A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context. [2]
"Queen of my Heart", the hit song of Dorothy, was very popular as a parlour ballad.The Black Crook (1866), considered by some historians to be the first musical[1]
Though show tunes vary in style, they do tend to share common characteristics—they usually fit the context of a story being told in the original musical, they are useful in enhancing and heightening choice moments. A particularly common form of show tune is the "I Want" song, which composer Stephen Schwartz noted as being particularly likely to have a lifespan outside the show that spawned it.[3]
Show tunes were a major venue for popular music before the rock and roll and television era; most of the hits of such songwriters as Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin came from their shows. (Even into the television and rock era, a few stage musicals managed to turn their show tunes into major pop music hits, sometimes aided by film adaptations and exposure through variety shows.) Although show tunes no longer have such a major role in popular music as they did in their heyday, they remain somewhat popular, especially among niche audiences. Show tunes make up a disproportionate part of the songs in most variations of the Great American Songbook.
The reverse phenomenon, when already popular songs are used to form the basis of a stage production, is known as a jukebox musical.[4]
^Morley, Sheridan (1987). Spread A Little Happiness. New York: Thames and Hudson. p. 15. ISBN0500013985.
^"Show Tunes", AllMusic.com, accessed March 13, 2016
^de Giere, Carol. "Writing "I Want Songs" for Musicals". MusicalWriters.com. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
^"Definition of JUKEBOX MUSICAL". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
Bibliographyedit
Green, Stanley. Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1976
External linksedit
Show Tunes at allmusic.com
December 15, 2023
show, tune, other, uses, disambiguation, show, tune, song, originally, written, part, score, work, musical, theatre, musical, film, especially, piece, question, become, standard, more, less, detached, most, people, minds, from, original, context, queen, heart,. For other uses see Show tune disambiguation A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film especially if the piece in question has become a standard more or less detached in most people s minds from the original context 2 Queen of my Heart the hit song of Dorothy was very popular as a parlour ballad The Black Crook 1866 considered by some historians to be the first musical 1 Though show tunes vary in style they do tend to share common characteristics they usually fit the context of a story being told in the original musical they are useful in enhancing and heightening choice moments A particularly common form of show tune is the I Want song which composer Stephen Schwartz noted as being particularly likely to have a lifespan outside the show that spawned it 3 Show tunes were a major venue for popular music before the rock and roll and television era most of the hits of such songwriters as Jerome Kern Cole Porter and George Gershwin came from their shows Even into the television and rock era a few stage musicals managed to turn their show tunes into major pop music hits sometimes aided by film adaptations and exposure through variety shows Although show tunes no longer have such a major role in popular music as they did in their heyday they remain somewhat popular especially among niche audiences Show tunes make up a disproportionate part of the songs in most variations of the Great American Songbook The reverse phenomenon when already popular songs are used to form the basis of a stage production is known as a jukebox musical 4 Contents 1 Examples 2 References 3 Bibliography 4 External linksExamples editParticular musicals that have yielded popular show tunes include Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein s Oklahoma Carousel South Pacific The King and I Flower Drum Song The Sound of Music Jerome Kern and Hammerstein s Show Boat Rudolf Friml Herbert Stothart Otto Harbach and Hammerstein s Rose Marie Rodgers and Lorenz Hart s Pal Joey and Babes in Arms Irving Berlin s Annie Get Your Gun As Thousands Cheer Call Me Madam Cole Porter s Anything Goes Kiss Me Kate Can Can George and Ira Gershwin s Girl Crazy Oh Kay Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick s Fiddler on the Roof Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe s Brigadoon Paint Your Wagon My Fair Lady Gigi Camelot Meredith Willson s The Music Man Frank Loesser s Guys and Dolls How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim s West Side Story Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley s Stop the World I Want to Get Off The Roar of the Greasepaint The Smell of the Crowd Lin Manuel Miranda s Hamilton Bricusse Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden s Jekyll amp Hyde Jerry Herman s Milk and Honey Hello Dolly Mame Dear World Mack and Mabel La Cage aux Folles Stephen Sondheim s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Company Follies Sunday in the Park with George Sweeney Todd A Little Night Music and Into the Woods John Kander and Fred Ebb s Cabaret and Chicago Andrew Lloyd Webber s Evita Jesus Christ Superstar Cats The Phantom of the Opera Starlight Express Sunset Boulevard Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Stephen Schwartz s Pippin Godspell and Wicked Jonathan Larson s Rent Claude Michel Schonberg s Les Miserables Miss Saigon Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey s GreaseReferences edit Morley Sheridan 1987 Spread A Little Happiness New York Thames and Hudson p 15 ISBN 0500013985 Show Tunes AllMusic com accessed March 13 2016 de Giere Carol Writing I Want Songs for Musicals MusicalWriters com Retrieved May 31 2014 Definition of JUKEBOX MUSICAL www merriam webster com Retrieved 2019 05 21 Bibliography editGreen Stanley Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre New York Dodd Mead 1976External links editShow Tunes at allmusic com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Show tune amp oldid 1165116719, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
