Introduction

For many singers, the dream of being on Broadway is the ultimate goal. You are probably familiar with several musicals, and perhaps have some show songs you would enjoy learning and performing on a stage. This project will help you to learn more about a musical production and give you the background of the song and musical you choose to prepare.

The Task

To gain knowledge of the history of musicals and learn more about the make up of a musical, you will create a presentation with research and practice that will include your indepth knowledge of the musical and a performance of a song from the musical.

The Process

1. Choose a song you would like to perform. (You must get approval before proceeding)
2. Complete Webquest to gain more knowledge about the musical your song comes from to help you organize a small presentation for the class.
3. Watch the movie of the musical, if one is available, and write an evaluation of the movie, and how it would be different if seen on stage. If you have chosen a musical that has not been made into a movie, select a movie in the same style as your musical to watch and write an evaluation on for this portion of the project. See Mrs. Painter if you need suggestions.
4. Prepare a presentation about your musical, which should include Composer/Lyricist biographical information, original cast, opening date and place, synopsis of the plot, and any reprisal information if applicable.
5. Your presentation should include a visual aid with this information included.
6. You will Prepare the song, and perform it for the class in conjunction with the presentation.

The following list is of musicals you can choose from, but are not limited too, for your project:

Resources

Here are some websites that may help you.

Broadway.com - Click on the name of the musical to find more information.

A Brief Early History of Broadway Plays - After viewing the main article, scroll down to the green section on the right and click on the different links under "Broadway Plays."

Musicals101 - This site holds a plethora of information. The first link, History of Musicals, is a good place to start. From there you can also use the links on the left to find much information.

Broadway 101, The History of the Great White Way - What you will find here is the history of The Great White Way, sectioned off by decades. The first installment tells the history of Broadway and the theatre prior to 1900. Then it begins with the period of 1900 to 1910. You can read about any decade individually or you can start at the beginning. It currently ends with 1940-1950.

Broadway, The American Musical - This PBS site has a lot to explore. Be sure to use all 5 links on the left. Memorable Musicals leads to a page where you can choose a particular show to find out more and even listen to a song from that musical.

Live Broadway - This page provides links to the official websites for many "On-broadway" musicals.

History of the Musical Stage

Evaluation

Click here to view a rubric that will be used to grade this project.

Conclusion

This project will not only allow you to learn about the characters and story of the musical you research, but also to become familiar with the nine other musicals your classmates will present. Become familiar with the background of musical theatre, and how these shows developed. This knowledge will help give you a better understanding of the music you will be performing.