Song Character Analysis Worksheet - The University of North ...

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woman versus the twentieth century New Woman. The analysis of women in the theatre has provided an important historical knowledge of culture and the assumptions of the original audiences based on stereotypes of character type and sexual promiscuity. The traditions of performance practice specific to musical theatre have been explored in the performance language of gender, the embodied performance possible in the discovery of one’s individual vocal “grain,” and the unique interpretations of solo artists from the period. Finally, a method outline for character development and musical analysis for songs specific to Show Boat has provided a synthesis of gender-based preparation. An awareness of typecasting potential and the desire to avoid another re-treading of a stereotyped caricature are important for an actress to create a performance of significance through a character role. This significance is made possible by imbuing the role with vocal substance and dramatic integrity gleaned from research of character analysis, historical setting, and societal context. In addition, an understanding of gender roles and stereo-types for the particular era of the show is necessary to provide a layer of origin- ality and realism to the process of “becoming the character.” This should be standard practice even for the preparation of modern, rock-influenced musicals. The task is now left to the performer to combine her accomplished vocal technique and personal life experiences with gender awareness and song analysis. This preparation will allow her to embody and transcend a musical theatre character type that is original yet historically accurate, which may become the next definitive performance. 111
BIBLIOGRAPHY General Sources Burkholder, J. Peter, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music, 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. Dumenil, Lynn. “The Progressive Era through the 1920s.” In Encyclopedia of American Social History, vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1993. Encarta World English Dictionary. Microsoft Corporation, 1999. Ferber, Edna. Show Boat. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Page, 1926. Hammerstein, Oscar II. Show Boat. Libretto. New York: The Rodgers and Hammerstein Library, 1927. Rev. ed., 1946. Hammerstein, Oscar II. Show Boat. 1927 libretto. “Collection of Musicals and Lyrics.” http://libretto.musicals.ru/text.php?textid=303&language= 1 (accessed 30 October 2005). Kern, Jerome. Show Boat. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber. New York: T. B. Harms Co., 1927. Reprint, Greenwich, CT: The Welk Music Group 1970. Kern, Jerome. Show Boat Vocal/Piano Score. Burbank, CA: Polygram International Publishing, 1927. Distributed by Hal Leonard Corporation. Shindo, Charles J. “The Twenties.” In St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. Wilder, Alec. American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990. 112
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LEWIS, ANNE, D.M.A. An Examination
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APPROVAL PAGE This dissertation has
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TABLE OF CONTENTS iv Page ACKNOWLED
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for research, this paper will explo
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MacDonald, labeled musical theatre
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The musicals that have entered the
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and individually as handwriting.”
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Methodology The base of research fo
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Feminine Character in Selected Libr
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from the 1920s, they are timeless i
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e helpful to recognize the specific
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as a Cinderella-type heiress who ma
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Vereen described the “blackface c
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Casino Theatre in Manhattan. The re
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functional sets, and an eleven-piec
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The History of the Musical, Show Bo
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amount of instrumental music, the d
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Ferber’s novel begins with the na
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Act II begins four years later as G
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CHAPTER III SOCIETAL STEREOTYPES OF
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communion.” 5 This bias continued
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children, however, did allow mother
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unhealthy, sub-human environments.
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dominated by masculine traits in ap
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magazines, including Ladies Home Jo
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Nineteenth Century Stereotypes of W
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usiness. She was responsible for th
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gender) inequality forced them inst
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The 1920s was the Jazz Age, a time
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CHAPTER IV THEATRICAL STEREOTYPES O
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peoples . . . to save us from our o
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separate seating arrangements). The
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Page 67 and 68: gossip columns. 17 Exploitation on
Page 69 and 70: means to economic or career advance
Page 71 and 72: Florenz Ziegfeld, reportedly, was q
Page 73 and 74: in a subservient role as a domestic
Page 75 and 76: looked, Magnolia decided, as if the
Page 77 and 78: When he holds me close, Close as we
Page 79 and 80: In the novel, Parthy Ann is a three
Page 81 and 82: opens her handbag and takes out a p
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Page 87 and 88: of that time. Performance practice
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Page 91 and 92: order while the musical number repr
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Page 97 and 98: elationships with other characters
Page 99 and 100: Finally, the process includes a mus
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Page 105 and 106: “Though the cold and brutal fact
Page 107 and 108: [Bridge]: When he goes away dat’s
Page 109 and 110: angelically while caught in the act
Page 111 and 112: The song appears twice more as a pl
Page 113 and 114: CHAPTER VI CURTAIN CALL The musical
Page 115: theatre performance practice. They
Page 119 and 120: Long, Mary Anne. “‘All Our Girl
Page 121 and 122: Kerber, Linda K., and Jane Sherron
Page 123 and 124: Levine, Lawrence W. The Opening of
Page 125 and 126: Song Title: Show Title: Lyricist: C
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