Four Magical Elements of Musical Theatre (Songs, Spoken Dialogue, Acting, and Dance)

Musical theatre is a theatrical performance that includes four major elements: songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of musical theatre, mainly its story and aspects like love, anger, humor, and pathos, are communicated via words, movement, music, and technical enhancement, all integrated together into one.

Musical theatre is unique because it falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of dance to opera. The overlap between these art forms is quite distinct, though. Unlike opera or dance, musical theatre pays equal tribute to dialogue, dance, movement, and music. Since as long as the early 20th century, musical theater work has been under the umbrella term of 'musicals.'

While music has been an essential component of dramatic presentations for a long time, modern Western musical theater was instituted in the 19th century. Many of its structural elements were established by Gilbert and Sullivan in Britain and Harrigan and Hart in America. These were followed by various Edwardian musical comedies and theater works of creators like George M. Cohan during the 20th century.

The Four Essential Elements of Musical Theatre

Musical theater is a combo of four essential elements: songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. You can't have musical theater production without all of these magical elements working together. Let's have a look at each of these elements:

Songs

Songs are short pieces of music, typically intertwined with words. It is a unique combination of vocals and melody. But not all songs involve vocals, though. Instrumental pieces like music without words are also composed to mimic the voice in a song.

The words used in a song are called lyrics, and they may include a series of verses, longer phrases, plus a refrain, which is a short phrase repeated at the end of each verse. Most songs also involve a meter or beat which follows a pattern or pulse. Songs tell stories, express emotions, or convey faith, hope, and beliefs. In some instances, songs help give instructions or make repetitive work less tiring.

Dialogue

Dialogue is traditionally defined as a conversation between two or more individuals. But did you know that spoken dialogue in theater is a little different? While it has the semblance of a conversation, it works in a structural, multidimensional, purposeful, and almost engineered manner. Dialogue conveys information, gives insight into characters, and expresses emotions. A powerful and meaningful dialogue adds character to musical theater.

Acting

Acting is a performing art that involves movement, intonation, gestures, and more to bring a fictional character to life. It is defined as the ability to react to imaginary stimuli instead of exhibitionism, mimicry, or imitation. Acting breathes life into the words of the playwright, adding soul to a character. Acting is a crucial element of art, so much so that many artists believe art is nothing without acting.

Dance

Much like acting, dance is a type of performing art that involves sequences of bodily movement purposefully designed or improvised on the spot. Dance is a visual experience and is often symbolic. It can be categorized based on its choreography, history, age, and place of origin.

Every element of musical theater is unique in its own way. But when we put them together, they create incredible audio and visual experience that is harmonious, synchronous, and memorable.

Benefits of Musical Theater Lessons for Kids

The benefits of musical theater lessons are endless. It is a good idea to have your kids learn musical theatre and participate in performance because it helps build their confidence, besides promoting creativity and improving problem-solving skills.

Here are five benefits of musical theater for children.

1. Improved Self Confidence

Musical theater workshops encourage children to step out of their comfort zone and unleash their true inner artistic potential. Performing in front of a crowd encourages them to break out of their shells and embrace themselves for who they are in essence, which helps boost their self-confidence.

Musical classes of any kind help students discover their hidden talents. Remember that artistic skills like dance, acting, or drama generally go unnoticed unless put in the spot. Having your kids learn musical theater is the best way to encourage them to perform and explore their strengths and weaknesses.

Furthermore, getting over that initial fear and nervousness can make them feel better about performing art as a whole. Plus, it provides them with newfound confidence to experiment with different activities that they may have been apprehensive about earlier.

2. Better Problem-Solving Skills

Musical theater classes get children to communicate the nitty-gritty of a scene. Improv is an art form that promotes critical thinking and problem solving, enabling students to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas. Plus, theater and stage performances provide children with the kind of learning environment they need to express themselves. And it goes a long way toward helping your children effectively adapt to changing situations and circumstances later in life.

3. Teamwork and Trust

Musical theater is, in essence, group work. Participants are required to work as a team during musical theater sessions, which enhances social interaction. Moreover, it teaches children 'how and who' to trust, besides introducing them to the overall process of 'things falling into place.' Working together also promotes friendships and develops team building, a quality that children can benefit from considerably later in life.

4. Social Awareness

Every myth, legend, story, poem, or play comes with a background story, typically imparting a profound message. Some even address issues from the past that educate children about history and allow them to have a subjective reflection on how certain historic events unwind.

In learning to perform on sets, children are exposed to the set's culture, history, and backdrop. They also get a holistic view of society, literature's cultural context, and how they affect human life. Moreover, acting out scenes from different eras, cultures, and situations encourages compassion and tolerance and promotes diversity. It is always refreshing for those young mids to come across different points of view and present them through amusical theater.

5. Fun

Finally, musical theater is all fun and exciting! It allows children to break away from academia and indulge in something different and refreshing while learning valuable lessons along the way. It reduces stress and gives them the motivation to play around with creative ideas.

Enroll Your Child in a Music Lesson

As you can see, musical theater and all other forms of art come with immense benefits for kids. You wouldn't want to deprive your children of these benefits, would you? Stage Music Center offers music lessons, including vocal and instrumental, for kids of all ages in Winchester, MA.

Enroll your kids in our music class today or contact us for more information.