The genealogy of musical theatre—where music, dance, and drama function together—extends from Ancient Greece to Broadway Avenue in twentieth-century America. Indeed, throughout history, musical theatre has consistently appropriated what was popular in its time as artistic material. At the same time, the similarities between musical theatre and related forms such as opera, operetta, and plays with music—forms that have contributed to its development while allowing it to remain continually engaging—cannot be overlooked. In this context, it is not easy to delineate the characteristics that distinguish musical theatre from its predecessors. These defining lines often form an intersection with other performing.
This situation may explain why, in Turkey, many plays with music and operettas are frequently labeled as musical theatre. Today, one of the approaches that foregrounds the distinctive features of musical theatre is the concept of the “integrated musical.” This term—capable of dividing musical theatre history into a before and after Oklahoma!—analytically examines the extent to which songs and dance contribute to the narrative, prioritizing works in which these elements are structurally embedded within the dramatic framework.
The primary aim of this study is to explain musical theatre through the concept of the “integrated musical” and to compare it with other performing arts forms.
Anahtar Kelimeler- Stage Arts
- Musical Theatre
- Integrated Musical
- Comparison of Arts
