Musicals Show Boat the Musical Term Paper

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While this was progressive for its age, the current opinion is generally that references such as the word "nigger" in the lyrics of the play make it unsuitable for current tastes. The show does however remain important in its pioneering of the new form of musical drama.

Oklahoma

Like Show Boat, Oklahoma! was a pioneer of the musical in its time. This 1943 production was the first musical play created by the combined talents of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. There are several elements in this musical that can be seen as revolutionary and widely influential of future productions of its kind.

While emotional depth and psychological complexity have become accepted parts of the musical drama by this time, Oklahoma! also comprised a number of new storytelling techniques that distinguished it form its peers. This includes for example the focus on emotional empathy, requiring the audience not only to be entertained by the characters and their plight, but also to "feel their pain," as it were. Another pioneering element is that the play focused on characters and situations that were far removed from the time and geographical circumstances of the audience.

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This is a risky effect, like the racism theme of Show Boat, but nonetheless successful.

Furthermore, the play also distinguished itself by focusing its plot on American history and society, and its use of dance to convey this plot and the characters playing their parts within it. Dancing therefore gained a new function in the musical drama in addition to its entertainment value. In Oklahoma! dancing was therefore served an integral function as part of the plot. This is a trend that continues in musicals today.

Oklahoma! perpetuates many of the elements revolutionized by Show Boat, such as the complexity and scope of plot and character, and also includes humor to balance the drama and tragedy in the main….....

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