Dreamgirls: A Feast for the Ears and Soul
There are many great musicals that the world has ever seen in the past years. Some have often brought us to tears while some may have brought to us to a world far beyond our imagination’s reach. In a world where television and the internet have often given us too many options to choose from as a form of entertainment, the soul and level of perfection still brought about by the broad way musicals are still one of the best for some of us.
When talking about musicals, one may never miss the word “Dreamgirls,” for it is arguably one of the most highly-acclaimed and loved musical of many theater and musical fans. For many years, it has brought us fabulous productions and impeccable performances that will not just delight our ears but our souls as well. As the lights go out and the curtains go up, audience should be expecting goose bumps throughout the entire show.
Dreamgirls, a 1981 Broadway musical for almost any ages, has its lyrics written by Tom Eyen. The music was of Henry Krieger. It is an original broad way production that was directed and choreographed by the talented Michael Bennett and orchestrations by Harold Wheeler. The combination of the minds and artistry of these three is beyond any words to compare. The genius behind Dreamgirls is indeed beyond doubt, and it brought many highly entertaining moments for the audience to see. Though the story by itself has many intriguing characters and an interesting plot, the whole production still worked hard to make the stage and delivery of the show as spectacular as ever.
The highly popular Broadway hit unfolds a story of the journey of a female singing group during the 1960s. The story evolves upon the making of a singing group as the...
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The casts, the plot and the productions worked harmoniously in bringing Dreamgirls magical and touching at the same time. Behind the power-belter songs sang during the entire performance, leaving us trails of endless goose bumps as casts reached high notes so impeccably are deeper lessons on dreams, greed, love and acceptance. It was also touching the topic on race, having the majority of the casts composed of talented African-American artists.
Dreamgirls, overall, is a show composed of high-quality songs, award-winning plot, talented casts, powerful voices and genius minds behind the production. The costumes, lightings and embellishments on stage made it even more successful. More than the fabulous gowns and flashy number are high quality songs being sung by great singers. The whole show is not just entertaining, but highly educational and touching as well.
Hairspray, a John Waters’ musical, demonstrates progressive messages about the expansion of race-based civil rights in the 1960s . Although this is typically the lens through which Hairspray is viewed, this is not the only significant societal shift portrayed in the film. The stories of Edna Turnblad and Velma Von Tussle illustrate the progressive shift of women from “old” gender roles such as being excluded from the workplace to “new” gender roles where women begin taking managerial positions.
When it came to the dialogue of the production and the understanding of it the performers again did an excellent job. Their gestures and vocal elements all aided in the production’s success and were all fittingly used by the characters. For example, when Lala was talking on the phone with Peachy she casually twirled the phone cord in her hand, leaned against the banister and childishly flirted with Peachy.
Kenrick, John. Musical Theatre A History. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008. Print.
Shusterman, Richard. "Moving Truth: Affect and Authenticity in Country Musicals." Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 57.2 (1999): 221-33. EBSCO Host. Web. 12 May 2014.
The sound design and choreography intensified the overall musical. They created the time, place, and mood through rhythm and great energy. The actors had wireless, behind the ear mikes, that attached to the mike pack which amplified the sound, making it very clear. I could easily understand what they were talking about or singing.
When I first watched Chicago at the movie theater, I was not fully satisfied. I wanted more, so I went back to get some and watched it six more times with different friends and family members! Last summer during a visit to my native Mexico City, I had the opportunity to watch drag queens perform several numbers from the movie-musical. They did an amazing job, without surpassing the outstanding performances of the actors in the film. Last year, I visited NYC for the first time and indulged in the rows of the Ambassador theatre experiencing Chicago, the Broadway musical, and because I had seen the movie many times before, I knew all the songs and dances by heart. I loved it, but it was actually the movie that influenced me to become a “Chicago fan.” The movie is based on the 1996 Chicago revival of the original musical version of 1975. It was thrilling knowing that the making of the musical into a mainstream production would increase its accessibility and widen its distribution into all the corners of the world; now there is no excuse for people not to experience Chicago, and though not everyone can go to Broadway to see it, just about anyone can indulge themselves in this dazzling movie in the comfort of their homes. In addition to a fantasy world of singing, dancing and Vaudeville, the film also provides a narrative that is explicitly presented through Roxie’s point of view, creating a counter human side to Roxie’s fantasy world so that the audience can easily identify and engage. Chicago is a must see film for anyone who likes to spoil themselves with an outstanding award-winning musical composed of a catchy plot, truly superb acting, commendable direction, and a clever soundtrack.
The performance sets up the scene with the female dancers dressed as prominent women throughout history such as Rosie the Riveter, Nillie Bly, Mother Teresa, Amelia Earhart, and Florence Nightingale. The women take turns in the spotlight, using their movements to tell their story and significance in history. The story of Amelia Earhart was told symbolically through the performer’s actions. The audience are introduced to Earhart’s love of flying and her aspirations to be a renown female pilot through the performer’s imitation as a graceful plane flying across the stage with glee. However, her story takes a dark turn when she embarks on a quest to prove herself as a capable pilot in spite of being a woman. We see her downfall when her character, as a plane, struggles to stay in flight and eventually tumbles and falls, exiting the stage soon after to show her mysterious disappearance during her quest. The performer playing as Earhart succeeded in portraying her story and her downfall. The dancer’s performance as Earhart was followed by another significant performance which was the dance of Mother Teresa, who took the spotlight with her reserved yet expressive dances. During her dance, Mother Teresa made a notable move where she wanders the stage and places a hand on each of the women in a caring way, like a mother would do to her child. This action she performed in her dance
Story of Cindy and set against the backdrop of New York City in 1960’d the musical is going to be about this girl’s quest to reach her goal amidst all the women’s liberation, civil rights movement and protest. In all the hullabaloo she finds friendship, love and herself too.Sponsored by
I must say, that Michael Hoffman's William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is a very good film, BUT, it is not for everyone because it is purely Shakespeare updated to 19th Century, Tuscany, Italy where the characters ride around on a new invention, the bicycle. All the magical fairies, tangled romances, Oberon and Puck are all here to bedevil the ill-fated humans, as Puck says, "What fools these mortals be". The movie opens with an interesting effect to show the name of the film, it's quite magical. The opening is interesting but then it bogs down for about 15 minutes and since I was tired I found it a bit of a struggle staying awake, but I did and I was rewarded. I quickly woke up as the scene moved into the woods late at night as the fairy world came to life with interesting, magical creatures. Stanley Tucci plays the mischievous Puck quite well as does Calista Flockheart as Helena, one of the tortured lovers; she nails Helena's love craziness. Christian Bale as Demetrius, Sophie Marceau as Hippolyta and Domenic West as Lysander play the other lovers. Rupert Everett's Oberon has a brooding to him that I have never seen which makes that role work for me in ways it has never before. I personally feel that Michelle Pfeiffer as Titania, the fairy Queen was absolutely beautiful. Kevin Kline as Nick Bottom and Ms.
Musical theatre is a type of theatrical performance combining music, dance, acting and spoken dialogue. Written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, ‘West Side Story’ is a classic American musical based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The through-composed score and lyrics are used to portray different characters and their cultures, the rivalry between the Jets and Sharks, and the emotions felt as the story progresses. This essay will be exploring the music and how effective the score is in realising the world and characters of the musical. Furthermore, it will discuss how Bernstein and Sondheim relate characters’ diverse ethnicities to particular musical ideas and motifs.
What can I say; I guess first I'll start with this was my least favored movie of the semester. Call me a brute or call me a guy but suffice it to say, musicals are simply not my thing. That being said, I feel as though there was a good movie with an enjoyable plot, however, the content gets diluted by these ridiculous singing sections that arise way too often. It was almost in every scene. In an interview with Paul Calori and Kostia Testut, they mentioned that within the singing portions of the movie, the actor can portray certain feelings in three minutes. Three minutes! Three whole minutes to portray a feeling of sadness, frustration, or love (Footnotes Dossier).
On a Wednesday night I saw Texas State Theatre and Dance Department's performance of A Chorus Line. The main plot of the musical entails the audition of 17 dancers for several Broadway roles on the chorus line. However, during their auditions the director Zach asks for personal stories of each dancer's life. Though the plot of this musical is seemingly simple in its twist on the traditional audition, it explores themes that reveal the human experience, the search for individuality, and the sense of self.
I want to create today and forever. Since I was a little girl, the lights of the stage have called me. Later on when I saw the Broadway night lights I knew that was the lights that were destined for me, but did I have what it takes. I proved that I did with every performance I did. I have the talent it was always how much I give. If I stepped on stage without my confidence my talent goes to waste because I didn’t give it everything I’ve got. However when I step on stage chest fully out with confidence I am giving it all I’ve got showing that I have what it takes. It is also in these moments I see not only Broadway’s stage lights but the lights all over the world shining for me. Those lights will always shine for me as long as I give it all
thesis of how the musical brought our inner child out to realize our true struggles in life.
Theatre has heavily evolved over the past 100 years, particularly Musical Theatre- a subgenre of theatre in which the storyline is conveyed relying on songs and lyrics rather than dialogue. From its origination in Athens, musical theatre has spread across the world and is a popular form of entertainment today. This essay will discuss the evolution and change of musical theatre from 1980-2016, primarily focusing on Broadway (New York) and the West End (London). It will consider in depth, the time periods of: The 1980s: “Brit Hits”- the influence of European mega musicals, the 1990s: “The downfall of musicals”- what failed and what redeemed, and the 2000s/2010s: “The Resurgence of musicals”- including the rise of pop and movie musicals. Concluding