Oklahoma!

OK!

So I was going to try to stay away from this musical because it's very obvious the geography of it and I know all my friends would laugh at me for choosing this but I just love this musical. I was lucky enough to be a part of my school's production of Oklahoma!  and I played the female lead Laurey Williams, it's been the highlight of my year so far. 

Oklahoma! is a story about cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farmgirl Laurey Williams. It has your typical love triangle between Laurey, Curly and Jud, the farm hand with a dark streak. There is another love story between Ado Annie, Will Parker and Ali Hakim. It is set at the turn of the century in (you guessed it) Oklahoma in the United States of America. It is a southwestern state which at the time was a farm county with cowboys and the farmers having a rivalry as featured in "Farmer and the Cowman." It's also set around the time they were making Oklahoma an official state in the US. All the characters have strong accents which also alludes to the setting if the title was not enough.

 
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=oklahoma!+musical&view=detailv2&&&id=DB7D653D9091C6624AD01D01B270D3673F633E20&selectedIndex=1&ccid=9Mw9SMbN&simid=608029741749372665&thid=JN.QX0y%2bqrbK8PTRPE9jmepTQ&ajaxhist=0
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=oklahoma!+musical&view=detailv2&&&id=44FBA225673D99AF8A1DDBC6CF5B61F17AE3A45A&selectedIndex=13&ccid=vZoL%2b3PQ&simid=608035282255088272&thid=JN.682u7PxwqDBSEfk0kWiDOA&ajaxhist=0

The set features a windmill, hay, cornfields, a milk churner and a barn which all add to the country feel of the stage. The actors wear cowboy hats, dungarees and chaps. Colloquial Oklahoma language is also used and the script is written in some parts in phonetics as to how certain words should be said. The songs all reflect the place and time the musical is set for example in the title song Oklahoma!, "Oklahoma, where the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet and the wind comes right behind the rain." 

https://www.google.ie/search?q=oklahoma&biw=1280&bih=907&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=a85VVd-ZH-OP7Abao4N4&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q=oklahoma+territory&imgrc=KwocpSMjsJSlGM%253A%3BOVY--itvDKwhbM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252Fcommons%252F4%252F45%252FOkterritory.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FOklahoma_Territory%3B2515%3B1500

It is one of my favourites and I think Rodgers and Hammerstein did a fabulous job of writing a feel-good musical, fun for all. 

 

Wicked

Wicked

Wicked is a musical written by Stephen Schwartz and based on a book by Winne Holzman. It's based on the novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West which was BASED once again on the original The Wizard of Oz film, made in 1939 and the ORIGINAL 1900 story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It is my favourite musical of all time and I've seen it twice now.


The musical as you may be able to guess is set in the land of Oz. This is a fictional place where a Wizard rules the land from the Emerald City and good and wicked witches roam. Wicked is an alternative version of The Wizard of Oz that tells the story of a misunderstood Wicked Witch of The West whom everyone assumes is evil because of her green skin, Elphaba is her name. She finds an unlikely friendship with Glinda who later becomes The Good Witch when they meet at "Dear Old Shiz", a university. I think the setting and geography of this musical is very important because it makes references to parts of the original The Wizard of Oz story such as the yellow brick road and the Emerald City. There is a song dedicated to this place "One Short Day" and the set for this is full of fabulous green, using lights and props. The green is also a metaphor for Elphaba's skin and what it means to her and others.



Credits: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=wicked+the+emerald+city&view=detailv2&&&id=7B4CCAA53ACC0B267324FFF5ECD1FB1EBF345E50&selectedIndex=8&ccid=DjkOQQha&simid=608015130264601829&thid=JN.qKi9A98ZDBrQcyQBp74%2ffA&ajaxhist=0

There is actually a whole series of books written by L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which is centred around The Land Of Oz and goes into more detail about the place itself. It has four parts, Munchkinland, Winkie Country, Gillikin Country and Quadling Country. In the centre where all these places meet is The Emerald City. I remember clearly from seeing Wicked in theatre that there is a screen that covers the stage before it starts and it's a map of Oz with the Emerald City glowing brightly in green in the centre. There is also a great difference between West and East in the Land of Oz, for example the Wicked Witch of The West and the Wicked Witch of the East have a rivalry. Oz is a place I often like to visit when watching the film, musical or reading the book and I think Schwartz magnificently brings this magical place to life in a new way in Wicked.


http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=wicked+set&view=detailv2&&qft=+filterui%3alicense-L2_L3_L4_L5_L6_L7&id=1E1BFAF2D64B25CA8AC141C9729EAA2D2FF60289&selectedIndex=3&ccid=AGFcLc4%2b&simid=608044623810333513&thid=JN.3VVTfhz4ATpS1lY787%2fCOg&ajaxhist=0
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=wicked&view=detailv2&&qft=+filterui%3alicense-L2_L3_L4_L5_L6_L7&id=D29D9968AAE363EBCC66E412E9E77FABE8239D12&selectedIndex=2&ccid=qsa8el6l&simid=607989811439076650&thid=JN.ODhUlmqdg0%2fTVgosJ5vKag&ajaxhist=0

Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys is a musical written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It features music written by Bob Gaudio and played by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, such as Sherry, Begging, My Eyes Adored You, Big Girls Don't Cry and Walk Like a Man. The musical is cleverly narrated by each of the four members and takes us through the "four seasons" of their lives.

https://www.google.ie/search?q=new+jersey&biw=1280&bih=907&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=XM1VVbHaE8q07QaS9oD4Dw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#imgrc=XtWvT8XfR1JyFM%253A%3BovshD28NIhfP7M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252Fcommons%252Fthumb%252F6%252F6c%252FNew_Jersey_in_United_States.svg%252F2000px-New_Jersey_in_United_States.svg.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FNew_Jersey%3B2000%3B1238

New Jersey is a state in the Northeast of America and is the 11th smallest but the most densely populated state in the US. New Jersey is known for it's strong, recognisable accent and the mafia activity. This is alluded to a few times in the story, especially when founding member of the band Tommy DeVito runs into some trouble with borrowing money.




 They all have rough backgrounds and we see them go in and out of prison in a cleverly choreographed scene, using stairs. The set is all made out of metal and looks like the framework for a building. There are certain props rolled on and off as necessary throughout the production, a streetlight features prominently and helps us to know when the band are at home. This is a musical that definitely relies on the geography of the story to bring it to life and makes us fall in love with the feel-good music brought about by the hard lives of these four men.
 
Credits: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=jersey+boys&view=detailv2&&&id=8EAF0D5152C2A22F34CB7EA849364EFF9A77EC2A&selectedIndex=7&ccid=uTJwVJZ3&simid=608023909178868496&thid=JN.bCj61Z51W%2fGGlluRWxVDHQ&ajaxhist=0

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=jersey+boys+set&view=detailv2&&&id=B380882C162BAC83D05D9A7F8804EE42A3FD6C1E&selectedIndex=0&ccid=HmHAY9tB&simid=608030892805129884&thid=JN.A45S82%2bwsEStHcL1V1IMgQ&ajaxhist=0

The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical which debuted in 1959. It follows the Von Trapp family and their children's tutor Maria. It is based on the real life memoir written by Maria Von Trapp entitled The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.


The musical since being debuted on Broadway has had many successful revivals, in particular the film adaptation featuring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.


Aigen, Salzburg

Setting

The musical and film's setting plays a big part in setting the scene for the show. However, precise details of the family's history were changed to make a better show. The real George Ludwig von Trapp lived in Aigen in Salzburg, Austria. Salzburg is an Austrian city on the German border. The setting in the Eastern Alps is referenced throughout the story, especially in the title song, "the hills are alive with the sound of music." Our protagonist Maria is seen twirling about up in the hills.





The war is mentioned quite a bit also, and adds to our understanding of their lives and their surroundings, for example Captain von Trapp teaches his children a military greeting which Maria openly disagrees with and a character Rolf greets the family with "Heil" and Captain von Trapp angrily replies that he is Austrian and not German.


Not to ruin the story for anyone but eventually a main character joins the Nazis but because of their love for a von Trapp daughter; helps them to get away from them. They flee over the mountains which is celebrated in the final song "Climb Ev'ry Mountain." The geography of this musical is very
important to the story and features very heavily.






Photo Credits:
http://godinallthings.com/2012/04/16/the-sound-of-music-grover/
http://www.hebels.nl/flights/20120504-1/pictures.htm

Musical Theatre in Ireland

I thought I would start close to home and look at Irish musicals. Admittedly, I have never seen or heard of any Irish musicals and so I was a bit unsure as to whether I would be able to find enough information to complete this post. However I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Irish have come on leaps and bounds in terms of musicals in the past few years.

Once is an adaptation of an Irish film made in 2007, starring Glen Hansard. It has won 8 Tony awards, in 2012 which was considered to be a very competitive year for musical theatre. The song Falling Slowly featured in both adaptations has won many awards and is a song I love but I never knew it came from a musical, let alone an Irish one.

The musical is set in a Dublin pub and it's very intimate as the audience can walk around the set before the show and during the interval to make them feel as though they are really sitting in the pub.

Once is the story of a vacuum repairman who aspires to be a musician and while singing on the street meets a Czech woman who shares the same dream. They collaborate and write songs that reflect their love.

In terms of our most famous theatres in Ireland we have the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, which will always be known as the Grand Canal to me, the Abbey Theatre, the Olympia Theatre, the Gaeity Theatre and many more. 

If you look for it there is musical theatre all around us in Ireland, especially Dublin.

Introduction

Hey Guys!


My name is Hannah and I've decided to make a blog on the Geography of Musical Theatre.

Music is one of my passions and I'm a total drama nerd so I decided to write about something I love. I am really looking forward to tracing back some of my favourite musicals and finding out about their origins all over the world.

Throughout the next few weeks I will be discussing where they are set around the world and the geography of how musicals get from an idea to a performance.

-Hannah