for the performance genre: musical. Musical Oklahoma! did not leave the Broadway stage for more than five years; after - he traveled all over America with a tour. In 1944 he received the Pulitzer Prize. For the first time, a record was released with a recording of not individual musical numbers, but the entire performance. A film was made in 1955 Oklahoma!, which received two Oscars - for best music and best work with sound. In 2002 it was again staged on Broadway. New York Drama League announced Oklahoma! the best musical of the century.

Thus began a new era in the history of first the American, and then the world theater, which was glorified by such composers as J. Gershwin, R. Rogers, L. Bernstein, E. Lloyd Webber, J. German and others.

In America, the epicenter of such a bright musical and theatrical performance is, of course, Broadway - the cult street of New York, where a huge number of theaters and music halls are concentrated, has always attracted the imagination of both actors and spectators. Broadway musicals have become a real brand, Hollywood stars now and then participate in local productions, and theatergoers eagerly read reviews of new performances in newspapers. At the intersection of Broadway with 42nd Street is Times Square - here are the famous Broadway theaters. Today, there are about 40 large theaters in this quarter, which are the basis of American theatrical culture. Therefore, the name of the street has long become a household name, a synonym for this art in the United States in principle.