Musical Theater 1 Vocab

Acappella

without instrumental accompaniment

accelerando

to gradually increase the speed or temp of music

Accompanist

A musician who plays and instrument to support a singer or main instrumental soloist during a performance or rehearsal

Baroque

A style of Western classical music composed from roughly 1600-1750

Beat

A beat in music is the steady repeating pulse that underlies a song

Broadway

Professional theater production staged in theaters that sit 500 or more people located in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan, NY

Dynamics

Varying levels of volume and intensity used in a performance to drive emotional expression and dramatic storytelling

Choreographer

Creative professional who stages, directs, and designs the dance routines in a Muscial

Chorus line/chorus girls

A chorus line is a large group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines

Coda

concluding section of a musical piece, a final part of a literary work

Company

An organization or group of actors, directors, and production staff that creates and performs plays and dramatic works

Composer

Person who writes original music

Concept Album

A studio recording of a show’s score released to the public before a full stage production exists

Chorus

Group of performers who can sing and dance in large group numbers to support the main characters

Duet

Song written for and performed by two distinct characters, serving to advance the plot, develop relationships, or express shared or conflicting emotions

Piano

Soft in musical volume

Mezzo

Medium or half in musical volume

forte

loud or strong in musical volume

Crescendo

Gradual increase in loudness or intensity

Diminuendo

Gradually getting quieter

Key change/ modulation

Shifting from one tonal center or key to another within a composition

Libretto

Words that are sung or spoken in a musical work for theater

Librettist

A person who writes the words for a musical work for theater

Range

Singing of the lowest notes to the highest note a singer can sing

Refrain

Short and repeated line/phrase that repeats at an interval

Rehearsal Pianist

Musician who plays the piano during rehearsals to support and guide the singer/actors

Reprise

Repetition of a song that was heard earlier in a show, it has a different meaning when sung again

Revue

Theatrical show that have music, dance and comedy sketched with a continuous or overarching storyline

Lyricist

Person who writes the words or lyrics for a song or musical

Lyrics

Words or lines that make up a song

Medieval

Middle ages, western European music between late 8th and early 15th centuries

Meter

Regular, repeating pattern or strong and weak beats that organizes a song’s underlying pulse

Preview

Advance screening of a film or play

Producer

Someone who handles the script selection, casting and manages logistical operations

Production number

Either a large scale musical or a unique tracking code

Quartet

Musical group of 4

Non-plot show

Show that focuses on the same characters and not a linear order

Opening Night

Evening show that is shown to an audience for the first time

Opera

Art form where the story is shown through only song and no spoken dialog

Operetta

Short play/musical that has a mix of singing, dancing and spoken dialog

Overture

Orchestral music played at the beginning of various kinds of shows

Patter song

Fast paced song where each syllable likely matches singular notes

Pitch

Highs or lows in a sound, such as singing

Piracy

Illegally sharing copyrighted data

Rhythm

Refers to patterns of duration that occur within a regular underlying pulse, or beat

Rock Opera

Collection of rock music songs, especially a concept album, with lyrics that relate to a common story

Romantic

Historical era of classical music or modern love songs

Score

Complete written sheet music document showing all instrumental and vocal parts

Season

Scheduled period of the year during which a theater company presents its lineup of planned productions

Show-stopper

Show, song or performer that wins applause so prolonged as to interrupt a performance

Singing styles

A unique way of delivering some through a combination of vocal tone, specific technique, emotional interpretation and genre conventions

Aria

A self-contained song for a solo voice

Recitative

Rhythmically free vocal style that imitates the natural inflections of speech and that is used for dialogue and narrative in operas and oratorios

Soliloquy

A monologue that is delivered when the character is alone

Solo

Song or musical number performed by a single character with no accompanying instruemnt

Song Form

Structural framework that organizes musical ideas into recognizable patterns

Star Vehicle

Production created to showcase the talents of a specific performer

Syllabic

Style of singing where one syllable is matched to one single music note

Syncopation

Musical rhythm where the stress or emphasis is placed on a normally weak beats, an offbeat or in between the main beats rather than the expected strong down beat

Tempo

Speed or pace at which a piece is played

Adagio

To play at a slow, leisurely tempo

Andante

To play at a calm, steady speed

Moderato

To play at a moderate, medium speed

Allegro

To play at a brisk, energetic speed

Presto

To play at a very fast speed

Song Type

Distinct category or structural style of a musical composition meant to be sung

Ballad

Song or poem that tells a story in short stanzas

Up-Tempo

Music, actions, or styles that feature a fast, energetic, and quick-moving pace

Triple-meter

Musical time signature and rhythm pattern characterized by a grouping of three beats per measure

Touring Company

Travelling cast of actors, musicians and crew members who perform a popular stage production in different regional cities after it opens or finished in a major theatrical hub like Broadway

Tryout Tour

Series of theatrical performances staged in smaller, regional cities to test and refine a new show before its official premiere

Twentieth Century

100 year time period that began on January 1st, 1901 and ended on December 31st 2000

Virtuoso/Virtuosa

Person who has outstanding talent and technical skills in a particular field

Vocal Introduction

Opening section of a song or piece of music that features the human voice instead of musical instruments

Word Painting

Use of inflection, tone, and vocal nuance to vividly portray or mirror the literal meaning and emotional quality of text

Voice type

Classification of human singing voice based on comfortable pitch range

Soprano

Highest pitched singing voice in music

Alto

Lowest pitched female singing voice, spanning from F3-F5

Tenor

Highest natural male singing voice

Bass

Lowest male singing voice

Mezzo-soprano

Female singing voice type that is in the middle of high soprano and alto

Baritone

Male singing voice and vocal range that is right in between high tenor and lower bass

West End

theater district of downtown London