Lesson 2- Starting choreography

In today's, lesson we knew that we had to start doing choreography. To art with we sang through the song a couple of times so we could get more of the lyrics in our head so that when we started to add moves to it it would become easier.

After this, we ran through the small bit of choreography that we had started doing on Tuesday. We still liked all our ideas what we had put together so we ran through it to make sure it was sharp and we all knew what we was doing. After this, we started to add more choreography to it. We started at Anais solo which starts at "That rhythm in town starts pulling me down". We decided that on this section we should all stand up off of the box's and stand behind them but in canon so it went, Sarah, Myself, Claudia and then Anais. We ran through this a few times without the music because we all kept standing up at the wrong time and we wanted to make sure we all got it before trying it with the backing track. 

Lesson 1- Choosing and starting repetoire

As I wasn't in the first lesson of choosing repertoire (due to being in an exam), my group, Sarah, Claudia and Anais had started to look at some different songs and getting some ideas together but they wanted my opinion as well as it is a group decision. Claudia also wasn't there on Monday for the first lesson it made it difficult for the other girls to look at songs.

Today, we was all together, Sarah, Claudia, Anais and myself. Sarah and Anais showed us a coupe of songs that they had though of. The first song was "Work it out" from High School Musical. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV50hD2thAc). The second song we looed at was "Good Morning Baltimore" from Hairspray. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLaM1d383eg). We sat and discussed both of them and we had pros an cons  for both songs.

Work it out-

The pros for work it out was that it was really upbeat and we all enjoyed listening to it and we thought we could learn the choreography and we could make it looked good.

The con for work it out was that in the film there is a lot of cast and  with a lot of cast it looks really effective as it looks busy but still really sharp and there is only 4 of us which would make it difficult for us to make it look as good.

Good Morning Baltimore-

The pros for G.M.B was that it was something different and we all knew most of the words to the song so that means we can work more on choreography than learning the words.

The con for G.M.B was that we think we could get bored of it quickly as we would be listening to it a lot but then we though that could happen with any song that we pick.

After looking at both of these songs for sometime we looked at a couple of other songs such as "Slipping through my fingers" from Mamma Mia! We all really liked this song but thought we should do more of an upbeat song so we can have more dance in it as well.

After this, we all finally came to a decision that we would start working on "Good Morning Baltimore" and if we didn't like what we was doing with it after starting to work on it then we would change it.

For the last 20 minutes of the lesson, we began to look at different choreography options and how we would start. We decided we would all start on blocks and do big arm movements a facial expressions.

Next lesson we have said that we want to do more choreography and set who is going to sing what section.

Comic musical, chamber musical and film musical

Comic Musical

• A musical which has a light romantic story which makes the audience laugh.
• Minimal choreography which is usually cheesy.

Example-

Guys and Dolls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL9lhzvQV1M

• Guys and dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows.

Chamber Musical

• Chamber music- music composed for small group of instruments.
• Normally has a relatively small cast and it is simple.

Example-

GHOST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw5a5beiLSw

• Based on the 1990 romantic drama film of the same name.
• The musical had its premier at Manchester Opera House in March 2011.

Film Musical

• Musical based from a film.
• Often doesn't has a soundtrack.

Example-

Grease

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alz2q7Ky1pg

• Grease was first performed in 1971 in the original Kingston Miles nightclub in Chicago.
• Its now successful both on stage and the film.

Rock musical, Jukebox musical and Concept musical

Rock Musical

• A musical with rock music.

Example-

We will rock you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB9i74etxfU

• A musical based on songs from British rock band Queen.
• The musical tells the story of a group of Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion, and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and acts the same.

Jukebox Musical

• Songs that have been created by an artist which then gets put into musicals.

Example-

Mamma Mia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D32x3Y6_Sbw

• Jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, former members of the band.

Concept Musical

• A musical based on a concept based on style, message and theme.
• The musical is to pass a message to the audience.

Example-

Cabaret

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AozDE7ulMvY

• The 1966 Broadway production became a hit, inspiring numerous subsequent productions in London and New York, as well as the 1972 film by the same name.

Book musical, Operetta musical and review musical

Book Musical

• A book musical is a musical that is based off a book and the book is used as a base script.
• It strives for realism and integration
• It tells the story and then has songs and dances.

Example-

The Lion King, Disney

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NbR6hDXblU

• The musical is based from Disney original.

Operetta Musical

• An operetta musical is a musical with a light subject matter and it is less serious than other opera's.
• It has a classical style as it has an orchestra.
• Gilbert and Sullivan are the main people who have come from operetta musicals.

Example-

Thespis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUECsW8CdxM

• Thespis started in the Gaiety Theatre on the 26th October 1871.

Review Musical

• A review musical is when all the musical theatre art forms aren't done together.
• Review musicals were post world war 1 entertainment.
• The London pavilion is the main place for them to be held.

Examples-

Berlin to broadway with Kurt Weill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS9ACkDlHH8

• This colourful cavalcade of a revue artfully mixes cabaret and commentary spanning a history of twenty extraordinary years from his successes in Hitler's Germany to his triumphs in Truman's America.