Type of Submission
Podium Presentation
Keywords
Stephen Sondheim, musical theatre, Oklahoma!, The Black Crook, Hammerstein, realism
Abstract
Since its beginning with The Black Crook in 1866, American musical theatre has undergone huge directional shifts. Conceptually, the music and story of Oklahoma! from the 1940s is almost entirely different from the music of [title of show] and Ordinary Days from the mid-2000s. When investigating this dramatic transformation of the genre, the root of the change appears strongest at the 1950s. These years were the beginning years of Stephen Sondheim’s entrance into the realm of musical theatre. Comparatively, Sondheim brought in a new approach to the genre and published shows that revolutionized musicals that had not been seen before in previous shows. Due to the creative uniqueness he had during the prime of his career and the comparison of shows before and after his appearance in the genre, Stephen Sondheim has significantly impacted what American musical theatre is in modern times.
Campus Venue
Stevens Student Center, Room 240
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-11-2018 3:00 PM
End Date
4-11-2018 3:30 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Sondheim: His Influence on Musical Theatre
Cedarville, OH
Since its beginning with The Black Crook in 1866, American musical theatre has undergone huge directional shifts. Conceptually, the music and story of Oklahoma! from the 1940s is almost entirely different from the music of [title of show] and Ordinary Days from the mid-2000s. When investigating this dramatic transformation of the genre, the root of the change appears strongest at the 1950s. These years were the beginning years of Stephen Sondheim’s entrance into the realm of musical theatre. Comparatively, Sondheim brought in a new approach to the genre and published shows that revolutionized musicals that had not been seen before in previous shows. Due to the creative uniqueness he had during the prime of his career and the comparison of shows before and after his appearance in the genre, Stephen Sondheim has significantly impacted what American musical theatre is in modern times.
