Musical theatre is a form of theatre that

Musical theatre is a form of theatre that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The most important writers of mega-musicals include the French team of Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, responsible for Les Misérables, which became the longest-running international musical hit in history. The best musicals have three essential qualities – Brains – intelligence and style Heart – genuine and believable emotion Courage – the guts to do something creative and exciting

The art of telling stories either through or with songs dates the Greeks included music and dance in their stage comedies and tragedies as early as the 5 th Century B. C. While some Athenian playwrights may have interpolated existing songs, we know that Aeschylus and Sophocles composed their own. Staged in open air amphitheatres, these plays featured sexual humor, political and social satire, jugglers, and anything else that might entertain the masses. The songs were often a means for the chorus to comment on the action, but they also took part in the plot, and musical solos were not unheard of

In the Middle Ages, Europe's cultural mainstays included traveling minstrels and roving troupes of performers that offered popular songs and slapstick comedy. In the 12 th and 13 th centuries, there was also a tradition of religious dramas. The Minstrels earned a living by the arts of poetry and music, and sang verses to the accompaniment of a lute, harp or other instruments.

Musical theatre is closely related to theatrical form of opera a musical is almost always performed in the language of its audience. Musicals produced in London or New York, for instance, are invariably sung in English, even if they were originally written in another language (e. g. Les Misérables was originally written in French).

Les Misérables………………. the Victims!!!!! Victor Hugo 1. The Importance of Love and Compassion In Les Misérables, Hugo asserts that love and compassion are the most important gifts one person can give another and that always displaying these qualities should be the most important goal in life.

2. Social Injustice in Nineteenth-Century France Hugo uses his novel to condemn the unjust class-based structure of nineteenth-century France, showing time and again that the society’s structure turns good, innocent people into beggars and criminals. Hugo focuses on three areas that particularly need reform: education, criminal justice, and the treatment of women.

3. The revolution that Hugo champions is a moral one, in which the old system of greed and corruption is replaced by one of compassion. Although both Napoléon and the students at the barricade come closer to espousing these values than the French monarchs do, these are not values than can be imposed through violence. Indeed, Hugo shows that Napoléon and the students at the barricades topple as easily as the monarchy. Painting of July Revolution 1830

Now, we watch Les Mis The elephant was commissioned by Napoleon, but never finished…. kind of like the revolution!!!!!!!!

Ok, now we watch!!!! Do these pictures represent different philosophies? ? ? ? Which ones?