Early Times
Musical theatre had its start 2500 years ago in this country.
What is Greece?
Tragedy, Comedy and this missing third name for Greek Dramas.
What is Satyr?
Alcohol and tobacco were banned and woman and children were able to attend this new form of entertainment.
What is Clean Variety?
Comic stage battles were accentuated by using two pieces of wood that simulated a loud smack! This is still used today to describe knockabout physical humour.
What is slapstick?
This well loved librettist said: “The orchestration sounded the way the costumes look” during the success of Oklahoma.
Who is Richard Rodgers?
They are the early Roman tap shoe.
What are sabillas?
This festival made Athens the center for theatrical activity in Greece.
What is the Dionysia Festival.
"Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns." Who quoted this in one of his songs?
Who is Stephen Sondheim?
While American lawyer Francis Scott Key watched the British navy attacking Baltimore harbour, he was inspired to write a poem while he watched his country’s flag waving amongst the bombardment. A music publisher saw it in the local paper, made a few adjustments and set this anthem to the barroom ballad “To Anacreon in Heaven”.
What is The Star-Spangled Banner?
This worldwide favourite and its damning portrayal of Nazism is still powerful. Some families traditionally watch the movie version every holiday season. The 1961 London production became the longest running American import up to that time at 2,385 performances!!
What is The Sound of Music?
Brains, Heart and Courage are needed for this.
What is makes a great musical?
They are acoustical marvels; words spoken from the performance space can be heard in the last row.
What are Greek amphitheaters?
Polished metal bowls were used, reflecting sunlight on performers in Greek theatre.
What is the first follow spot?
William Gilbert had been publishing his comic poetry in magazines using his childhood name. These ballads soon became very useful as the libretto for Gilbert & Sullivan's Trial by Jury.
What are his Bab Ballads?
In 1948, Cole Porter was given an opportunity to provide the score for this musical based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
What is Kiss Me Kate?
From the French word "chanter" or the Latin word "cantare."
What is chant?
The Golden Age of Athenian theatre came to an end in 404 BCE and this group of people terrorized the life out of theatre.
Who were the Spartans?
This musical drama involved popular myths, like the legend of Robin Hood.
What are Folk Plays?
This type of song was derived from the Latin words Pater Noster, The Lord's Prayer, which Catholics recited in its original language.
What is Patter?
This Revue raised more than nine million dollars for the Army Emergency Relief Fund!
What is Irving Berlin's "This is the Army?"
The inventor of acting.(Greek name)
Who is Thespis of Icaria?
Plautus' stock characters came alive in this Stephen Sondheim musical 2000 years later.
What is "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"
Troupes toured all over Europe, always on the move, and used no written scripts.
What is Commedia dell'arte?
This musical began with a 2-person opening scene and this famous lyric: "A bright golden haze on the meadow"
What is Oklahoma?
This song became an anthem for American show business and one of the hit songs in "Annie Get Your Gun."
What is "There's No Business like Show Business?"