Transculturalism in Contemporary Musical Theatre

CORE CONCEPTS

Cultural Appropriation

  • Definition: The use of cultural elements by a dominant group that often leads to a power imbalance.

    • Characteristics:

    • Involves stereotyping or extraction of cultural elements without appropriate context.

Cultural Exchange

  • Definition: A reciprocal, collaborative, and contextual interaction between cultures.

    • Characteristics:

    • Involves agency, authorship, and respectful engagement with cultural elements.

KEY QUESTIONS

When examining a piece of musical theatre, consider the following:

  • Who is telling the story?

  • Who benefits economically and culturally from this story?

  • How is the culture represented musically and dramaturgically?

CASE STUDIES

  1. Miss Saigon (1989)

  2. West Side Story (1957)

  3. Once on This Island (1990)

  4. Hamilton (2015)

  5. Maybe Happy Ending (2016/2024)

MISS SAIGON (1989)

CREATORS

  • Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg

  • Lyrics and Book: Alain Boublil

  • English Lyrics: Richard Maltby Jr

SYNOPSIS

  • Plot Overview: The musical follows a tragic romance set during and after the Vietnam War. The main characters are Kim, a young Vietnamese woman, and Chris, an American GI.

MUSICAL EXAMPLES FROM MISS SAIGON

“THE MOVIE IN MY MIND”

  • Highlights the dreams and aspirations of the bargirls in a Vietnamese bar. The lyrics reflect a longing for escape and a better life, contrasting reality with fantasy.

“THE WEDDING”

  • Portrays the communal experiences and cultural expectations surrounding marriage.

LYRICAL SEQUENCE

  • Bargirls (repeating, overlapping):
    "Dju vui vay. Yu doi my…"
    (Translation: "It brings joy, welcome to the new day.")

  • Kim:

    • Repeats lines expressing joy and longing for meaningful connection.

  • Chris:

    • Reacts with confusion about cultural expressions: "It's pretty but what does it mean?"

  • Gigi:

    • Celebrates their experiences: "To Miss Saigon!"

  • It took over 27 years to fix the lyrics from being gibberish to coherent Vietnamese.

CASTING CONTROVERSIES

  • Involves discussions regarding the representation and selection of actors, particularly related to ethnicity and authenticity in casting practices.

    • They casted a white man to play an asian man and he ended up wearing extensive makeup to make him “look for asian” including face paint and eye prosthetics.

  • Examples include Jonathan Pryce's original casting in 1989 and Jon Jon Briones's later performance in 2016.

WEST SIDE STORY (1957)

CREATORS

  • Music: Leonard Bernstein

  • Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

  • Book: Arthur Laurents

SYNOPSIS

  • Plot Overview: The musical tells the love story of Tony and Maria, two young individuals from rival gangs: the Jets (a white working-class group) and the Sharks (a Puerto Rican gang).

“AMERICA”

  • This number encapsulates the cultural clash and aspirations of the Latino community, particularly through the character Rosalia who expresses both nostalgia and discontent regarding her new home in America.

LYRICAL EXCERPTS

  • Rosalia:

    • Mention of her love for Puerto Rico contrasted with her experiences in America:
      "I love my island of tropical…"

  • Anita:

    • Celebrates the opportunities and challenges faced:
      "I like to be in America!"

Casting

  • There was a lot of cultural appropriation through casting white actors to play Puerto Rican characters.

    • They would also wear makeup to appear more Puerto Rican

    • The Spanish is very iffy and mumbled. There are no subtitles for the Spanish

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (1990)

CREATORS

  • Book and Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens

  • Music: Stephen Flaherty

SYNOPSIS

  • Plot Overview: The story follows Ti Moune, a poor peasant girl who saves and falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy from the opposite side of the island.

MUSICAL EXAMPLES

“WE DANCE”

  • Illustrates the communal and cultural significance of dance in storytelling, with an emphasis on connection and tradition.

HAMILTON (2015)

CREATORS

  • Book, Music, Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

SYNOPSIS

  • Plot Overview: A modern retelling of the life of Alexander Hamilton, focusing on his contributions during the American Revolution and interactions with the Founding Fathers.

MUSICAL EXAMPLES

CLIP FROM HAMILTON AT THE WHITE HOUSE

  • Performance highlights the show's impact and relevance, showcasing how hip-hop and contemporary styles can convey historical narratives.

“GUNS AND SHIPS”

  • Reflects a rapid-fire exchange of ideas and history through dynamic melodies and rhythms.

“YOU'LL BE BACK”

  • A comedic take on power dynamics and colonial themes through the character of King George.

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING (2016/2024)

CREATORS

  • Book and Lyrics: Hue Park

  • Music and Book: Will Aronson

SYNOPSIS

  • Plot Overview: The musical revolves around Oliver and Claire, two outdated helper robots abandoned by their owners, who form an unlikely friendship that evolves into love.

AXES OF COMPARISON IN MUSICAL THEATRE

  • Authorship: Understand the roles of insiders vs. outsiders in storytelling.

  • Musical Language: Evaluate surface borrowing versus structural integration of cultural music.

  • Representation: Differentiate between stereotype and specificity in character portrayals.

  • Power Dynamics: Identify who controls the production and narrative perspectives in the works.