Stacy Wolf
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195378238
- eISBN:
- 9780199897018
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195378238.003.0002
- Subject:
- Music, Popular, History, American
In the 1960s, the book musical still dominated; the story’s structure took precedence and songs enhanced the emotional aspect of the story. Different kinds of stories also appeared and more musicals ...
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In the 1960s, the book musical still dominated; the story’s structure took precedence and songs enhanced the emotional aspect of the story. Different kinds of stories also appeared and more musicals featured a woman as a central character rather than only as part of a heterosexual couple. This chapter focuses on 1960s musicals that featured women on stage alone in song and dance, but that weren’t sure whether to celebrate them or to punish them. It is organized around the social phenomenon of the 1960s Single Girl in Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Oliver!, and Man of La Mancha represent that figure (or a middle-aged version of her) on the Broadway musical stage. This chapter focuses on the convention of dance and movement and asks how those elements at once express anxiety about the single woman and greatly empower her.Less
In the 1960s, the book musical still dominated; the story’s structure took precedence and songs enhanced the emotional aspect of the story. Different kinds of stories also appeared and more musicals featured a woman as a central character rather than only as part of a heterosexual couple. This chapter focuses on 1960s musicals that featured women on stage alone in song and dance, but that weren’t sure whether to celebrate them or to punish them. It is organized around the social phenomenon of the 1960s Single Girl in Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Oliver!, and Man of La Mancha represent that figure (or a middle-aged version of her) on the Broadway musical stage. This chapter focuses on the convention of dance and movement and asks how those elements at once express anxiety about the single woman and greatly empower her.
Matthew Kennedy
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780199925674
- eISBN:
- 9780190201920
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199925674.003.0018
- Subject:
- Music, Popular, History, American
Chapter eighteen begins with the making and release of The Great Waltz, an old-fashioned roadshow musical biopic of Johann Strauss produced by MGM and directed by Andrew Stone (Song of Norway). It ...
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Chapter eighteen begins with the making and release of The Great Waltz, an old-fashioned roadshow musical biopic of Johann Strauss produced by MGM and directed by Andrew Stone (Song of Norway). It was not an expensive production, but released as a roadshow, it was reviled by critics and ignored by the public. United Artists put Man of La Mancha, its second major musical of the era after Fiddler on the Roof, into production. Directed by Arthur Hiller, it starred Peter O’Toole and Sophia Loren. Creative friction was caused by the earth-toned production designs of Luciano Damiani, considered by O’Toole to be “depressing” and most everyone else as wrong for the film. Hiller had never directed a musical, and both O’Toole and Loren had sketchy musical abilities. The finished product was another critical and box office failure. Man of La Mancha became the last film to be released as a roadshow. Little attention was paid to the death of the roadshow, but a certain grand style movie packaging was gone forever.Less
Chapter eighteen begins with the making and release of The Great Waltz, an old-fashioned roadshow musical biopic of Johann Strauss produced by MGM and directed by Andrew Stone (Song of Norway). It was not an expensive production, but released as a roadshow, it was reviled by critics and ignored by the public. United Artists put Man of La Mancha, its second major musical of the era after Fiddler on the Roof, into production. Directed by Arthur Hiller, it starred Peter O’Toole and Sophia Loren. Creative friction was caused by the earth-toned production designs of Luciano Damiani, considered by O’Toole to be “depressing” and most everyone else as wrong for the film. Hiller had never directed a musical, and both O’Toole and Loren had sketchy musical abilities. The finished product was another critical and box office failure. Man of La Mancha became the last film to be released as a roadshow. Little attention was paid to the death of the roadshow, but a certain grand style movie packaging was gone forever.
