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The First Light of the Golden Age of the American Musical: Oklahoma!

The First Light of the Golden Age of the American Musical: Oklahoma!. 9743043 Stella. Oklahoma!. Richard Rodgers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist): the most consistently fruitful and successful partnership. Other works:. Carousel, South Pacific The King and I

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The First Light of the Golden Age of the American Musical: Oklahoma!

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  1. The First Light of the Golden Age of the American Musical: Oklahoma! 9743043 Stella

  2. Oklahoma! • Richard Rodgers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist): the most consistently fruitful and successful partnership Other works: Carousel, South Pacific The King and I The Sound of Music

  3. Written in 1943 • The longest running Broadway musical of its time, a record it held for fifteen years • Over 30,000 productions worldwide in more than a dozen languages.

  4. Story of Oklahoma! • Curly & Laurey: A couple do not admit their love to each other • Jud Frey: intervene between Curly& Laurey • Will & Ado Annie & Ali Hakim • Aunt Eller: provide wisdom, respectable

  5. Golden Age of the American Musical • 1940s~1960s • Background: 1929 Stock Market Crash, Great Depression, Entrance to WWII • Get rid of the influence of traditional European operetta • Try to form their own American style musical: Show Boat Show Boat" was the first musical to include show-within-a show numbers

  6. Early Musical form • Opening chorus :young and beautiful girls dress in well designed costume Ziegfeld Follies

  7. Opening songs and dances: no special meaning and not relate to the story 0:33~1:35 2:16~3:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BjExqlkld3k#! 5:08~6:00 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FyGhmbfd7rY#! • Clear line between dance and drama • Songs and dances: lack of characteristics, emotion

  8. Reform • Oscar Hammerstein II : treat the subject frankly • Innovation and challenge, unlimited : more elements the directions can use to tell story • Integration of song, dance, character and plot

  9. Song • The songs must delving into characters and advancing the plot • Oklahoma! : remove the opening chorus replaced by the solo of Curly “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNEUtN21cuU

  10. With the description of the golden dewdrop on the meadow and followed by a series of description of the scenes : lead audience in to the world on the stage

  11. Dance • The early dance was only the combination of a set of fix steps • tell the audiences what can not told in lyrics and songs by body movement • Advance the plot not only show the movements

  12. The ballet in Laurey’s dream: her marriage to Curly is interrupted by Jud knocking Curly unconscious and carrying her off • Dream: the inner world of Laurey-DVD

  13. The ballet provides a dreamlike non-reality and the music accomplished through a seemingly irrational medley of various tunes from the show: “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” and other songs • Reality and non-reality: predict at least one possible outcome

  14. American: National Identity • Distraction from the hard life: playful and hopeful songs • The people in Oklahoma! overcome difficulties and adversities: confidence and strength to help rebuild a world ravaged by years of war

  15. “we know we belong to the land and the land we belong to is grand”: it conveys the concept of national identification • “Oklahoma, ok”: “the State of O.K.” →”the state of okay” Bad thing will pass and everything will be fine • Oklahoma! 1:06 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrDVzbeDzRk

  16. Thank you……

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