The conceptual musical and the all-powerful conceiver/director/choreographer are two significant recent advances in musical theatre. These phenomena are the focus of this study. While different interpretations of what constitutes the conceptual musical are addressed within this dissertation, for the purposes of this study, the conceptual musical is defined as a musical with an overriding theatrical idea, developed by a director/choreographer, which seems to permeate all aspects of the musical's creation and production. / The study is divided into six chapters. The three major chapters cover Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, and Michael Bennett, focusing on their conceptual musicals. These chapters also include a less detailed examination of their background and artistic efforts in other areas. Special emphasis is placed on productions in which the meaning of the word "choreography" is expanded to envelop the totality of the production, thus giving it an overall choreographed "look". Other chapters discuss the conceptual musical and the integration of dance in musical theatre, advances without which such artists as Robbins, Fosse, and Bennett would not have been able to make their own subsequent contributions. The final chapter forms a conclusion and suggests topics for further research. The sources for this study include personal observations, interviews and seminars, archival collections, and published materials. / Throughout the advent and tenure of the conceptual musical, collaborative book musicals have remained successful. This type of musical also benefits from the work of innovators like Robbins, Fosse, and Bennett, who have made musical theatre aware of the individual artist's voice, specifically the choreographer's. Other directors and choreographers are recognized in this study to illustrate their influence on Robbins, Fosse, and Bennett, to emphasize the relative placement of Robbins, Fosse, and Bennett among their peers, and to depict how these three have inspired new artists to bring novel visual conceptions and approaches to musical theatre. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-08, Section: A, page: 2803. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75901 |
| Contributors | CHALLENDER, JAMES WINSTON., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 427 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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