Friday, May 7, 2010
My Concluding Statement
I thought this was phenomenal class that allowed me to love theater even more than what I already did. I did not realize how much was really involved with theater until I took this course. I couldn’t believe all the magnificent opportunities theater can bring to a person’s life. In this course, we not only had the chance to go see real live theater production, in which I chose “Bye Bye Birdie” as my production to watch, but I learned several other aspects that are involved in theater production. Theater is just not about getting up reciting a play; it’s about acting and reacting. Responding to performances is very important when a person is involved in a theater production. Not only did I get the chance to respond to respond in a theater production, but I got the chance to voice my opinion and share my ideas with fellow students about the art and life of theater. It was so interesting to learn how the theater was created and how everything began. Everything just comes together with such great creativity and talent, such as what I was able to use in this course. I was able to somewhat show some creativity by making the blogs as my final project. Not only was I able to relate theater to my major, but I was able to create a blog with customs for the Lion King Production, relate theater to my life, I expressed my passions on the Sound of Music, which was one of the several theater productions I was involved in. I also got to express my thoughts and feelings about Broadway and I wrote a theater profile, which gave a little bit of background about theater. Being able to express my feelings about the world of theater and learn even more about it was a fabulous opportunity for me. I really enjoyed learning the background and history of theater. Another thing I couldn’t believe about theater productions is the amount of drama that is involved in them. I think someone being able to act out such dramatic scenes is fabulous. Another thing I learned about theater is that it has several styles of production. Not all productions are the same. Some productions are more dramatized than others. We also had the opportunity read two different plays. I enjoyed reading them, although I do find plays difficult to read unless there is a group of people together reading them. To me it’s not a theater production or a play without the actors. Not only did we have the chance to read two plays, but we got an overview about the construction of plays. I find it amazing how theater really plays a big rule in life. Not only do the actors of the theater productions work hard, but so do the producers and or the makers of the productions. I also learned that theater just isn’t about people in their normal everyday street clothes telling a story or putting on a show, I learned that there’s a lot more involved in a theater production than what I thought. There are several months of working long and hard to know he lines of the production. There is music and singing, in which the actors need to know the lyrics to be able to sing the song. Not only is there music and singing, but there are customs, dancing, make-up. Theater productions are not little shows that come on every half hour. Those that work in the Theater work long and hard to accomplish such great talent and success. I never thought theater would be so popular. The history and making behind theater is interesting. I have always been involved in theater productions and I enjoyed every minute of it rather if I was on stage under the lights or behind the curtain watching my fellow cast members on stage showing their great talent. It was such a great feeling to look out into the audience and see the smiles on the faces of the crowd sitting there enjoying the theater production that we all worked long and hard hours on. When I was on stage or behind the scene, I never stopped to think about how and where theater began. I never stopped to think about the history and making of theater or the different styles of theater there really is in today’s world. I really enjoyed this class. It really gave me the opportunity to open up with others and discuss my thoughts and feelings and learn more about the world of theater.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Theater Relating to My Major
Theater Relating to My Major
My major that I am taking in college is Respiratory Therapy. I want to give you a little background of what a Respiratory Therapist does and then I will relate it to the theater. Respiratory therapists—also known as respiratory care practitioners—evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. They consult with physicians and other healthcare staff to help develop and modify patient care plans. Therapists also provide complex therapy requiring considerable independent judgment, such as caring for patients on life support in intensive-care units of hospitals.
Respiratory therapists evaluate and treat all types of patients, ranging from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people whose lungs are diseased. They provide temporary relief to patients with chronic asthma or emphysema and give emergency care to patients who are victims of a heart attack, stroke, drowning, or shock.
Respiratory therapists interview patients, perform limited physical examinations, and conduct diagnostic tests. For example, respiratory therapists test a patient's breathing capacity and determine the concentration of oxygen and other gases in a patient's blood. They also measure a patient's pH, which indicates the acidity or alkalinity of the blood. To evaluate a patient's lung capacity, respiratory therapists have the patient breathe into an instrument that measures the volume and flow of oxygen during inhalation and exhalation. By comparing the reading with the norm for the patient's age, height, weight, and sex, respiratory therapists can provide information that helps determine whether the patient has any lung deficiencies. To analyze oxygen, carbon dioxide, and blood pH levels, therapists draw an arterial blood sample, place it in a blood gas analyzer, and relay the results to a physician, who then makes treatment decisions.
To treat patients, respiratory therapists use oxygen or oxygen mixtures, chest physiotherapy, and aerosol medications—liquid medications suspended in a gas that forms a mist which is inhaled. They teach patients how to inhale the aerosol properly to ensure its effectiveness. When a patient has difficulty getting enough oxygen into his or her blood, therapists increase the patient's concentration of oxygen by placing an oxygen mask or nasal cannula on the patient and setting the oxygen flow at the level prescribed by a physician. Therapists also connect patients who cannot breathe on their own to ventilators that deliver pressurized oxygen into the lungs. The therapists insert a tube into the patient's trachea, or windpipe; connect the tube to the ventilator; and set the rate, volume, and oxygen concentration of the oxygen mixture entering the patient's lungs.
Therapists perform regular assessments of patients and equipment. If a patient appears to be having difficulty breathing or if the oxygen, carbon dioxide, or pH level of the blood is abnormal, therapists change the ventilator setting according to the doctor's orders or check the equipment for mechanical problems.
Respiratory therapists perform chest physiotherapy on patients to remove mucus from their lungs and make it easier for them to breathe. Therapists place patients in positions that help drain mucus, and then vibrate the patients' rib cages, often by tapping on the chest, and tell the patients to cough. Chest physiotherapy may be needed after surgery, for example, because anesthesia depresses respiration. As a result, physiotherapy may be prescribed to help get the patient's lungs back to normal and to prevent congestion. Chest physiotherapy also helps patients suffering from lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, that cause mucus to collect in the lungs.
Therapists who work in home care teach patients and their families to use ventilators and other life-support systems. In addition, these therapists visit patients in their homes to inspect and clean equipment, evaluate the home environment, and ensure that patients have sufficient knowledge of their diseases and the proper use of their medications and equipment. Therapists also make emergency visits if equipment problems arise.
That is just a little description of what a Respiratory Therapist does. You can compare the respiratory field to theater in many ways. In theater we are always trying to put on an act on stage to get peoples attention, with respiratory you have to give the attention to the patients. The patients are counting on you to get them the help that they need. In theater the actors are the patients. You have to give them the attention that they need or the don’t perform well.
Respiratory therapists are always evaluating people, this is true for theater as well. We are all being evaluated in many different ways. It gets to be more serious in respiratory then it does in theater because if a therapist makes a mistake we could seriously injure or kill someone. If you make a mistake in theater you really can’t hurt anyone, unless something catastrophic happens.
We can compare lighting and costume from a respiratory therapist to theater as well. When you do a play in theater you have various lighting and attire. With respiratory you really have a set costume to wear(uniform), and if you work in the hospital you normally have pretty good lighting. The lighting is a very important part of how you do your work, as so is the uniform you wear. We are professional people and we have to be able to look and see well.
In theater there is normally a script that you have to follow. In respiratory there are many steps that you have to follow as well to care for the patient. Sometimes you may have to be pulled from one patient to go care for another. This really doesn’t happen in theater, in theater you have a certain script to follow and you go by it.
Those are just some ways that theater relates to respiratory therapy. I hope you enjoyed my paper. This concludes my paper in relating theater to respiratory therapy.
My major that I am taking in college is Respiratory Therapy. I want to give you a little background of what a Respiratory Therapist does and then I will relate it to the theater. Respiratory therapists—also known as respiratory care practitioners—evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. They consult with physicians and other healthcare staff to help develop and modify patient care plans. Therapists also provide complex therapy requiring considerable independent judgment, such as caring for patients on life support in intensive-care units of hospitals.
Respiratory therapists evaluate and treat all types of patients, ranging from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people whose lungs are diseased. They provide temporary relief to patients with chronic asthma or emphysema and give emergency care to patients who are victims of a heart attack, stroke, drowning, or shock.
Respiratory therapists interview patients, perform limited physical examinations, and conduct diagnostic tests. For example, respiratory therapists test a patient's breathing capacity and determine the concentration of oxygen and other gases in a patient's blood. They also measure a patient's pH, which indicates the acidity or alkalinity of the blood. To evaluate a patient's lung capacity, respiratory therapists have the patient breathe into an instrument that measures the volume and flow of oxygen during inhalation and exhalation. By comparing the reading with the norm for the patient's age, height, weight, and sex, respiratory therapists can provide information that helps determine whether the patient has any lung deficiencies. To analyze oxygen, carbon dioxide, and blood pH levels, therapists draw an arterial blood sample, place it in a blood gas analyzer, and relay the results to a physician, who then makes treatment decisions.
To treat patients, respiratory therapists use oxygen or oxygen mixtures, chest physiotherapy, and aerosol medications—liquid medications suspended in a gas that forms a mist which is inhaled. They teach patients how to inhale the aerosol properly to ensure its effectiveness. When a patient has difficulty getting enough oxygen into his or her blood, therapists increase the patient's concentration of oxygen by placing an oxygen mask or nasal cannula on the patient and setting the oxygen flow at the level prescribed by a physician. Therapists also connect patients who cannot breathe on their own to ventilators that deliver pressurized oxygen into the lungs. The therapists insert a tube into the patient's trachea, or windpipe; connect the tube to the ventilator; and set the rate, volume, and oxygen concentration of the oxygen mixture entering the patient's lungs.
Therapists perform regular assessments of patients and equipment. If a patient appears to be having difficulty breathing or if the oxygen, carbon dioxide, or pH level of the blood is abnormal, therapists change the ventilator setting according to the doctor's orders or check the equipment for mechanical problems.
Respiratory therapists perform chest physiotherapy on patients to remove mucus from their lungs and make it easier for them to breathe. Therapists place patients in positions that help drain mucus, and then vibrate the patients' rib cages, often by tapping on the chest, and tell the patients to cough. Chest physiotherapy may be needed after surgery, for example, because anesthesia depresses respiration. As a result, physiotherapy may be prescribed to help get the patient's lungs back to normal and to prevent congestion. Chest physiotherapy also helps patients suffering from lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, that cause mucus to collect in the lungs.
Therapists who work in home care teach patients and their families to use ventilators and other life-support systems. In addition, these therapists visit patients in their homes to inspect and clean equipment, evaluate the home environment, and ensure that patients have sufficient knowledge of their diseases and the proper use of their medications and equipment. Therapists also make emergency visits if equipment problems arise.
That is just a little description of what a Respiratory Therapist does. You can compare the respiratory field to theater in many ways. In theater we are always trying to put on an act on stage to get peoples attention, with respiratory you have to give the attention to the patients. The patients are counting on you to get them the help that they need. In theater the actors are the patients. You have to give them the attention that they need or the don’t perform well.
Respiratory therapists are always evaluating people, this is true for theater as well. We are all being evaluated in many different ways. It gets to be more serious in respiratory then it does in theater because if a therapist makes a mistake we could seriously injure or kill someone. If you make a mistake in theater you really can’t hurt anyone, unless something catastrophic happens.
We can compare lighting and costume from a respiratory therapist to theater as well. When you do a play in theater you have various lighting and attire. With respiratory you really have a set costume to wear(uniform), and if you work in the hospital you normally have pretty good lighting. The lighting is a very important part of how you do your work, as so is the uniform you wear. We are professional people and we have to be able to look and see well.
In theater there is normally a script that you have to follow. In respiratory there are many steps that you have to follow as well to care for the patient. Sometimes you may have to be pulled from one patient to go care for another. This really doesn’t happen in theater, in theater you have a certain script to follow and you go by it.
Those are just some ways that theater relates to respiratory therapy. I hope you enjoyed my paper. This concludes my paper in relating theater to respiratory therapy.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Costumes for "The Lion King"
Costumes for "The Lion King"
I am going to talk about one of the last scenes in “The Lion King”. I believe it is the best part of the play. Near the end of the play, Simba meets Rafiki, who explains that his father is still alive ("He Lives in You (Reprise)"). As Simba looks toward the sky, his father appears as a heavenly vision. Mufasa reminds Simba that he is the rightful king and must return home. Simba is persuaded and heads for Pride Rock.
Meanwhile, Nala wakes Timon and Pumbaa to ask where Simba is. Rafiki appears and tells them that he has returned to Pride Rock.
Simba returns to Pride Rock with Nala, Timon and Pumbaa, where he witnesses the ruin that his home has fallen into. Timon and Pumbaa lure some hyenas out of their path by providing a diversion. Timon dresses in drag and does the hula while Pumbaa plays as the stuffed pig. Simba tells Nala to go find his mother while he goes look for Scar.
Scar calls for Sarabi and demands to know why the lionesses are not hunting. Sarabi tells him that there is no food or water and that they need to leave Pride Rock to survive. Scar refuses and when Sarabi snaps at him about not being half the king Mufasa was, Scar strikes his sister-in-law saying that he was ten times the king Mufasa was. At this, an enraged Simba leaps down, startling Scar, who believes his nephew to be dead. Scar forces a confession of murder from Simba and attacks him, forcing him over the edge of Pride Rock. Believing that he has won, Scar whispers to Simba that he was the one who killed Mufasa. Simba, infuriated, leaps up and grabs Scar by the throat, causing Scar to reveal the truth. A fierce battle rages between the lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki and the hyenas ("Simba Confronts Scar").
Simba corners Scar on the top of Pride Rock, where Scar begs for his life and blames everything on the hyenas. In a repetition of Scar's words to cub Simba, Simba tells Scar to run away and never return. Scar, with the thought of Simba killing him, appears to follow this request, but turns quickly and attacks Simba again. Simba is able to block the attack, making Scar trip and fall over the cliff where the hyenas are waiting below. They surround their former leader and kill him.
The battle having finally ended, Simba's friends come forward and acknowledge Simba as the new and rightful king. Rafiki arrives and places the king's mantle on Simba. Simba climbs to the top of Pride Rock and roars out across the kingdom. The animals gather at the call of their new king and celebrate ("King of Pride Rock"). Rafiki, Nala and Simba ascend Pride Rock where Rafiki lifts Simba and Nala's newborn cub high into the air, thus continuing the Circle of Life and ushering in a new golden age ("Circle of Life (Reprise)").
That is how “The Lion King” ends. It is a great show and I hope people will go out and see the play.
I am going to talk about one of the last scenes in “The Lion King”. I believe it is the best part of the play. Near the end of the play, Simba meets Rafiki, who explains that his father is still alive ("He Lives in You (Reprise)"). As Simba looks toward the sky, his father appears as a heavenly vision. Mufasa reminds Simba that he is the rightful king and must return home. Simba is persuaded and heads for Pride Rock.
Meanwhile, Nala wakes Timon and Pumbaa to ask where Simba is. Rafiki appears and tells them that he has returned to Pride Rock.
Simba returns to Pride Rock with Nala, Timon and Pumbaa, where he witnesses the ruin that his home has fallen into. Timon and Pumbaa lure some hyenas out of their path by providing a diversion. Timon dresses in drag and does the hula while Pumbaa plays as the stuffed pig. Simba tells Nala to go find his mother while he goes look for Scar.
Scar calls for Sarabi and demands to know why the lionesses are not hunting. Sarabi tells him that there is no food or water and that they need to leave Pride Rock to survive. Scar refuses and when Sarabi snaps at him about not being half the king Mufasa was, Scar strikes his sister-in-law saying that he was ten times the king Mufasa was. At this, an enraged Simba leaps down, startling Scar, who believes his nephew to be dead. Scar forces a confession of murder from Simba and attacks him, forcing him over the edge of Pride Rock. Believing that he has won, Scar whispers to Simba that he was the one who killed Mufasa. Simba, infuriated, leaps up and grabs Scar by the throat, causing Scar to reveal the truth. A fierce battle rages between the lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki and the hyenas ("Simba Confronts Scar").
Simba corners Scar on the top of Pride Rock, where Scar begs for his life and blames everything on the hyenas. In a repetition of Scar's words to cub Simba, Simba tells Scar to run away and never return. Scar, with the thought of Simba killing him, appears to follow this request, but turns quickly and attacks Simba again. Simba is able to block the attack, making Scar trip and fall over the cliff where the hyenas are waiting below. They surround their former leader and kill him.
The battle having finally ended, Simba's friends come forward and acknowledge Simba as the new and rightful king. Rafiki arrives and places the king's mantle on Simba. Simba climbs to the top of Pride Rock and roars out across the kingdom. The animals gather at the call of their new king and celebrate ("King of Pride Rock"). Rafiki, Nala and Simba ascend Pride Rock where Rafiki lifts Simba and Nala's newborn cub high into the air, thus continuing the Circle of Life and ushering in a new golden age ("Circle of Life (Reprise)").
That is how “The Lion King” ends. It is a great show and I hope people will go out and see the play.
Relating Theater to My Life
Relating Theater to My Life
There are a couple ways that I can relate theater to my life. First I can talk about how I spent years performing dance. I have been dancing for a long time and that is a big thing that I can relate to theater.
I want to reflect upon are the 16 years of dance I have done. There is not just one performance that I am really proud of. I just loved getting out there and try to put on a show for the audience. I mean dancing takes a lot of practice I mean a lot and u really have to work hard at it. I have had several broken bones from dancing, but I believe it was well worth it. When you are finished with your performance you have a lot of people cheering and clapping. It is just a huge adrenaline rush when you get done.
I even had to go out and perform when I broke my foot, because my instructor wouldn’t let me quit. It was so painful when I got done but I guess it was well worth it when I heard the applause from the crowd. You have your family and friends in the audience and they video tape you so you can see your performance later.
I guess the hardest part for me to dance was just getting up in front of all those people. You never know who could be in the crowd. I believe the easiest thing for me to do was just forget about who is watching and go out and perform like I know I can. I believe this experience can help me grow as a person because of all the interaction I had with the crowd and the people who danced with me. I would like to grow as a performer as a respiratory therapist, so I can help people breath.
I believe that theater relates to a bunch of people in a various number of ways. Lets talk about how theater relates to the movies. People in the movies are really working in a big play. Think about it they have a script they have to follow, so do people in theater. You have to follow your cues of when to talk and what to do. A big difference in a movie though is that you take have a lot of takes to get your lines right. When you are in theater you only have one chance to get it right and if you don’t get it right you can mess up the whole play.
I think that when a person goes to watch a play the want to get away from their normal life. You want to go watch and enjoy a play like “The Lion King” and take the kids and get away from the normal life you live. They put on a nice show and you feel like you have to come back again and again. Its not like you are at your house watching a movie, the people on the stage are here to put on a show for you to enjoy. I believe they try to connect with the audience so that people can connect with what is going on the stage.
Also theater has a lot to do with fashion. Most plays on Broadway, people wear costumes. The costumes can be formal, informal or new or old. Depending on how old the show is, determines what kind of costumes they wear. Like in The Lion King, the actors wear lion costumes and try to dress up like the animals they are going to play. I believe the actors do this so you can connect to a real life setting around the play. People want a play to be believable and if you don’t dress the part the audience can’t connect with the actors. That is how fashion is incorporated into theater. This concludes how theater relates to my life.
There are a couple ways that I can relate theater to my life. First I can talk about how I spent years performing dance. I have been dancing for a long time and that is a big thing that I can relate to theater.
I want to reflect upon are the 16 years of dance I have done. There is not just one performance that I am really proud of. I just loved getting out there and try to put on a show for the audience. I mean dancing takes a lot of practice I mean a lot and u really have to work hard at it. I have had several broken bones from dancing, but I believe it was well worth it. When you are finished with your performance you have a lot of people cheering and clapping. It is just a huge adrenaline rush when you get done.
I even had to go out and perform when I broke my foot, because my instructor wouldn’t let me quit. It was so painful when I got done but I guess it was well worth it when I heard the applause from the crowd. You have your family and friends in the audience and they video tape you so you can see your performance later.
I guess the hardest part for me to dance was just getting up in front of all those people. You never know who could be in the crowd. I believe the easiest thing for me to do was just forget about who is watching and go out and perform like I know I can. I believe this experience can help me grow as a person because of all the interaction I had with the crowd and the people who danced with me. I would like to grow as a performer as a respiratory therapist, so I can help people breath.
I believe that theater relates to a bunch of people in a various number of ways. Lets talk about how theater relates to the movies. People in the movies are really working in a big play. Think about it they have a script they have to follow, so do people in theater. You have to follow your cues of when to talk and what to do. A big difference in a movie though is that you take have a lot of takes to get your lines right. When you are in theater you only have one chance to get it right and if you don’t get it right you can mess up the whole play.
I think that when a person goes to watch a play the want to get away from their normal life. You want to go watch and enjoy a play like “The Lion King” and take the kids and get away from the normal life you live. They put on a nice show and you feel like you have to come back again and again. Its not like you are at your house watching a movie, the people on the stage are here to put on a show for you to enjoy. I believe they try to connect with the audience so that people can connect with what is going on the stage.
Also theater has a lot to do with fashion. Most plays on Broadway, people wear costumes. The costumes can be formal, informal or new or old. Depending on how old the show is, determines what kind of costumes they wear. Like in The Lion King, the actors wear lion costumes and try to dress up like the animals they are going to play. I believe the actors do this so you can connect to a real life setting around the play. People want a play to be believable and if you don’t dress the part the audience can’t connect with the actors. That is how fashion is incorporated into theater. This concludes how theater relates to my life.
Passion Piece on The Sound of Music
Passion Piece on The Sound of Music
One of my most favorite plays is The Sound of Music. I want to give you a little background on The Sound of Music Broadway show. The Sound of Music is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Many songs from the musical have become standards, including the title song "The Sound of Music", "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and "Do-Re-Mi".
The original Broadway production, starring Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel, opened in November 1959, and the show has enjoyed numerous productions and revivals since then. It has also been made into an Academy Award-winning 1965 film musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The Sound of Music was the final musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein; Hammerstein died of cancer nine months after the Broadway premiere.
The Sound of Music opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16, 1959, moved to the Mark Hellinger Theatre on November 6, 1962 and closed on June 15, 1963) after 1,443 performances. The director was Vincent J. Donehue and the choreographer Joe Layton. The original cast included Mary Martin (at 46) as Maria, Theodore Bikel as Captain Georg von Trapp, Patricia Neway as Mother Abbess, Kurt Kasznar as Max Detweiler, Marion Marlowe as Elsa Schraeder, Brian Davies as Rolf, and Lauri Peters as Liesl.
The production shared the Tony Award for Best Musical with Fiorello!. It also won for Best Actress in a Musical (Mary Martin), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Patricia Neway), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Oliver Smith), and Best Musical Direction (Frederick Dvonch) and was nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (both Theodore Bikel and Kurt Kasznar) and Best Director of a Musical (Vincent J. Donehue). The entire children's cast was nominated for Best Featured Actress category as a single nominee, even though two children were boys.
Martha Wright replaced Mary Martin in the role of Maria on Broadway in October 1961, followed by Jeannie Carson in July 1962 and Nancy Dussault in September 1962. Jon Voight, who eventually married co-star Lauri Peters, was a replacement for Rolf's part. The national tour starred Florence Henderson, and opened at the Riviera Theatre, Detroit on February 27, 1961 and closed November 23, 1963 at the O'Keefe Center, Toronto. Henderson was succeeded by Barbara Meister in June 1962.
The original Broadway cast album sold three million copies. After doing some research about The Sound of Music, I found some interesting facts about the origin of the play. After viewing The Trapp Family, a 1956 Austrian film about the von Trapp family, and its 1958 sequel, The Trapp Family in America (Die Trapp-Familie in America), stage director Vincent J. Donehue thought that the project would be perfect for his friend Mary Martin; Broadway producers Leland Hayward and Richard Halliday (Martin's husband) agreed. The producers originally envisioned a nonmusical play that would be written by Lindsay and Crouse and that would feature songs from the repertoire of the Trapp Family Singers. Then they decided to add an original song or two, perhaps by Rodgers and Hammerstein. But it was soon agreed that the project should feature all new songs and be a musical rather than a play.
Details of the history of the von Trapp family were altered for the musical. Georg Ludwig von Trapp lived with his family in a villa in Aigen, a suburb of Salzburg. The real Maria von Trapp was sent to be a tutor to one of the children, not a governess to all of them. The Captain's oldest child was a boy, not a girl, and the names of the children were changed (at least partly to avoid confusion: the Captain's second eldest daughter, the third of the seven, was also called Maria). The von Trapps spent some years in Austria after Maria and the Captain married – they did not have to flee right away – and they fled to Italy, not Switzerland. Maria von Trapp is said to have been unhappy with the movie's portrayal of her husband as having been cold and stern prior to her arrival, which she and their children strongly dispute.
During the Cold War, the BBC planned to broadcast The Sound of Music on radio in the event of a nuclear strike on the United Kingdom. The broadcast would be part of an emergency timetable of programs designed to "reassure" the public in the aftermath of the attack.
I really love this musical because I love all the singing and dancing that goes along with this musical. I love the movie, I just watch it over and over. I like how the story ends with the nanny ending up with the father of all the kids at the end of the movie. It is just a truly well written and a romantic piece of work.
One of my most favorite plays is The Sound of Music. I want to give you a little background on The Sound of Music Broadway show. The Sound of Music is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Many songs from the musical have become standards, including the title song "The Sound of Music", "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and "Do-Re-Mi".
The original Broadway production, starring Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel, opened in November 1959, and the show has enjoyed numerous productions and revivals since then. It has also been made into an Academy Award-winning 1965 film musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The Sound of Music was the final musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein; Hammerstein died of cancer nine months after the Broadway premiere.
The Sound of Music opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16, 1959, moved to the Mark Hellinger Theatre on November 6, 1962 and closed on June 15, 1963) after 1,443 performances. The director was Vincent J. Donehue and the choreographer Joe Layton. The original cast included Mary Martin (at 46) as Maria, Theodore Bikel as Captain Georg von Trapp, Patricia Neway as Mother Abbess, Kurt Kasznar as Max Detweiler, Marion Marlowe as Elsa Schraeder, Brian Davies as Rolf, and Lauri Peters as Liesl.
The production shared the Tony Award for Best Musical with Fiorello!. It also won for Best Actress in a Musical (Mary Martin), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Patricia Neway), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Oliver Smith), and Best Musical Direction (Frederick Dvonch) and was nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (both Theodore Bikel and Kurt Kasznar) and Best Director of a Musical (Vincent J. Donehue). The entire children's cast was nominated for Best Featured Actress category as a single nominee, even though two children were boys.
Martha Wright replaced Mary Martin in the role of Maria on Broadway in October 1961, followed by Jeannie Carson in July 1962 and Nancy Dussault in September 1962. Jon Voight, who eventually married co-star Lauri Peters, was a replacement for Rolf's part. The national tour starred Florence Henderson, and opened at the Riviera Theatre, Detroit on February 27, 1961 and closed November 23, 1963 at the O'Keefe Center, Toronto. Henderson was succeeded by Barbara Meister in June 1962.
The original Broadway cast album sold three million copies. After doing some research about The Sound of Music, I found some interesting facts about the origin of the play. After viewing The Trapp Family, a 1956 Austrian film about the von Trapp family, and its 1958 sequel, The Trapp Family in America (Die Trapp-Familie in America), stage director Vincent J. Donehue thought that the project would be perfect for his friend Mary Martin; Broadway producers Leland Hayward and Richard Halliday (Martin's husband) agreed. The producers originally envisioned a nonmusical play that would be written by Lindsay and Crouse and that would feature songs from the repertoire of the Trapp Family Singers. Then they decided to add an original song or two, perhaps by Rodgers and Hammerstein. But it was soon agreed that the project should feature all new songs and be a musical rather than a play.
Details of the history of the von Trapp family were altered for the musical. Georg Ludwig von Trapp lived with his family in a villa in Aigen, a suburb of Salzburg. The real Maria von Trapp was sent to be a tutor to one of the children, not a governess to all of them. The Captain's oldest child was a boy, not a girl, and the names of the children were changed (at least partly to avoid confusion: the Captain's second eldest daughter, the third of the seven, was also called Maria). The von Trapps spent some years in Austria after Maria and the Captain married – they did not have to flee right away – and they fled to Italy, not Switzerland. Maria von Trapp is said to have been unhappy with the movie's portrayal of her husband as having been cold and stern prior to her arrival, which she and their children strongly dispute.
During the Cold War, the BBC planned to broadcast The Sound of Music on radio in the event of a nuclear strike on the United Kingdom. The broadcast would be part of an emergency timetable of programs designed to "reassure" the public in the aftermath of the attack.
I really love this musical because I love all the singing and dancing that goes along with this musical. I love the movie, I just watch it over and over. I like how the story ends with the nanny ending up with the father of all the kids at the end of the movie. It is just a truly well written and a romantic piece of work.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Theater Profile
THEATER PROFILE
I am going to do a report on The Public Theater in NYC. I will first give you some background on the theater. The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village section of Lower Manhattan. The venue opened in 1967, mounting the world-premiere production of the musical Hair as its first show. It currently is led by Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson.
The Public Theater is known for presenting "challenging work." This has a variety of meanings, including artistic heterodoxy. It also reflects the Public Theater's role as a voice for the American social and political Left. Many of its productions are considered avant-garde and not likely to find a home in theaters catering to a mainstream audience.
In addition to five theater spaces, the site includes Joe's Pub, a cabaret-style setting used for new work, musical performances, spoken-word artists and soloists. The Public also operates the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, where it presents its free Shakespeare in the Park performances during the summer months. These productions feature popular actors and tickets are disbursed quickly. The Public Theater also invests in theater education, training classical actors through the annual summer acting intensive known as the Shakespeare Lab. It also hosts the Under the Radar Festival, directed by Mark Russell.
The Public Theater Musical Theatre Initiative Director is Ted Sperling, named in 2008. This program is intended to expand and develop new works for the American musical theatre.
The most famous work to emerge from The Public, other than the original production of Hair, is the Michael Bennett musical A Chorus Line, based on the lives and careers of Broadway dancers, commonly known as "gypsies." The announced opening created such a stir of anticipation among the theatrical community that the entire limited run sold out long before opening night. Demand for tickets was such that the show moved uptown to the Shubert Theater, where it remained "one singular sensation" for fifteen sell-out years. Over the years, revenue from the many worldwide productions, both professional and amateur, of the show has been a steady and main source of income for the Public.
Public Theater productions have won a total of 138 Obie Awards, 40 Tony Awards, 39 Drama Desk Awards, 19 Lucille Lortel Awards, and 4 Pulitzer Prizes. The Public has brought more than 50 shows to Broadway, including Sticks and Bones, The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, The Water Engine, The Human Comedy, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, That Championship Season, Plenty, The Pirates of Penzance, The Tempest, Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk, On the Town, The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, Elaine Stritch at Liberty, and Take Me Out.
One of the reasons that the theater appeals to me is that The Public Theater’s Education and Outreach programs are dedicated to making the arts accessible to students all over New York City. I believe that new york city has a vast number of people who can come and enjoy plays. I mean in any given day there is 1 million people walking around new york city.
One other reason I admire the theater is because of their internship program. The Public Theater’s internship program offers a unique opportunity for individuals to gain practical experience in one of the country’s premiere not-for-profit theaters. Founded by Joseph Papp to bring Shakespeare to the people of New York, The Public has expanded to include contemporary pieces, specially commissioned new works, staged readings and workshops. Internships are offered in a variety of departments, from the creative to the administrative; and interns are encouraged to explore beyond their department to learn more about how the theater functions as a whole.
The internship program aims to provide individuals with valuable mentorship and expert training, bridging the gap between academic education and practice. Interns play an integral part in the inner workings of the Public. Supporting the Public in its daily activities, interns will gain insight, knowledge and hands-on experience in all aspects of the theater.
I am going to do a report on The Public Theater in NYC. I will first give you some background on the theater. The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village section of Lower Manhattan. The venue opened in 1967, mounting the world-premiere production of the musical Hair as its first show. It currently is led by Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson.
The Public Theater is known for presenting "challenging work." This has a variety of meanings, including artistic heterodoxy. It also reflects the Public Theater's role as a voice for the American social and political Left. Many of its productions are considered avant-garde and not likely to find a home in theaters catering to a mainstream audience.
In addition to five theater spaces, the site includes Joe's Pub, a cabaret-style setting used for new work, musical performances, spoken-word artists and soloists. The Public also operates the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, where it presents its free Shakespeare in the Park performances during the summer months. These productions feature popular actors and tickets are disbursed quickly. The Public Theater also invests in theater education, training classical actors through the annual summer acting intensive known as the Shakespeare Lab. It also hosts the Under the Radar Festival, directed by Mark Russell.
The Public Theater Musical Theatre Initiative Director is Ted Sperling, named in 2008. This program is intended to expand and develop new works for the American musical theatre.
The most famous work to emerge from The Public, other than the original production of Hair, is the Michael Bennett musical A Chorus Line, based on the lives and careers of Broadway dancers, commonly known as "gypsies." The announced opening created such a stir of anticipation among the theatrical community that the entire limited run sold out long before opening night. Demand for tickets was such that the show moved uptown to the Shubert Theater, where it remained "one singular sensation" for fifteen sell-out years. Over the years, revenue from the many worldwide productions, both professional and amateur, of the show has been a steady and main source of income for the Public.
Public Theater productions have won a total of 138 Obie Awards, 40 Tony Awards, 39 Drama Desk Awards, 19 Lucille Lortel Awards, and 4 Pulitzer Prizes. The Public has brought more than 50 shows to Broadway, including Sticks and Bones, The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, The Water Engine, The Human Comedy, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, That Championship Season, Plenty, The Pirates of Penzance, The Tempest, Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk, On the Town, The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, Elaine Stritch at Liberty, and Take Me Out.
One of the reasons that the theater appeals to me is that The Public Theater’s Education and Outreach programs are dedicated to making the arts accessible to students all over New York City. I believe that new york city has a vast number of people who can come and enjoy plays. I mean in any given day there is 1 million people walking around new york city.
One other reason I admire the theater is because of their internship program. The Public Theater’s internship program offers a unique opportunity for individuals to gain practical experience in one of the country’s premiere not-for-profit theaters. Founded by Joseph Papp to bring Shakespeare to the people of New York, The Public has expanded to include contemporary pieces, specially commissioned new works, staged readings and workshops. Internships are offered in a variety of departments, from the creative to the administrative; and interns are encouraged to explore beyond their department to learn more about how the theater functions as a whole.
The internship program aims to provide individuals with valuable mentorship and expert training, bridging the gap between academic education and practice. Interns play an integral part in the inner workings of the Public. Supporting the Public in its daily activities, interns will gain insight, knowledge and hands-on experience in all aspects of the theater.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Broadway
BROADWAY
For this project, I am going to talk about Broadway. First lets talk about what Broadway is. Broadway is the principal theater and amusement district of New York City, on the West Side of midtown Manhattan centered on Broadway. There are many shows playing on Broadway right now. Here is a list of some of the plays that are playing on Broadway right now.
Wicked
The Lion King
A View From the Bridge
Billy Elliot
A Little Night Music
Memphis
The Phantom of the Opera
Chicago
Mary Poppins
Avenue Q
There are numerous ways that you can purchase tickets for a broadway show. The internet is a great way to buy tickets. I believe it is very to use the internet to purchase tickets for a show. One of the sites you can use to purchase tickets online is to go to broadway.com. Sounds easy enough, once you are there you can click on Buy Tickets. You can go right to a calendar and pick what time you want to go to the play or if you have a certain play that you want to see you can just click on the play and you will see what kind of seats are still available. They also tell you how much the tickets are so there will be no surprise to you of the price of the tickets are. If you are traveling to New York I suggest that you go by train, because if will be all most near to impossible to find a parking spot.
Right now one of the hottest shows on Broadway is “The Lion King”. You ask why is “The Lion King” such a good show. Well with a pulsing spectacle driven by primal African rhythms, unforgettable tunes (including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”) and a jaw-dropping display of exotic African wildlife brought to life onstage, there are good reasons why “The Lion King” is “hot” right now and probably will be for a long time.
When I go to see a Broadway play, I believe I want to see “The Lion King”. I love anything Disney, and “The Lion King” is all Disney. I am going to give you a brief description of what “The Lion King” is all about. The Lion King is the story of a young lion prince living in the flourishing African Pride Lands. Born into the royal family, precocious cub Simba spends his days exploring the sprawling savanna grasslands and idolizing his kingly father, Mufasa, while youthfully shirking the responsibility his position in life requires. When an unthinkable tragedy, orchestrated by Simba’s wicked uncle, Scar, takes his father’s life, Simba flees the Pride Lands, leaving his loss and the life he knew behind. Eventually companioned by two hilarious and unlikely friends, Simba starts anew. But when weight of responsibility and a desperate plea from the now ravaged Pride Lands come to find the adult prince, Simba must take on a formidable enemy, and fulfill his destiny to be king. A vibrant and exciting tale from the great creative’s at Disney, The Lion King is a story of love and redemption no family should miss.
The stars of the play “The Lion King” consist of the following
Simba- Dashaun Young
Mufasa-Nathaniel Stampley
Nala-Ta'Rea Campbell
Rafiki-Tshidi Manye
Scar-Derek Smith
Pumbaa-Tom Alan Robbins
The director of the play is Julie Taymor and the music is done by Elton John.
Now I am going to talk about the history of the shows on Broadway. One of the longest running shows on Broadway was Cats. Cats ran from October of 1982-September of 2000. The show had to close because it had been playing to half empty houses. So like everything else in the world all things have to come to an end.
Now currently the longest running show on Broadway is “The Phantom of the Opera. “The Phantom of the Opera” has won 7 Tony Awards and 7 Drama Desk Awards in 1988. “The Lion King” also won 6 Tony Awards and 8 Drama Desk Awards in 1998.
I am going to give you a little history of the show “Cats”. The musical first opened on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The Broadway show ran for 18 years before it had to close due to lack of audience. It still holds records for longest running Broadway play.
This concludes my Broadway Blog Project.
For this project, I am going to talk about Broadway. First lets talk about what Broadway is. Broadway is the principal theater and amusement district of New York City, on the West Side of midtown Manhattan centered on Broadway. There are many shows playing on Broadway right now. Here is a list of some of the plays that are playing on Broadway right now.
Wicked
The Lion King
A View From the Bridge
Billy Elliot
A Little Night Music
Memphis
The Phantom of the Opera
Chicago
Mary Poppins
Avenue Q
There are numerous ways that you can purchase tickets for a broadway show. The internet is a great way to buy tickets. I believe it is very to use the internet to purchase tickets for a show. One of the sites you can use to purchase tickets online is to go to broadway.com. Sounds easy enough, once you are there you can click on Buy Tickets. You can go right to a calendar and pick what time you want to go to the play or if you have a certain play that you want to see you can just click on the play and you will see what kind of seats are still available. They also tell you how much the tickets are so there will be no surprise to you of the price of the tickets are. If you are traveling to New York I suggest that you go by train, because if will be all most near to impossible to find a parking spot.
Right now one of the hottest shows on Broadway is “The Lion King”. You ask why is “The Lion King” such a good show. Well with a pulsing spectacle driven by primal African rhythms, unforgettable tunes (including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”) and a jaw-dropping display of exotic African wildlife brought to life onstage, there are good reasons why “The Lion King” is “hot” right now and probably will be for a long time.
When I go to see a Broadway play, I believe I want to see “The Lion King”. I love anything Disney, and “The Lion King” is all Disney. I am going to give you a brief description of what “The Lion King” is all about. The Lion King is the story of a young lion prince living in the flourishing African Pride Lands. Born into the royal family, precocious cub Simba spends his days exploring the sprawling savanna grasslands and idolizing his kingly father, Mufasa, while youthfully shirking the responsibility his position in life requires. When an unthinkable tragedy, orchestrated by Simba’s wicked uncle, Scar, takes his father’s life, Simba flees the Pride Lands, leaving his loss and the life he knew behind. Eventually companioned by two hilarious and unlikely friends, Simba starts anew. But when weight of responsibility and a desperate plea from the now ravaged Pride Lands come to find the adult prince, Simba must take on a formidable enemy, and fulfill his destiny to be king. A vibrant and exciting tale from the great creative’s at Disney, The Lion King is a story of love and redemption no family should miss.
The stars of the play “The Lion King” consist of the following
Simba- Dashaun Young
Mufasa-Nathaniel Stampley
Nala-Ta'Rea Campbell
Rafiki-Tshidi Manye
Scar-Derek Smith
Pumbaa-Tom Alan Robbins
The director of the play is Julie Taymor and the music is done by Elton John.
Now I am going to talk about the history of the shows on Broadway. One of the longest running shows on Broadway was Cats. Cats ran from October of 1982-September of 2000. The show had to close because it had been playing to half empty houses. So like everything else in the world all things have to come to an end.
Now currently the longest running show on Broadway is “The Phantom of the Opera. “The Phantom of the Opera” has won 7 Tony Awards and 7 Drama Desk Awards in 1988. “The Lion King” also won 6 Tony Awards and 8 Drama Desk Awards in 1998.
I am going to give you a little history of the show “Cats”. The musical first opened on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The Broadway show ran for 18 years before it had to close due to lack of audience. It still holds records for longest running Broadway play.
This concludes my Broadway Blog Project.
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