Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Entertainment

The Types of Musical Theatre

It's about more than just "Hamilton." This is an artistic platform with a lot of genres that will make your hands hurt from clapping so hard. Let's go through some of them.

Thomas Alvey

Jul 19, 2016

Lindsey Wilson College

50587

hamiltonbroadway.com

With the spike in interest after the opening of "Hamilton," I thought I would take the time to explain the beautiful world that is —

But what is musical theatre? Well, the Google definition is "a genre of drama in which singing and dancing play an essential part" but there is so much more to it than that. Musicals have so many different types, and so many aspects other than just what is seen onstage. Let's look at the different types of musicals: Book musical, Revue Musical, and Rock/Pop Musicals.

1. Book Musicals

A "book musical" is one with traditional musical with a story that drives the music and characters. This category includes: "CATS," "RENT," "Annie," "The Book of Mormon," and "Oklahoma"!

2. Revue Musicals

"Revue"s are a collection of songs, with a common element. This category has no definite shows dedicated to them, but they are still a part of the musical theatre genre. This can include a musical revue of composers of musicals, or a well-known actress (see: GIF of Barbra Streisand).

3. Concept Musical

A "concept" musical is where the metaphor or theme is equally or more important than the musical itself. It may comment on a social injustices. There may be dissociated plot line, or unacquainted characters. Category includes: "The Last Five Years," "Allegro," "Follies," and "Love Life."

4. Jukebox Musical

A collection of songs from a group or artist is called a "jukebox musical". These musicals may not have a storyline, but are created to showcase a performance. Category is: Mamma Mia! (The music of ABBA), Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash), Rock of Ages (Glam rock of the 80s), and Come Fly Away (Frank Sinatra)

5. Rock/Pop Musical

The use of rock or pop music (or Rock/Pop Opera) to further the story, usually with little to no dialogue. This category includes such amazing works as "Grease," "The Little Shop of Horrors," "Godspell," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Next to Normal."

5. Satiric Musical

These ones are fun! They basically mean they take a very classical story such as "Pride and Prejudice" or "Shakespeare in love" and put a creative and modern spin on it. For example, the London play "Pride and Prejudice: Sort of"

As you can see the world that is musical theatre is much larger than the beauty of "Hamilton," I hope this gave you a little bit of insight to the magical world that is musical theatre!

From Your Site Articles

What I Wish I Knew Before Majoring in Musical Theatre | The Odyssey Online ›

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Health and Wellness

To The Cheerful Person On Their Rainy Days, You Are Valid

The world is not always sunshine and rainbows, and you do not have to be, either.

University of Florida

188

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Ask friends of mine to name a quality about me, and one a lot them will point out the fact that I am almost always smiling. I like to laugh and smile -- not to quote Buddy the Elf in April, but smiling is my favorite! It is probably my favorite go-to expression. However, what a lot of people do not see is that I have my down days. I have days when smiling and laughing is a real struggle, or when I have so much on my plate that going out of my way to behappy takes more effort than I have stored in me. Be it a symptom of college and growing up or a facet of life, I cannot always be content.

Keep Reading...Show less

rainy days

Adulting

11 Ways To Live The Best Life You Can

Life is full of twists and turns, but you have to keep going.

Sam Houston State University

Life is all about twist and turns, sideways and which ways. Nothing is permanent, so we should take risks, and chase our dreams. We are taught at a young age many lessons that will follow us into adulthood. What we aren't taught is how to feel, and how we handle those emotions. We just have to figure them out ourselves, and that's not fun. In my 21 years of living, I have come to know that way too many people can't handle emotions, or the fact that not everyone is dead inside like them. When you're like me, and you have zero control over your emotions, it's hard to feel comfortable around people who aren't so in touch with themselves. As much as I would like to feel nothing at times, I've accepted who I am and the fact that I can cry over practically nothing. So, there are some things in life that you just have to do.

Keep Reading...Show less

life advice

Recommended for you

The Types of Musical Theatre

It's about more than just "Hamilton." This is an artistic platform with a lot of genres that will make your hands hurt from clapping so hard. Let's go through some of them.

1. Book Musicals

2. Revue Musicals

3. Concept Musical

4. Jukebox Musical

5. Rock/Pop Musical

5. Satiric Musical

Subscribe to our Newsletter

The world is not always sunshine and rainbows, and you do not have to be, either.

It would be so much easier to just pay someone to do it for you

1. Figuring out when to start

2. Searching through list after list to get everything you need

3. Shopping for deals

4. Getting bins to put everything in

5. Figuring what you can’t live without

6. Going through clothes to find what you need

7. Finding out your siblings took something from you

8. Fighting with your parents.

9. Trying to plan things with your roommate

10. The fear of forgetting something

11. Move in day

Relatable moments from one of the best shows I have ever watched.

1. When you fail that midterm you studied so hard for.

2. When your crush finally texts back.

3. When payday comes around.

4. When you accidentally like someone's picture from 108 weeks ago.

5. When someone takes your unassigned assigned seat.

6. When your favorite character in your favorite TV series dies.

7. When that guy/girl you’ve been crushing on agrees to go on a date with you.

8. When you have so much to do, and such little motivation to do it.

9. When someone asks for your last fry.

10. When you try a new health-food craze.

11. When you get new clothing.

12. When you check your bank account.

13. When they're serving good food in the dining hall.

14. When someone tries to tell you what to do.

15. Or just your thoughts about life in general.

We all have that "I don't care" attitude.

1. Most students just take life day by day.

2. That means procrastinating, one day at a time.

3. College students don't mind dressing like crap sometimes.

4. In fact, dressing nice feels weird.

5. College students get so stressed that they contemplate dropping on a daily basis.

6. But most find another solution to deal with that stress.

7. And that solution can be pretty cheap. Anything over $5 is expensive.

8. One of the only things college students will spend money on is coffee.

9. College is just really expensive and you never forget how expensive it is.

10. But hey, we're getting a somewhat high-quality education, right?

11. We all really just want to pet dogs all day.

12. And eat pizza for every meal.

13. And stab the next person who asks us what we want to do with our life.

14. However, despite the stress and student loans, college is amazing and there's plenty of reasons to smile.

Thank you, April, for inspiring us with your wicked relatability.

Life is full of twists and turns, but you have to keep going.

1. Wallow.

2. Cry.

3. Get Angry.

4. Tell Someone You Love Them.

5. Forgive.

6. Let go of the negative people in your life.

7. Be yourself.

8. Swallow Your Pride.

9. Stop Freaking Out Over Your Body.

10. Say No.

11. Accept Love.

Trending Topics

Top Creators

Trending Stories

Best of Entertainment

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments

Subscribe to our
Newsletter