Tackling Social Justice Issues Through Musical Theater PK Yonge The Artifice is an online magazine that covers a wide spectrum of art forms. Musicals might be the perfect art form for exploring mental health, because theater allows audiences into characters lives through dialogue and song. It operates independently with the writers collaboratively building and maintaining the platform. It is Ruggiero's third production in the last couple of years, including one at the MUNY Theatre in St. Louis with roughly 5,000 seats. I remember my school being evacuated when Martin Luther King was killed. Think of the example that Heather Nathans gives about Showboat which she identified as a hybrid musical. "They tried to cut 'Carefully Taught,' and Hammerstein said the show doesn't open with that. People have always gone to the theater expecting to be entertained. I knew from looking at you that you were the cool kid in the room, the one who knew what was happening and didn't care about any of it. Musical theater can take unique approaches to dealing with major social issues. Think of the common elements of these kinds of stories and how they have been told through musical theater in the past. Using vernacular speech patterns and spelling, Shange incorporates rhythm to create a sense of community between the poems and women. Hello, there! It was meant as a showcase for the talents of Pearl Bailey. Im not the enemy; , Norm Lewis as Prof. Harold Hill and the children of River City in The Music Man. (Jeremy Daniel). Social perspectives and language used to describe diverse cultures, identities, experiences, and historical context or significance may have changed since this resource was produced. Why do you think this change happened? When discussing her move, Baker said, I wanted to get far away from those who believed in cruelty, so then I went to France, a land of true freedom, democracy, equality and fraternity.. In the 1970s and 1980s musical theater hit a slump after about 60 years of relative stability. When Walt Disney began making movies, that technology was in its infancy. We follow the stories of Coalhouse and Sarah, an African-American couple who yearn to give their child the same opportunities that any white child would have; a Latvian immigrant called Tateh who wants the same thing for his daughter; and Mother, the white wife of a wealthy man who helps Sarah with her child and falls in love with Tateh, leaving her close-minded husband in the process. Songs About Being 17Grey's Anatomy QuotesVine Quotes4 Leaf CloverSelf Respect, 1. Like "Passion", this piece shows us that love is for everyone, regardless of disabilities. What are the main reasons behind the social issues in society? Copyright 1990-2023. Yes, many musicals were written for sheer entertainment. How might that have had anything to do with this change? To make a donation in memory of someone, please visit ourMemorial Donation page. be more chill is a good one when it comes to anxiety. This musical is about an anxious teenager who lies to a mourning family out of fear, convenience and a desire to feel like he belongs. In John 8, Jesus is at the Mount of Olives, where he sees a woman accused of adultery. The Color Purple: Based on Alice Walkers bestselling novel of the same name, this musical has won multiple Tony Awards and is an example of how passion and determination can help a person achieve his or her goals. This is clearly the best one. Political and Social Implications in Musicals | The Artifice This musical based on T. H. White's classic novel "The Once and Future King" teaches us that there is no such place as 'Camelot' where everything is perfect. It's sad that it's still so relevant.". ", [rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F09%2F12%2F636093075539891887-204484536_%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fstatic.playbill.com%252F4f%252F56%252F331db51b4af4ad07080cf683768e%252F21-broadway-songs-about-dads-that-will-make-you-c-2-17395-1434408993-4-dblbig.jpg&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=1022&h=7122cd26b32fa151bd8d345fd191f43a6cf18830c9044cf88ad71ee442871d66&size=980x&c=598255085 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Ffiles%252F2016%252F09%252F12%252F636093075539891887-204484536_%253Furl%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fstatic.playbill.com%25252F4f%25252F56%25252F331db51b4af4ad07080cf683768e%25252F21-broadway-songs-about-dads-that-will-make-you-c-2-17395-1434408993-4-dblbig.jpg%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net%26s%3D1022%26h%3D7122cd26b32fa151bd8d345fd191f43a6cf18830c9044cf88ad71ee442871d66%26size%3D980x%26c%3D598255085%22%7D" expand=1 original_size="1x1"]. Large group - as a group the class would create one musical. If you were to tell the story of the history of American musical theater as a musical play, how would you go about it? Although only 18, Malala has made tremendous waves not only in Pakistan, but the world at large. messages. Other plays have timely, topical themes such as bullying, gossip, gangs, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, divorce, depression, suicide, and more. Decide if you would like your class to work individually, in small groups or as a large group. Time allows for a humorous take on sometimes painful subjects. She also worked for the Red Cross in WWII and as a Civil Rights supporter. The two innocent young lovers are so happy together until they begin to grow up and grow apart: Matt goes off to war and Luisa travels the world and when they come back home broken and battered by the world, they find each other again and this time, their love is real. ", [rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F09%2F12%2F636093073417752416-2141376281_%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fstatic.playbill.com%252F90%252Fde%252F07384dbb446d89904abdc06988ab%252Fintothewoods-originalcast460.jpg&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=1006&h=a701e18166a3051d8daf18d7b38bbd795b9815338784e5d4a7d46317d9ed600f&size=980x&c=3549241711 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Ffiles%252F2016%252F09%252F12%252F636093073417752416-2141376281_%253Furl%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fstatic.playbill.com%25252F90%25252Fde%25252F07384dbb446d89904abdc06988ab%25252Fintothewoods-originalcast460.jpg%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net%26s%3D1006%26h%3Da701e18166a3051d8daf18d7b38bbd795b9815338784e5d4a7d46317d9ed600f%26size%3D980x%26c%3D3549241711%22%7D" expand=1 original_size="1x1"], God, Sondheim and Lapine were busy in the 80s! Zacchaeus became a changed man because of that time with Jesus. Powerful stuff (especially for the very first musical). Miley Cyrus! Everything falls apart when Arthur's bitter, illegitimate son Mordred uses this evidence of the affair to destroy Camelot. Why do you think Disney went back to Broadway with their musical know how? People get hurt, and they let this put a wedge in their personal relationship with Christ. ", "He's sick from malaria and in a tripping kind of state of mind," said Andrew Festa, who plays the role at Asolo Rep. "And when Emil asks him why all Americans are that way, he just explodes. She starred in numerous movies and shows and received many awards for her work. With a moving score by Jerome Kern and simply beautiful lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, Showboat was the first book musical evermeaning before this, all musicals were revues or a themed series of songs and acts. This musical tackles discrimination, sexual abuse, and racism. Pipeline comments on America's broken system, mainly in regards to the racial and economic disparities in the education system. She became a hugely successful and widely popular dancer. Life is not black and white and the story of these two people is very complex and cannot be easily categorized or solved. What else was happening in the world of art, politics, and culture at this time? . A white family find a black baby in their yard and takes on the mother as a maid. You should be over the moon to share a sign with him. Set in 1985, the film revolves around six New Yorkers whose lives intersect. In one of the show's quieter moments, she proudly sings "I Know Where I've Been" about the Civil Rights struggle: "There's a road we've been travelin'. It may appear to be a show for kids with characters like Red Riding Hood and Cinderella, but it's better suited for adults. Even though winter is ending soon, it does not mean the cold is. WebAgain this social effect of jazz was a result of greed by whites, and it created anger, fear and resentment among black jazz musicians. The other is Florida Studio Theatre's season-opening production of the 2002 Tony Award-winning hit "Hairspray," a campy and slightly nostalgic look at life in Baltimore in the early 1960s. That's $290 a week (not counting sick days and taxes). As a child I didn't know what it meant, but obviously now I do.". What offends people the most? Nellie, however, is stopped short when she meets his Polynesian children, realizing that Emile De Becque was involved in a previous interracial relationship. Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; Annenberg Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Bank of America; Bender Foundation, Inc.; Carter and Melissa Cafritz Trust; Carnegie Corporation of New York; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Este Lauder; Exelon; Flocabulary; Harman Family Foundation; The Hearst Foundations; the Herb Alpert Foundation; the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust;the Kimsey Endowment; The King-White Family Foundation and Dr. J. Douglas White; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Little Kids Rock; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation;Music Theatre International; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; the National Endowment for the Arts; Newmans Own Foundation; Nordstrom; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives; Prince Charitable Trusts; Soundtrap; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; UnitedHealth Group; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Dennis & Phyllis Washington; and Wells Fargo. Judgement passed on them for their current, or even past sins. And yet, you smiled and told me your name. She went on to be the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. American Son deals with racism, racial profiling and police brutality. The white family becomes involved in Evelyn Nesbit's trial. Diana Goodman is experiencing serious mental health problems as she copes with the trauma of losing her son in this intimate family drama about mental illness. Arthur wants to scorn his wife for having an affair with his best friend, but it's complicated because they all truly love each other and he maturely asks the question "Can passions be selected?" Keep Exploring Minus the whole sex tape thing. Josephine Baker was born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri. In his room at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Dr. King is brought a cup of coffee by a hotel maid, Camae. Jesus stayed at his home, and all who witnessed it were so surprised that Jesus would associate with a sinner such as Zacchaeus. In addition to Festa, the cast also includes Kelly Felthous as Nellie, a role created by Mary Martin in the original production, Mitzi Gaynor in the film and Kelli O'Hara in the revival. Rather, He sees our sins as buildings from a bird's eye view; from above, there is no differentiate which ones are taller or shorter. The show, based on a cult favorite 1988 John Waters film, focuses on an overweight high school girl who uses her special brand of sunny optimism to break down barriers of acceptance and help end segregation on the daily dance show she longs to be part of. She proves that women can both be well-dressed and feminine as well as strong and independent. Think about these options: You may want to listen to the lectures as a large group.