Musical Theatre Technical Terms

Book Musical

A type of musical that integrates a narrative with songs and dialogues, where the story is conveyed through both music and spoken dialogue.

Through-sung Musical

A musical where the entire score is sung, with little to no spoken dialogue.

Pit Band/Orchestra

The name given to the musicians who accompany and underscore the singing and dialogue in a musical production.

Overture

An orchestral introduction to a musical, typically played before the performance begins, setting the tone and introducing musical themes.

Ballet

This is sometimes included in shows and very often represents a dream, sometimes representing a better life for the characters. The ballet usually contains musical material already heard and often provides some interesting musical variations.

Chorus

A group of singers who perform together, often providing harmonies and background support to the main characters in a musical. This tradition has continued from opera and operetta and can be an effective to establish the idea of a community and larger scenes in a musical.

Ensemble songs

Are musical numbers performed by a group of characters, often showcasing their thoughts and feelings collectively. These songs help to advance the plot and deepen character relationships within the story.

Can range from smaller ensembles to larger ensembles.

32 bar song form

A form for song writing that became very popular in 1930s American popular song, consisting of two contrasting 8 bar sections, an A section and a B section arranged into an AABA format. This was a good way to show to create a memorable melody.

Underscore

Background music that supports dialogue or action without overshadowing it, enhancing the emotional tone of a scene.

Could act as leitmotif to show what a character is really thinking or could be a continuation in a larger scene that includes singing.

Vamp

A section of music that is designed to repeat until the singing is ready to start, often used when singing comes after underscored dialogue.

Leitmotif

An operatic device, used most famously by Wagner, where a musical theme or motif is assigned to a character, action, object or event and returns to the musical line whenever that thing is referenced.