Monday, October 02, 2006

The Orchestra is Tuning

I am curious. Am I the only one who is a fan of musical theatre who absolutely loathes Overtures? Could someone who knows a little more about theatre history explain the purpose of the Overture?
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My dear friend,
You will be happy to know that current Broadway offerings are resorting less and less to overtures. Many of today's shows utilize "pop" music and having an orchestra perform those tunes without vocal accompaniment is sometimes a bit "cheesy".
In the 1940's and 50's, with beautiful music written by the likes of Jule Styne, audiences expected to hear a composite of great tunes prior to the show. It was also utilized for the purpose of taking the audience from their city cab ride and preparing them for the production. It also allowed late comers to arrive prior to the beginning of the actual show. Again, many modern musicals are leaving that era behind. You are more likely to get your wish.

October 3, 2006 at 1:05 PM

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