Group Review: “Snow”

Ty Defoe and Tidtaya Sinutoke’s song, “Snow,” showed two students, one from Thailand who was a foreign exchange student who was excited about snow because it doesn’t snow in Thailand. The other student experienced snow where she lives and she hints that it isn’t as good as the singer from Thailand romanticized. The other singer spoke very highly of the snow, she went by how white it was and how beautiful it looked, to experience the cold as well, however the other student proceeded to speak negatively in other words, the reality of it before she finally was uplifted by their togetherness. Eventually the student who wasn’t too fond of the snow finds it to not be so bad after talking about a memory she had playing in the snow. Her grandma and her used to put maple syrup in the snow and eat it, a core memory that warmed her up to the idea of snow.

The scenery of the play was plain, making it hard to make the watcher hooked. It was more of a concert setting, it makes it up to the audience to imagine what the setting is based on the song that they were singing. It was a pretty heart warming story because it was nice to see how people from two different environments view the seasons and how together they can change their views on it as well, just as the student who viewed snow more negatively began reminiscing and realizing that the snow wasn’t too bad. Their voices also compliment each other given that the girl viewed things more differently than the girl from Thailand. The girl from Thailand had a more bubbly and higher voice than the other girl. The other student, her voice was a bit deeper. It was also noted that the student who had experienced the snow already, her voice grew a bit more softer as she warmed up to the idea of snow. Overall, the play was well done, besides the slightly bland scenery, it was well done and nice to hear the students sing about their wanted experiences and the ones that they already have. 

EKPHRASIS: It is writing about a visual work of art, like a film, or a sculpture. 

The photo looks like it was taken in the 1800s. The man looks significant, noble, respected and sophisticated. His head is looked up which makes him look noble. His body language shows that he is serious. With his hat in his hands makes him look more powerful and classy it shows that he has manners. By the looks of his clothes he looks like he is in an environment of work maybe. His eyes look serious but almost concerned at the same time like he is thinking about something. With the background he has, the photo looks intentional. This photo overall looks like someone who has significance and is important, taken in the past and his expression looks unreadable at the same time it looks like he is concerned about something. 

The woman looks graceful with her dress and jewelry. Her facial expression looks like she’s in the middle of something and maybe taken off guard. She looks classy but in a more cultural way, her jewelry on her neck, ears, head and arms show that it isn’t just pearls. Her hair seems put together but slightly messy which goes back to why it seems like this photo was taken in the middle of her listening to someone speaking. Her emotions seem attentive and drained or concerned almost. I say drained because her eyebrows are raised up and her eyes just present that emotion to me, but that can simply just be because she was taken off guard. 

A performance in my high school where a band performed the song “Everlong” was memorable to me and admirable because as someone who played the guitar, they did way better. Their stage presence was interactive and they sounded almost identical to the actual song and I think that’s what made the performance stand out the most. Their body language and the way they played expressed that they were passionate about music and were passionate when learning how to play the song given how perfectly they played. I think when you can see the passion in a performance and see their hard work pay off it makes the performance more memorable. 

A genre of music that I enjoy is rock/heavy metal. Describing this genre is difficult, however you can think of it as a rush of emotions that gets you stimulated and energized. The majority of the songs in this genre talk about deep emotion, and sometimes that even goes unnoticed because of the instrumental intense background. It’s loud and vocal, sometimes the song will put its main focus on certain instruments like the guitar or drums to a quick transition of the singer. But don’t think of rock just being songs with singers, oftentimes there are songs with just instruments, each one colliding together and creating a song where you choose where the emotion is. It is a wide genre and can come in many different ways, but they all have the same intense background or intense kind of vocals that tend to make it unique and set it apart from others. 

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The scenery of Shuffle Along has a sense of bringing the musical together and making it eye-catching for the audience. The scenery isn’t too intense, allowing the outfits and choreography to pop out more. The lighting does a good job in bringing out each actor, and bringing out the colors of their outfits more. The title of the musical name being written at the top creates significance with the musical itself. These are all important parts of the scenery with the brick wall, because it creates a more lively and organized appearance, letting the audience know that the actors are the center of attention. The changes of the lighting color represents different parts of the musical, signifying certain parts of it and enhancing the meaning of Shuffle Along. Before the actors came out and introduced themselves, the orchestra played music to bring a sense of introduction, and as the musical went on, the music enlightened the performers movements, establishing the emotion and passion behind their singing and dancing. 

Shuffle Along (possibly writing about): 

• The acting is something that interests me because theatre acting is different from the usual acting you’d see in a show or a movie. I think their acting in the show is significant because it expresses emotions more, rather than something you’d get from the actor’s words. The movements and facial expressions are more dramatic, making things more clear to the audience. The acting is old fashioned, creating a better way to prove their point. 
• The outfits are also a part of the show that interests me because each outfit almost represents the role of each actor. For example, the audience can tell that the woman in the blue dress is significant because her outfit is different from everyone else. When her appearance was first shown she was in the middle of a group of guys in suits which made her blue dress more eye-catching. The wardrobe is done in a way where some actors are more seen than others. 
• The music is the final thing that interests me because it is almost the point of the musical and it brings everything together. Each song tells its own story and has its own significance. The songs make the scenery make sense, the outfits and the acting make sense and brings a sense of significance to the musical.

Rent 

• Something I noticed about rent that seemed crucial was the type of music that was being used. I think the music was important because it opened up to a style that this musical was heading towards and the song that we listened to today opened up a genre that this musical will be heading towards. The song expressed how the family was struggling and the music in the background helped associate with the lyrics and dialogue of the song and overall what the play is seemingly about, a struggling family. The instruments, especially the guitar used, helped enhance the lyrics that were being said and allowed more emotions to be expressed through the actors and audience. It also caught my attention the most out of anything else.

1. Focus in on the tone or sound of the music itself. Why does the guitar play a pivotal role or why does make you/the audience a certain way. Is the music of all the songs like that? Is the energy consistent? What emotions do the songs bring out in you?
2. You could speak on just how the song(s) tell you about the characters and their situation. If their sitaution is dire, why is the tone of the song energetic?
3. Why did the sound director use such innovative music /in his play? Who is his audience? Why do you particularly enjoy it?

In the world of Rent we can learn how each character interacts and how it impacts the play. “Questions to Ask a Play” can be something that can be gone on and on about because there are many things about Rent that can be asked. We can go in more depth with every song and movement to question it and understand it better than just watching it. From the visual elements of these songs and scenes that I would have not known from listening to the song, only being able to visualize each character and understand fully what each voice is expressing. Being able to see the costumes, the acting and body language gave a better understanding of what certain songs mean. The lighting and the costumes were in a Christmas theme The costumes and the decorated scenery provides better understanding to the song. The costumes change, but not much between songs, only certain parts of the outfits change to enhance the songs better. The lighting wouldn’t change much in the first song but during the second song the spotlight would move subtly on the actor who is singing, and it would subtly change depending on the song but it wasn’t an intense change. The only intense change was when two of the actors were singing by themselves. The sounds fit each song with an upbeat tempo, expressing the struggle with rent, almost as if they are complaining but being optimistic about it. Certain instruments would pop out more in the middle of a song, emphasizing the optimism. 

Five Genre Translation Project Ideas – 

1. One idea I have is using my analysis essay on the song “Election Day” from Shuffle Along, by creating a narrative in the perspective of the song. Using characters to describe the feel of the song, the lyrics emphasize sarcasm and present the reality of “Election Day.” By giving the characters a backstory and relation to “Election Day” I can show what the song means through characters instead of just analyzing it.
2. For writing a song for a musical, I would like to write a song similar to the musical Snow. The idea I have for a song would be between two people, 
3. The idea I have for a poem would be either using Rent or Snow to create a poem about the issues each party has. For example Rent, talking about rent in general within the poem is my idea, creating a similar piece to emphasize the meaning of the musical. For Snow, I would like to write a poem describing more about how each girl feels about snow. 
4. In designing a poster, I would do this poster on either my analysis essay on “Election Day” or I would do it on Snow. The vision I have for “Election Day” is doing something similar to the actual cover, only with my own characters and maybe while people are waiting in line to vote or if they are advocating for things not going fairly. For Snow, I would make a poster on the two girls, half the poster in snow while the other is in a more warmer climate.
5. Finally for the video, I would want to bring my story (if I choose that one) and bring it to life almost. For “Election Day” I would possibly bring the characters to life through other people. 

Transformation Review- 

“Transformation! African American Theater 1821-1921 and Beyond” curated by Cheyenne Bryant, Jasmine Buckley, Michael Dinwiddie, Keith Miller, and Gabriela Perez is an article that expresses the exhibition of how African American theater has grown throughout the years. The African Grove theater was the first black theater in the U.S, introducing famous performers such as Ira Aldridge, Bert Williams and more. The article overall does a great job in the informative aspects of the growth in Black theater and how artists found ways to express themselves during a time of racism, battling stereotypes at the same time they created art. Minstrelsy and blackface is brought up, presenting the distress that had done to black artists, and yet they still overcame that. Impactful shows like “Shuffle Along” (one of the major shows) and figures were highlighted, the article had visuals of different artists and within each section there is an option where you can listen to what the article is saying instead of reading it yourself. It is a helpful feature since there is a lot of information to obtain that can be hard for some readers such as myself. Despite all of the inclusivity of women and black artists, there is no hook and essentially can come off as overwhelming as I said earlier. The article contained a lot of factual information, it was easy to find a way to connect with it eventually, but at first glance it can be seen as too much. Visuals and the audio portions of the article allowed me to be able to sit down and take in the truth of this article. In general, the article offers an emotional and influential experience on how American Theater was reshaped, however it can be a lot to take in all at once.

African American perspectives Review – 

“African American Perspectives in Musical Theatre” is a title that speaks for itself, Glover’s writing strongly expresses that. Eric M. Glover does an amazing job in presenting his view on theater involving black artists. Glover expresses how musical theatre is seen through black artists and how the influence of African Americans have impacted theatre. His introduction presented how the contributions of black artists such as the composers or actors, have gone unnoticed or even eradicated from theatre history. Glover went in depth in showing the reader how race and musical theatre is connected. He introduces anti-racism and how that can be used to study theatre along with culture, making readers question the usual theatre the reader would see that is surrounded mostly around white artists. Glover brings out many good points such as race being performed in many different ways through voices or body language and that race can be presented as a performance itself, shaped into theatre. Race isn’t just a person’s skin color, it is movement and culture. Glover emphasizes these ideas in a natural and smooth way. His writing was well understood which made his points more empowering and allowed the audience to view race and its involvement in the history of musical theatre in a different light. Going back to anti-racism, he explained how an anti-racist isn’t just someone who is racist, but someone who is challenging those stereotypes. He makes it clear that this is how the audience should be studying musical theatre, providing case studies to the readers to prove his point further. Glover explored diversity within different genres like opera and musical comedy, showing more on how black artists shaped musical theatre and presented range. Overall, Eric M. Glover gave a good understanding through his writing whilst making the reader question their own thoughts in a sense, creating a powerful writing on how black artists have heavily impacted musical theatre and how despite dealing with racism they still found their place in theatre and used the active racism they dealt with to create art.

Definitions – 

Acting: A type of art where a story is told through performing emotions. An actor tells a story through another person. By using their voices and actions, they achieve a captivating experience for the audience if done well. Acting is surrounded by someone putting themselves in another’s shoes, understanding their character, learning their backstory and enhancing it in a way where the audience can grasp correctly. Acting that is done well will pull apprehension from their audience because it is a form of role playing. When interpreting scripts, and embodying different personalities through films or theater, actors can bring their roles to life and have their audience connect with that despite it being on a stage or on a screen

Movement: In theatric terms, movement falls into many different places like body language and acting itself. It connects with an actor’s positions on the stage or how one expresses their emotions and character. Simple gestures can have stronger meanings to them, becoming effective within this storytelling world. Movement allows theater to be visually pleasing and add character and meaning. Instead of an actor just reading their lines, movements tribute to the lines.

Body language: Similar to movement in theater however it is far more specific. Movements can happen at any moment, but when an actor isn’t speaking much through their character, their body language can tell the audience a lot about the character. It is a form of communication that is nonverbal and verbal at times as well. Actors can express emotions through something as small as eye movements and gestures to louder body language emotions.

Choreography: A form of art where dancing is arranged and practiced into a performance. Usually, it is done with music, following patterns, following rhythm and time. Choreography is widespread, sometimes it can be as simple as dancing to a song and finding the right movements that match the rhythm, to telling a story and expressing emotions through each dance move. This artistic energy brings vision and life to a theater performance, complimenting it overall. It is a technique that draws attention.

Analysis Introduction –

For this analysis, I will be discussing the musical Shuffle Along by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. The musical was a notable hit in Broadway shows, a bookmark into history of how black artists made history in the theatre world. It was the first back musical that achieved success, and shaped the way musical theatre developed. Shuffle Along tells a political but optimistic story of romance and rivalry in the political world within a town that is fictional. However, these lighthearted songs and dances express challenges within racial barriers and doors that were opened for black artists. While there are several important and different aspects from this musical, such as the choreography or the wardrobe, I will be discussing how and why the music enhances certain points of the musical. Each song tells its own story and has its own significance. The music makes the scenery make sense, the outfits and the acting, bring a sense of significance to the musical. The song “Election Day,” stood out because of many things, such as the lyrics and the way it is being sung. It provides commentary, and it is energetic despite the satire behind it. For a political song, it provides an upbeat tempo that will be observed in this analysis. 

First Draft Analysis Essay –

For this analysis, I will be discussing the musical Shuffle Along by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. The musical was a notable hit in Broadway shows, a bookmark into history of how black artists made history in the theatre world. It was the first back musical that achieved success, and shaped the way musical theatre developed. Shuffle Along tells a political but optimistic story of romance and rivalry in the political world within a town that is fictional. However, these lighthearted songs and dances express challenges within racial barriers and doors that were opened for black artists. While there are several important and different aspects from this musical, such as the choreography or the wardrobe, I will be discussing how and why the music enhances certain points of the musical. Each song tells its own story and has its own significance. A specific song, “Election Day” assists in getting the points of this musical across because it is a very political song. The music makes the scenery make sense, the outfits and the acting, bring a sense of significance to the musical. The song “Election Day,” stood out because of many things, such as the lyrics and the way it is being sung. It provides commentary, and it is energetic despite the satire behind it. For a political song, it provides an upbeat tempo that will be observed in this analysis. 

The lyrics of “Election Day” speak differently at the time this song was made. Racism was common, and it was hard for black artists to be able to express themselves and in general, make their work known. Often, they wouldn’t have that chance. This song almost has the irony in it of how lighthearted it sounds, yet the meaning is way more deep and bold. An example of the way this song uses satire yet shows the listener how elections go, what people expect from people in politics and how it downfalls majority of the time, “You gather at the election polls, And there you stand in line. Although the day be dark and cold, Still you never mind. You are thinking of the politicians whom last year you trusted, And when they got into positions, promises they busted. You will try not make the same mistake— This Election Day. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!” These lyrics shows how a people gather at the elections polls when it is dark and cold, despite those efforts they still end up with a person maybe they helped elect and they get let down. It connects with the entirety of the musical itself because it is a sense of expression and hardship, black artists at the time would struggle getting into musicals, any form of art. When some of these artists did manage to get into something, they were let down by having credit taken from their own work and several other ways. It shows themes of public hope, corruption politically and promises that are broken to society. 

Going back to the upbeat tempo that was mentioned earlier, it brings a cheerful element to the musical despite the lyrics. The vocals are high, almost as if the song wasn’t about politics, if there was something to truly be excited about it. It allows the listener to understand the satire behind it all because the lyrics are deep and Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake sing in a “public voice” that provides the commentary that was mentioned earlier. The tone of the song is joyful and optimistic during parts like, “Election Day, Election Day, That’s the day when everybody’s happy, That’s the day when everybody’s glad. Election Day, Election Day, That’s the day when you forget All the aches and pains you have had.” showing hope. Then there are other parts of the song where the tone changes and points out betrayal, skepticism, “You are thinking of the politicians whom last year you trusted, And when they got into positions, promises they busted. You will try not make the same mistake— This Election Day. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!” which layers in with the truth and the main point of the song. It expresses the fact that this isn’t a lighthearted song, this isn’t something to be joyful about. The pace of the song and the tone switches in it, emphasize the truth this musical is spewing which is why it was one of the first musicals that really allowed black artists to get their foot through the door. 

Finally, the instruments of the song enhance the tempo and the lyrics, bringing everything back together. The piano used in the song adds onto that optimistic and joyful theme of the song. Playing into something more bright despite what is truly being said, capturing the chaos in Jimtown when voting. Many instruments do this, such as the trumpet, it adds to the happy portions of the song but it also adds a more political background to the song which allows the lyrics to be properly heard. The drums and bass add foundation and a rhythmic beat that keeps the listener grounded and adds energy. Each instrument has its own speciality in the song, working together to allow each lyric to have an understandable meaning. The instruments respond to the vocals and support them, assists with the detention and the facts that are being spewed with this song. 

Shuffle Along was a historic milestone within the world of musical theatre. It offered not only a sense of entertainment but it also offered a powerful stance on society and the political issues of the time it was made in. The music, more specifically, “Election Day,” really enhanced the truth behind politics and the challenges of racism despite its joyful tone. Songs were defined within the lyrics, giving the audience a good view on how politics impact people, expressing the emotional and political theme that is shown in the musical. Optimism is especially seen in this song because the instruments and vocals provide a joyful mood despite the political betrayal that is being sung in the lyrics, along with public hope. The instruments enhance the meaning of the song and respond to the lyrics, playing a key role in delivering the message of the song. This musical was a form of resistance and creativity within oppression, it changed Broadway and made its mark. The song and the musical doesn’t only reflect on politics, but on the way black artists struggled to get where they are today. 

For this analysis, I will be discussing the musical Shuffle Along by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake. The musical was a notable hit in Broadway shows, a bookmark into history of how black artists made history in the theatre world. It was the first black musical that achieved success, and shaped the way musical theatre developed. Shuffle Along tells a political but optimistic story of romance and rivalry in the political world within a town that is fictional. However, these lighthearted songs and dances express challenges within racial barriers and doors that were opened for black artists. While there are several important and different aspects from this musical, such as the choreography or the wardrobe, I will be discussing how and why the music enhances certain points of the musical. Each song tells its own story and has its own significance. A specific song, “Election Day” assists in getting the points of this musical across because it is a very political song. The music makes the scenery make sense, the outfits and the acting, bring a sense of significance to the musical. The song “Election Day,” stood out because of many things, such as the lyrics and the way it is being sung. It provides commentary, and it is energetic despite the satire behind it. For a political song, it provides an upbeat tempo that will be observed in this analysis. 

The lyrics of “Election Day” speak differently at the time this song was made. Racism was common, and it was hard for black artists to be able to express themselves and in general, make their work known. Often, they wouldn’t have that chance. This song almost has the irony in it of how lighthearted it sounds, yet the meaning is way more deep and bold. An example of the way this song uses satire yet shows the listener how elections go, what people expect from people in politics and how it downfalls majority of the time, “You gather at the election polls, And there you stand in line. Although the day is dark and cold, still you never mind. You are thinking of the politicians whom last year you trusted, And when they got into positions, promises they busted. You will try not to make the same mistake— This Election Day. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!” These lyrics show how people gather at the elections polls when it is dark and cold, despite those efforts they still end up with a person maybe they helped elect and they get let down. It connects with the entirety of the musical itself because it is a sense of expression and hardship, black artists at the time would struggle getting into musicals, any form of art. When some of these artists did manage to get into something, they were let down by having credit taken from their own work and several other ways. It shows themes of public hope, corruption politically and promises that are broken to society. 

Going back to the upbeat tempo that was mentioned earlier, it brings a cheerful element to the musical despite the lyrics. The vocals are high, almost as if the song wasn’t about politics, if there was something to truly be excited about it. It allows the listener to understand the satire behind it all because the lyrics are deep and Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake sing in a “public voice” that provides the commentary that was mentioned earlier. The tone of the song is joyful and optimistic during parts like, “Election Day, Election Day, That’s the day when everybody’s happy, That’s the day when everybody’s glad. Election Day, Election Day, That’s the day when you forget All the aches and pains you have had.” showing hope. Then there are other parts of the song where the tone changes and points out betrayal, skepticism, “You are thinking of the politicians whom last year you trusted, And when they got into positions, promises they busted. You will try not make the same mistake— This Election Day. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!” which layers in with the truth and the main point of the song. It expresses the fact that this isn’t a lighthearted song, this isn’t something to be joyful about. The pace of the song and the tone switches in it, emphasize the truth this musical is spewing which is why it was one of the first musicals that really allowed black artists to get their foot through the door. 

Finally, the instruments of the song enhance the tempo and the lyrics, bringing everything back together. The piano used in the song adds onto that optimistic and joyful theme of the song. Playing into something more bright despite what is truly being said, capturing the chaos in Jimtown when voting. Many instruments do this, such as the trumpet, it adds to the happy portions of the song but it also adds a more political background to the song which allows the lyrics to be properly heard. The drums and bass add foundation and a rhythmic beat that keeps the listener grounded and adds energy. Each instrument has its own speciality in the song, working together to allow each lyric to have an understandable meaning. The instruments respond to the vocals and support them, assists with the detention and the facts that are being spewed with this song. 

Shuffle Along was a historic milestone within the world of musical theatre. It offered not only a sense of entertainment but it also offered a powerful stance on society and the political issues of the time it was made in. The music, more specifically, “Election Day,” really enhanced the truth behind politics and the challenges of racism despite its joyful tone. Songs were defined within the lyrics, giving the audience a good view on how politics impact people, expressing the emotional and political theme that is shown in the musical. Optimism is especially seen in this song because the instruments and vocals provide a joyful mood despite the political betrayal that is being sung in the lyrics, along with public hope. The instruments enhance the meaning of the song and respond to the lyrics, playing a key role in delivering the message of the song. This musical was a form of resistance and creativity within oppression, it changed Broadway and made its mark. The song and the musical doesn’t only reflect on politics, but on the way black artists struggled to get where they are today.

Analysis Presentation