Musical Theater in Humanity

There are many ways to study in human in order to appreciate and honor in life, in our presenting, such as Literature, History, Languages, Religion, Arts and Performing Arts. Also, musical theater, which particularly is one of this aesthetic art form as well. Musical theater was created since an ancient Greece as a worship to Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. Essentially, its style consisted as a Tragedy, which is the portmanteau word, tragos = goat, aeidein = to sing. Tragedy does mean “the goat’s song”. Beheld in the festival once a year.

The form of performance was not vastly different from the musical nowadays. Settings and properties also used to collaborate the show as male narrators sing and dance to narrate the story and ask the morality questions to the audience which lead and relate to the decision of the protagonist or the main character at the end of story. Urging the spectator’s catharsis, and enlighten their heart and mind at the end to realized there is nobody better than god, also our destiny is determined. All of the performer are male, and only seven main actor wear the masks in order to be and rotate the characters exclude the narrator. Aeschylus, Sophocles, And Aristophanes were not only playwrights; they were also composers and luricists. Dance, poem, and acrobatic used to archive the audience as spectacular. Also, to cross the bridge to reflect their life significantly as the foundation of Greece model citizen. Moreover, this form of performance derived into the Roman era and disappeared in the middle age.

The classical Greek and Roman tragedy was largely forgotten in Western Europe from the Middle Ages to the beginning of 16th century, and theatre in this period was dominated by mystery plays, morality plays (ritual plays), farces (comedy) and miracle plays. 17th century, The European Renaissance, Monteverdi and the Camarata Fiorentina, an Italians music and poets intellectual group rediscovered ancient Greek drama, and seeing the extensive use of choral verse, assumed that these plays were originally all sung-through. Based on this well meaning error, it turns out that opera is actually an accidental descendant of musical theater. There are three genres of musical theater that developed in this period: Comic opera, Pantomime, and Ballad opera. Later in 19th century, the comic opera was adopt and improved to more entertaining and more sensitive in plot. On the other hand, it became most popular in theatrical form after World War I and II in order to promote country united and recover its citizen from the depression by both of war and economy.

Early examples of musical comedy usual emphasized the romantic appeal of faraway place or exotic situations - Romantic Musical. Such as Irene, The Merry Widow, and Chu Chin Chow based on story of Ali baba and the 40 thieves. In United State, Classical Musical took place after WWII, considered as an reward to celebrate the victory and greatest nation. In this period, most of the musical were portrait the American fortitude and heroic like, Show Boat, which was a turning point in the history of American musicals. It was a romantic story in typical operetta fashion, in the long ago and far away, mutual spectacle with seriousness. None the less, its set in the great depression. Unfortunately, during 1920s, the innovation of sound films, what attached to each film a soundtrack of speech, music and sound effects synchronized with the action on the screen. These invention were initially pulling musical theater faced to depression. The Golden Age of Musical Theater, during 1945 - 60s led by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the legend of United State musical theater. Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I. Also accompanied with My Fair Lady, The West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Gypsy, Damn Yankees, etc. The musical theater is not only an entertainment, it also serve as an social observer. What does work as a mirror to reflect our society both of economy and morality. Providing a merit attitude to its people. Leading the nation to unite with appreciative in beauty of life and hope, which is the heart and key of musical theater-to give its audience a dream and hope. Enthusiastically hunger for tomorrow to restart their life once again with power and zeal.