Street Scene

[Producer Theron Bamberger] opened the fly leave and looked at the cast of characters. “Twenty-two characters,” he said. “Too many.” And the play was returned forthwith to Mr. Rice. ~ New York Times, Adele Nathan, 2/2/1947

The play would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize and be adapted into a Tony Award winning Opera. The family tragedy at the center branches off into subplots and vignettes for the neighbors and vendors that visit the central brownstone, expanding the cast from 22 to 30. 

On a side note, I'm realizing that the slice of life structure, and the brownstone set, had an influence on 2004's Avenue Q. 

A Catered Affair

"She never asked for much/
Because we taught her/
Not to expect to much/
Our only Daughter"

Like Far from Heaven, A Catered Affair takes a film about an unhappy 50's housewife and adapts it into a musical drama. While Cathy's situation goes from sunny to somber, Aggie's starts glum, with her son's funeral, and only improves slightly at the end. Comic relief was supposed to come from Cathy's brother, but Harvey Fierstein beefed up the role for himself making the character as angry and somber as the rest of the family.

"A short (90 minutes) but slow depiction of the family-fracturing pressures of planning an expensive wedding, “A Catered Affair” is so low key that it often seems to sink below stage level." ~ Ben Brantley, New York Times

Far From Heaven

I’ve discussed several musicals that explore the leading lady’s conflict between marriage and career. This month I’ll be looking at a collection of shows whose leads are unfulfilled housewives.

Housewife: a married woman whose main occupation is caring for her family, managing household affairs, and doing housework.

Musicals often explore characters inner thoughts but the lyrics of Far From Heaven mirror the dialogue of Todd Haynes’ 2001 film. This leaves the music itself to explore the subtext of the deeply repressed characters.  Cathy’s opening song, “Autumnin Connecticut,” is less “I want” than “I am.” She won’t begin to question her life till her husband Frank’s infidelity is revealed. Cathy’s music is operatic while Frank and the chorus express themselves through Angry Jazz. Raymond, the gardener, shares Cathy’s musical language signaling their bond. Frank will not adopt this language till he accepts his homosexuality in the tear-jerking ballad “I Never Knew.” By the end the three have much in common but society will force them to part. Two of the stars stars, Steven Pasquale and Kelli O'Hara, would quickly jump to the similarly themed Bridges of Madison County. 

This is my 200th comic! That's 600 panels of musicals. Thanks to all of you for reading!

Modern Musical Tropes : Women's Roles

A friend is programming a season at her student camp and asked for musicals with "progressive gender politics." The conversation went in many interesting directions. I took a look at a list of contemporary musicals produced between 2000 and 2015 and began to categories the types of roles and relationships currently being written for our leading ladies. Here are some trends I found.

The Girlfriend

When the plot hinges on the man's ambition the leading lady is often reduced to the love interest. She may have hopes and dreams of her own outside the relationship, but they are rarely pursued within the plotline. Ulla in The Producers wants a show business career but she's primarily written as a love interest and foil for the leading men as they plan their caper.

• Aladdin (2014)
• Big Fish (2013)
• Catch Me If You Can (2011)
• Elf: The Musical (2010)
• The Producers (2001) 

Spunky Ingenues

When the focus shifts from the leading man to the leading lady, but her goal still revolves around landing a man, we get this. What's a catchier term for it?

• The Little Mermaid (2008) *** In which Ariel gets the stage time but Ursula steals the show.
• Marguerite (2008)
• Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002)

Mother and Daughter 

Gypsy set the gold standard but mother/daughter relationships can still serve as a focus or subplot of a musical. In several of these examples the daughter wants a boyfriend or career path that the mother doesn't approve of.

• The Addams Family (2010)
• Bat Boy (2001)
• Curtains (2007) (in which the ingenue is "The Girlfriend" but Carmen and Bambi's feud gets significant focus. As an added bonus everyone is a murder suspect.)
• Grey Gardens (2006)
• The Light in the Piazza (2005)

Good Girl / Bad Girl

Ado Annie and Laurie. Adelaide and Sarah. Roxie and Velma.

When two leading ladies are in orbit their personalities are often polar opposites. If they have separate love interests you get the comic/dramatic couple split. If they're both interested in the same man (or job) you can get a good girl/bad girl rivalry. If the focus is on one woman the second is usually an antagonist to be overcome. Other times the women join forces towards a common goal.

• Avenue Q (2003)
• A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (2013)
• Jane Eyre (2000)
• Legally Blonde (2007)
• Love Never Dies (2010)
• Wicked (2003)
• Both Wild Parties (2000)

Teacher and Students

Some interesting variations here. The teachers will often clash with parents or authority figures who disapprove of their methods. Caroline doesn't quite fit this category. She keeps refusing the mentor role thrust upon her by her employers son as she's got children of her own to raise. 

• Billy Elliot (2008)
• Caroline or Change (2003)
• Mary Poppins (2006)
• Matilda (2012)
• Sister Act (2011)

Friendship Trio

Three women band together against a male adversary. The musicals in this mini-genre are all based on films. How many more films are left to adapt in this vein?

• Nine to Five (2009)
• The First Wives Club (2009)
• The Witches of Eastwick (2000)

Outliers

Here are some new musicals that didn't immediately fit into any of these categories.

• The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) - Janet and Mrs. Tottendale want husbands. Kitty wants a career. Trix is a deus ex machina. The Chaperone wants a drink. 
• Fun Home (2015) - the focus is a father/daughter relationship
• The Color Purple (2005) - The many women in Miss Celie's life help her with her journey towards independence. 
• See What I Wanna See (2005) - Three short stories in which the featured women play vamps, killers, fortune tellers and a dying mentor figure. 
• Spelling Bee, The 25th Annual Putnam County (2005) - The three women competing in the Bee have parental and peer pressures to wrestle with. 
• Title of Show (2008) - Heidi and Susan clash with their gay BFF's as they put together a show for a festival.
• Women on the Verge (2011) - they all want revenge against the man who abandoned them, but it doesnt' seem to fit the Friendship Trio template.

What are some tropes for women I've missed? What are some tropes for men?

What is your definition of "progressive gender politics?"

Mrs. Santa Claus

I'm Mrs. Santa Claus, the invisible wife.
And Mrs. Santa Claus needs a change in her life.

I saw this special when it first aired, then promptly forgot it. Something recently reminded me of its existence and the earworm title song popped back into my head. Terrance Mann's campy villain makes an impression as well.

"The CBS movie, billed as the first original musical for television since Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''Cinderella'' in 1957, turns out to be, of all things, a feisty feminist and unionist tract set in 1910." ~ New York Times.

Bridges of Madison County

The Broadway run was short and the reviews were mixed but this show has inspired some very passionate admirers.

Nominated for Best Score.