Broadway

Life is followed by the natural process of death. It is something that cannot be avoided and occurs unconditionally. In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” this message is conveyed through the use of symbolism and allegory. In this story, a fatal contagion pervades the land in which Prince Prospero reigns, killing victims within thirty minutes of contracting the disease. In reaction to this, the Prince summons a few of his loyal courtiers to an abbey isolated from the outside,…

I Am What I Am from La Cages Aux Folles Jerry Herman’s (b. 1931) dazzling score, and message of acceptance, has made the musical La Cages Aux Folles popular with audiences since the show’s opening night at New York’s Palace Theatre on August 21, 1983. Sung by the character of Albin, I Am What I Am, is an anthem about embracing your true self. This was the final piece I sang as a finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Although I had the love and support of the audience, some on the judging…

“I am not throwing away my shot,” is one of the most famous lines from Broadway’s hit production Hamilton that has brought the story of one of the youngest founding fathers, treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton, to life with excitement like never before. It is a musical that brings new energy and fun to learning history, but also tells a story that inspires people to work hard, overcome obstacles, and strive for greatness. I thought, who better to share this with then some seventh graders who…

The Oxford Dictionary defines a musical as “A play or film in which singing and dancing play an essential part” (Oxford Dictionary, n.d.). In contemporary society, musicals can be seen to fit into two distinct categories: theatrical and motion picture. The notion of a theatrical musical has descended from the use of music and dance on stage in ancient Greece, 5th century BCE. However, it was during the depression that musicals hit the mainstream and the climax of their popularity as people would…

Symbolism in "The Masque of the Red Death" The horrific disease, “Red Death”, is highlighted and running through the story, The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allan Poe. It also brings out the memories of the Black Death of Europe during the Middle Ages. The protagonist was the Prince Prospero. When his dominions were depopulated, he brought one thousand people went into hiding in a castellated abbey in order to avoid the fatal disease. He decorated and provided all the appliances of pleasure…

West Side Story book turned musical was written in 1957 by Arthur Laurents. West Side Story is a musical interpretation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, giving it a modern spin and a change from the original class to race rivalry. The setting of this play is based in the 1950s in the Upper West Side of New York City. The rivalry is between two gangs called the Jets, a white gang, and the Sharks, a Puerto Rican gang. Comparable to Romeo and Juliet the main plot to this story is based on the…

Premiering in 1997, the musical Ragtime, written by the trio of Terrence McNally (Book/Script), Stephen Flaherty (Music), and Lynn Ahrens (Lyrics) was something along the lines of a smash hit. Featuring a star studded cast, with such luminaries as Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, and Audra McDonald, the musical won four Tony Awards and was nominated for 14, including Best Musical. The musical is based on E.L. Doctorow’s 1974 novel Ragtime, a work of historical fiction that has various…

The colors of the seven rooms are just too juicy a detail not to mean something, aren't they? The black and blood red room seems so obviously to represent death, shouldn't the other rooms mean something too? A lot of commentators have thought that, and there is something of a general agreement among many of them about the meaning of the rooms. Supposedly, the suite is an allegory of human life. Each room, in other words, corresponds to a different "stage" of human life, which its color suggests…

"My brain is the key that sets my mind free." This quote is one of the many famous statements made by Harry Houdini, a master mind in the art of illusion. Harry was one of the biggest entertainers of his generation, amazing his audiences with his hand cuff tricks. He set high standards for Magicians at the time. Harry took magic to whole new level. Over time, he evolved from doing simple illusions to death defying acts which left audiences all over America quaking in their seats. Harry Houdini…

Methodology The aim of the analysis is to study the effects that late night political comedy has on politics. While these are both different and well-respected programs that provide viewers with a hardheaded and a playful understanding of current affairs, there is a body of a political frame of mind that can be searched and characterized in a style that can be looked at as information and still seem entertaining. The quantitative analysis, which will be in the shape of an online survey, will…