THEATER TCU HUMPHREY EXAM #3
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
Oklahoma! (1943) - Answer-Broadway stunned at pairing of Rodgers and Hammerstein
Hammerstein had 6 flops in a row
Will contribute more to musical theatre than any other individual in history
Based on the real city of Claremore, OK (outside Tulsa)
What is Oklahoma! based on? - Answer-Based on a flop- a dark play called Green
Grow the Lilacs
Story not considered suitable for a musical, just like Show Boat which Hammerstein
wrote
Why did Oklahoma! change it's name, and how many times did it? - Answer-Changed
titles twice: Green Grow the Lilacs, Away We Go! , Oklahoma!
Song, "Oklahoma!" was added right before Broadway opening
Show's name changed
Did Oklahoma! have ethnic sound, lyrics, & music? - Answer-Had ethnic sound and
lyrics and music
Singing is like dialogue
Folk speech
1st time since Show Boat to see real Americana onstage
How did Hammerstein firmly establish the "intergrated" musical he has started with
show boat? - Answer-Lyrics now drive and propel the story
Book, characters, music, dance all contribute to telling a solid story
Songs no longer written to showcase a star or become a hit
Explores relationships- now vital to successful play or musical
Fascination in all the characters
How did Oklahoma! stay true to the (dark) book? - Answer-"No gags, no gals, no
chance" - not true anymore
Contentious love affair
Most dramatic song goes to villain
Perfects the Conditional ballad
Established long Act 1 and shorter Act 2
Musical scene (Hammerstein invention) vs song
How were the folk dancing and dream ballet the focal points and for what musical? -
Answer-Oklahoma!
Dance now integral: tells what script and score cannot
Agnes DeMille - choreographer
,What is now an integral component? - Answer-Director (along with dance) NOW is an
integral component
Prior, had been the musical director or credit given as "staged by"
Revues didn't need character development
How long did Oklahoma run? - Answer-Ran 5 years - 2,212 performances
National tour ran 10 years
Returned in revival on Broadway
Longest running musical for 15 years until My Fair Lady (1956)
Most often produced musical in the world
How is the "musical scene" perfected in Oklahoma? - Answer-Perfects the "Musical
Scene"
Song
Into dialogue as underscoring continues Back to song- so music never stops
How is the "Conditional Ballad" perfected in OK? - Answer-Perfects the "Conditional
Ballad"
First heard in Show Boat - "Make Believe"
Love song in Act I
Can now sing about love even if not yet in a relationship, or if the characters just met
Example: "People Will Say We're in Love"
Who is the most dramatic number stung by in OK? - Answer-the villain
Dream Ballet - Answer-Go inside a character's dreams/head
a. Dreams expose WHY
b. Hopes and fears not expressed aloud by the character
Tells story solely through music and action
Dream Ballet vs. Tap - Answer-1943 - Oklahoma! Dream Ballet prompted many
musicals to include a Ballet through the 1950's
b. Ballet's popularity pushed tap out of the limelight for decades
1) In 1921 tap became the rage on Broadway with Shuffle Along
2) 1940's through 1970's - style of musical and dark shows had no use for tap dancing
3) 1960's and '70's - rock n roll also kept it at bay
4) Won't see tap return until 1980's, but British mega-musicals of 1980's also kept tap at
bay
5) Won't actually realize significant comeback until 1990's
Awards for OK? - Answer-Considered so groundbreaking and unique- in 1944, Awarded
a RARE "Special Awards and Citations" Pulitzer
Not counted as one of the 9 musicals to receive the regular awards
Stage Combat - Answer-AEA (Actors Equity) Madatory Compliance!
Fight Call- Prior to EVERY performance, actors must rehearse in full:
, Every fight
Use of every weapon
On stage!
On the Town (1944) - Answer-Wartime musical- portraying strong women
Captures brevity of life and live to the fullest in time we have
Mixed race cast and intentional avoidance of racial stereotypes
Everett Lee- Broadway's first African American conductor
Based on Jerome Robbins ballet Fancy Free
Relies heavily on long dance sequences (ballets) to tell the story
Had a 2015 Broadway revival
Carousel (1945) - Answer-Solidified R&H as the dominant creators of musical theatre
Another dark theme-unlikely for a musical
Like Oklahoma! -an unsavory character and his death
Why are dark themes and characters working?
Broadway revival in 2018
Post WWII Broadway - Answer-War ends September 2, 1945
Post WWII Broadway tries to integrate (racially)
Explosion of shows bringing black shows back to Broadway, but dissipated as quickly
as it began
Lack of talent pool, white creators and too white an audience
Uses moral and social themes
How was South Pacific Controversial? - Answer-Troubles in the South
State of Georgia petitioned to have the show NOT perform in the state
Mary Martin - Answer-From Weatherford, TX!
Originated roles like Nellie in South Pacific, Maria in Sound of Music and Peter in Peter
Pan
ThreePenny Opera (1954) - Answer-Murder Ballad
Thieves, beggars, murderers, and whores
One of the most revived musicals, but 1955 was most successful
Written by Kurt Weill
German composer
Musical influenced rock artists even today
The doors, David Bowie, Nina Simone, etc.
Bob Fosse (director/choreographer) - Answer-Won 8 Tony Awards
Choreography
Angular and turned in
Sexually suggestive hip thrusts
Vaudeville humor- hunched shoulders, double takes and falls, canes and props
Body isolations
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
Oklahoma! (1943) - Answer-Broadway stunned at pairing of Rodgers and Hammerstein
Hammerstein had 6 flops in a row
Will contribute more to musical theatre than any other individual in history
Based on the real city of Claremore, OK (outside Tulsa)
What is Oklahoma! based on? - Answer-Based on a flop- a dark play called Green
Grow the Lilacs
Story not considered suitable for a musical, just like Show Boat which Hammerstein
wrote
Why did Oklahoma! change it's name, and how many times did it? - Answer-Changed
titles twice: Green Grow the Lilacs, Away We Go! , Oklahoma!
Song, "Oklahoma!" was added right before Broadway opening
Show's name changed
Did Oklahoma! have ethnic sound, lyrics, & music? - Answer-Had ethnic sound and
lyrics and music
Singing is like dialogue
Folk speech
1st time since Show Boat to see real Americana onstage
How did Hammerstein firmly establish the "intergrated" musical he has started with
show boat? - Answer-Lyrics now drive and propel the story
Book, characters, music, dance all contribute to telling a solid story
Songs no longer written to showcase a star or become a hit
Explores relationships- now vital to successful play or musical
Fascination in all the characters
How did Oklahoma! stay true to the (dark) book? - Answer-"No gags, no gals, no
chance" - not true anymore
Contentious love affair
Most dramatic song goes to villain
Perfects the Conditional ballad
Established long Act 1 and shorter Act 2
Musical scene (Hammerstein invention) vs song
How were the folk dancing and dream ballet the focal points and for what musical? -
Answer-Oklahoma!
Dance now integral: tells what script and score cannot
Agnes DeMille - choreographer
,What is now an integral component? - Answer-Director (along with dance) NOW is an
integral component
Prior, had been the musical director or credit given as "staged by"
Revues didn't need character development
How long did Oklahoma run? - Answer-Ran 5 years - 2,212 performances
National tour ran 10 years
Returned in revival on Broadway
Longest running musical for 15 years until My Fair Lady (1956)
Most often produced musical in the world
How is the "musical scene" perfected in Oklahoma? - Answer-Perfects the "Musical
Scene"
Song
Into dialogue as underscoring continues Back to song- so music never stops
How is the "Conditional Ballad" perfected in OK? - Answer-Perfects the "Conditional
Ballad"
First heard in Show Boat - "Make Believe"
Love song in Act I
Can now sing about love even if not yet in a relationship, or if the characters just met
Example: "People Will Say We're in Love"
Who is the most dramatic number stung by in OK? - Answer-the villain
Dream Ballet - Answer-Go inside a character's dreams/head
a. Dreams expose WHY
b. Hopes and fears not expressed aloud by the character
Tells story solely through music and action
Dream Ballet vs. Tap - Answer-1943 - Oklahoma! Dream Ballet prompted many
musicals to include a Ballet through the 1950's
b. Ballet's popularity pushed tap out of the limelight for decades
1) In 1921 tap became the rage on Broadway with Shuffle Along
2) 1940's through 1970's - style of musical and dark shows had no use for tap dancing
3) 1960's and '70's - rock n roll also kept it at bay
4) Won't see tap return until 1980's, but British mega-musicals of 1980's also kept tap at
bay
5) Won't actually realize significant comeback until 1990's
Awards for OK? - Answer-Considered so groundbreaking and unique- in 1944, Awarded
a RARE "Special Awards and Citations" Pulitzer
Not counted as one of the 9 musicals to receive the regular awards
Stage Combat - Answer-AEA (Actors Equity) Madatory Compliance!
Fight Call- Prior to EVERY performance, actors must rehearse in full:
, Every fight
Use of every weapon
On stage!
On the Town (1944) - Answer-Wartime musical- portraying strong women
Captures brevity of life and live to the fullest in time we have
Mixed race cast and intentional avoidance of racial stereotypes
Everett Lee- Broadway's first African American conductor
Based on Jerome Robbins ballet Fancy Free
Relies heavily on long dance sequences (ballets) to tell the story
Had a 2015 Broadway revival
Carousel (1945) - Answer-Solidified R&H as the dominant creators of musical theatre
Another dark theme-unlikely for a musical
Like Oklahoma! -an unsavory character and his death
Why are dark themes and characters working?
Broadway revival in 2018
Post WWII Broadway - Answer-War ends September 2, 1945
Post WWII Broadway tries to integrate (racially)
Explosion of shows bringing black shows back to Broadway, but dissipated as quickly
as it began
Lack of talent pool, white creators and too white an audience
Uses moral and social themes
How was South Pacific Controversial? - Answer-Troubles in the South
State of Georgia petitioned to have the show NOT perform in the state
Mary Martin - Answer-From Weatherford, TX!
Originated roles like Nellie in South Pacific, Maria in Sound of Music and Peter in Peter
Pan
ThreePenny Opera (1954) - Answer-Murder Ballad
Thieves, beggars, murderers, and whores
One of the most revived musicals, but 1955 was most successful
Written by Kurt Weill
German composer
Musical influenced rock artists even today
The doors, David Bowie, Nina Simone, etc.
Bob Fosse (director/choreographer) - Answer-Won 8 Tony Awards
Choreography
Angular and turned in
Sexually suggestive hip thrusts
Vaudeville humor- hunched shoulders, double takes and falls, canes and props
Body isolations
