Thesis (M.F.A.)--Kent State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed March 31, 2010). Advisor: Sharon Campbell. Keywords: costume; Forum; musical; Sondheim. Includes bibliographical references (p. 98)

Thesis (M.F.A.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 44 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 36).

The purpose of the study was to examine the musical methods used by Stephen Sondheim to create a sense of internal unity in scores that, because of the nature of musical theater, required diverse styles of composition and often involved extended periods of time between the occurrence of musical selections. This dissertation topic was chosen in an attempt to provide evidence of the utter sophistication with which Sondheim pursues his craft.The perspective taken was that of a conductor analyzing the scores as if in preparation for rehearsing the cast of a production. The assumption was that a more convincing performance would result from the performers' awareness of the devices used to achieve continuity from selection to selection.Findings1. In both scores, Sondheim employs ostinato, counterpoint, syncopation, and hemiola as primary rhythmic material.2. In both scores, Sondheim presents his primary motives at the beginning of the score and uses them exclusively to generate all melodic material in the work.3. Sondheim is consistent in his harmonic language, revealing a decided preference for extended diatonic and chromatically-altered chords. He uses simple, "pure" triadic harmony on relatively few occasions. He often uses his dense harmoric structures to reflect the tension inherent in the dramatic situation.

This study presents research relevant to the performance of four different mezzo-soprano songs from musicals composed by Stephen Sondheim. The research first gives a comprehensive overview of the contributions of Sondheim to the American Musical Theatre genre, and compares and contrasts his treatment of mezzo-soprano characters with that of his contemporaries. The project also investigates details regarding cultural and historical influences over the four musicals. Additionally, the study includes character analyses and musical analyses for each of the selected characters and their respective songs. The research is synthesized in order to provide suggestions of ways mezzo-sopranos can incorporate this research into their performance, in order to give a more informed and educated presentation of the selected pieces. / The contributions of Stephen Sondheim -- Mezzo-sopranos of the American musical -- Amy in Company (1970) -- Beth in Merrily we roll along (1981) -- The bakers wife in Into the woods (1987) -- Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme in Assassins (1990). / School of Music

Thesis (M.A.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Carrie Sandahl, Florida State University, College of Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance, School of Theatre. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 9, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains iv, 103 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation examines a range of musicals to understand how and why the features that make a musical a musical are used to tell history. I argue that the historical musical is a distinctive historiographic mode that intertwines these affordances to include multiple histories. In Soft Power (2018), a musical I explore in this dissertation, David Henry Hwang introduces the idea of the “delivery system” of the musical as a particularly effective way to tell stories in both cognitive registers and affective registers. As one of the characters in the musical states, “once those violins start playing, these shows go straight to our hearts.” Many of the most beloved and most experimental musicals from the canon depict and deal with historical events. I argue that the musicals I study interpret important historical events, and do so by means of their formal properties, often intertwining several layers of history which can be experienced simultaneously by an audience.This dissertation close reads two musicals per chapter based on their historical contexts, both when they are set and when they are written. These musicals are paired together based on their shared thematic/historical and formal concerns. Soft Power responds directly to the imperialist attitudes and multiple histories at work in The King and I (1951), while both musicals consider what it means to be an American across a wide expanse of time. I focus on 1776 (1969) and Hamilton (2015) and their responses to issues such as slavery, the role of women, and war as these responses are shaped by the politics and contexts of the moment in which they were written. I pair two shows by John Kander and Fred Ebb, Cabaret (1966) and The Scottsboro Boys (2010), due to their formal similarities in using the entertainment styles from the period in which the shows are set to comment on both entertainment and history. My final chapter pairs Pacific Overtures (1976) and Assassins (1990), shows co-written by John Weidman and Stephen Sondheim, both of which critique American mythologies of historical progress. Because of the many layers that make a musical (choreography, song, orchestrations, text, and stars to name a few) there are many possibilities for layering multiple histories into any one musical. In conclusion, musical theatre is often considered fun and pleasurable, which it absolutely can be, but it also does complex historical and political work using a surprisingly sophisticated historiography to do that work.

This dissertation develops the premise that, whilst conceding the difficulties inherent in the medium, musical theatre should be regarded as an art form, worthy of serious critical evaluation. This view is supported by a detailed examination of four works, chosen from different periods of Sondheim's career: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962); Sweeney Todd (1979); Into the Woods (1988) and Assassins (1991). The argument develops through the application of accepted literary critical procedures and systematically examines the thematic and prosodic content of the lyrics, as well as their dramatic potentiality, growing in Sondheim's more mature works, which suggests a seriousness of intent manifest in other forms of the dramatic arts. The emotional and dramatic contribution of the music is examined, in the way it creates mood and atmosphere and modifies or comments on action and character, promoting a musical vocabulary that accommodates a dramatic function. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

This dissertation develops the premise that, whilst conceding the difficulties inherent in the medium, musical theatre should be regarded as an art form, worthy of serious critical evaluation. This view is supported by a detailed examination of four works, chosen from different periods of Sondheim's career: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962); Sweeney Todd (1979); Into the Woods (1988) and Assassins (1991). The argument develops through the application of accepted literary critical procedures and systematically examines the thematic and prosodic content of the lyrics, as well as their dramatic potentiality, growing in Sondheim's more mature works, which suggests a seriousness of intent manifest in other forms of the dramatic arts. The emotional and dramatic contribution of the music is examined, in the way it creates mood and atmosphere and modifies or comments on action and character, promoting a musical vocabulary that accommodates a dramatic function. / English Studies / M.A. (English)