A musical (or musical comedy) is a musical stage work. It consists of songs, music, choreography and dialogue. Musicals are performed in a complex genre, so their creation requires a considerable budget. But it's worth it, because such performances have been very popular with the audience for a very long time.
The history of the appearance of the musical
The musicals were preceded by a large number of lighter genres, which consisted of French ballet, variety shows, and dramatic interludes. In 1866, a production of "Black Crook" was shown in New York, in which romantic ballet was intertwined with melodrama and other genres. This production became a hit. Thanks to her, a new genre was born. The plot ceased to be the most important, vocal numbers performed by idols came to the fore.
The development of American musicals was facilitated by the talented immigrants Friml, Herbert and Romberg. This happened before the outbreak of the First World War.
Best American Musicals
There are a lot of musicals created by the USA. It is impossible to list them all, so we will focus on the most popular productions.
Singing in the Rain is a 1952 comedy musical. This is a legendary film based on a dozen old songs created for Broadway shows. In the center of events Don Lockwood is a silent movie star, he has everything - fame, money, happiness. He begins to remember the times when he was not yet so famous. Luck turns away from him when sound films replace silent films.
"Moulin Rouge" - musical, 2001 melodrama. The film shows the year 1899. The action takes place in the "Moulin Rouge" - the famous nightclub in Paris. Two men are trying to win the love of the beautiful courtesan Satine. Men are completely opposite to each other. One of them is a poor writer, and the other is a wealthy duke who has the opportunity to buy an entire club for one night with Satine.
"Chicago" is a 2002 crime musical created by the United States and Germany. The story is about a girl Roxy who dreams of singing and dancing like the vaudeville prima donna Velma Kelly. Suddenly, both girls find themselves together in the dock.
Burlesque is a sensational musical of 2010. Ali's young girl recently was absolutely happy. But her parents are dead and she is forced to leave her hometown in search of a better fate. Fortunately, she has a charming voice. The girl arrives in Los Angeles and gets a job at the Burlesque nightclub. All nights she dances, finds friends and the love of her life. But happiness cannot last forever, especially since Ali has a lot of envious people.
The film received a large following. Cher and Christina Aguilera played the main roles.
"Madly in Love" is a 2013 fantasy comedy musical. The film tells about the professional musical director Harper Hutton. Since childhood, a woman loved to sing and dance, so she became very successful in her business. Now she dreams that her daughter will repeat her success. But young Mirabela refuses to participate in the musical a few days before the premiere. And all this for the sake of her beloved Marco. Suddenly, a real miracle happens, Mirabela's mother drinks a magic elixir and turns into a young girl.
