by Ronee Penoi, Senior Institute Fellow
Whether its in the aisle leaving the show, in the lobby, or in the bathroom, I always listen to audience members' responses following a 'newer' musical. And I guess by 'newer,' I mean anything later than the so-called 'Golden Age' of musical theatre- think Rodgers and Hammerstein, for instance. My favorite comment to hear is "it didn't leave me humming anything" or "well it wasn't very good -none of the songs were really catchy." Or, on the flipside, you have "well it was fun and catchy, but not much else..."
Musicals seem to be different things for different people. One person's innovation is another's bad execution. I guess we can all agree that musicals tend to incorporate some combo of dance, singing, acting, and story. But the pendulum of balance swings wide. What the recipe is for a given show varies. Some add more spice, and others are maybe an acquired taste?
So we over here thought it might be fun to wrestle with this notion of 'MUSICAL.' Particularly, what music's got to do with it. Our guinea pigs will be The Light in the Piazza, and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies. Anyone listening to the soaring high notes and sweeping romance in the music of Piazza might find some similarity in there to opera. But of course, it isn't opera. And as it's hard to find a dancer standing still for any part of toe-tapping Sophisticated Ladies, it's not hard to gather that Mr. Ellington is the man behind the movement. But it's not just a dance show. So- has the 'traditional' musical (whatever that means) gone by the wayside, giving way to a unique-and-special-snowflake kind of show? Is it part of a larger trend, or are these pieces doing something unique?
Join four music 'experts' and us in Crystal City to get in on the discussion:
The Music in the Musical: The Light in the Piazza and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies
Monday, April 12th at 7PM
Arena Stage is thrilled to welcome
John Edward Hasse (Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, and author of
Beyond Category: The Musical Genius of Duke Ellington),
Anne Midgette (Washington Post classical-music critic),
K Williams (National Alliance of Musical Theatre, Producer of opera and musicals),
David Bunn (Music Director,
Sophisticated Ladies at Arena Stage) and others, to lead a lively discussion on the many sounds of the American musical... and how we talk about them.
The conversation will take place at
Arena Stage's Crystal City Theater, at 1800 South Bell Street, Arlington, VA 22202 (a short walk from the Crystal City Metro). The event is free and open to the public. And don't forget to let us know you're coming! Please call the Arena Stage Sales Office at (202) 488-3300 to make a reservation.
So whether you're all about Guettel, Ellington, R&H, Sondheim, or that young up-and-coming talent you heard in a reading somewhere, let's have it out on the MUSIC of the American musical.