PresentsLerner and Lowes

CAMELOT

SynopsisThe play opens in the legendary and fabled kingdom of Camelot. It is ruled by King Arthur, a ruler of humble beginnings and possessor of Excalibur. We meet Arthur as he is greeting his bride Guinevere in the woods for the first time (“I wonder what the king is doing tonight,” “The simple joys of maidenhood”). Though they are both nervous about their marriage, they quickly fall in love and begin their rule over Camelot (“Follow Me”). It is a very prosperous time for Camelot;

and Arthur forms a new order of chivalry in which knights are sworn to protect the weak, and perform great acts of valor, justice, and courage. Though the Knights of the Round Table are all equal, when the strong and handsome Lancelot Du Lac arrives, he quickly becomes Arthurs most trusted advisor and confidant, despite a strong dislike of him among the knights.

Two years pass and Lancelot and Lady Guinevere realize they love each other (“if Ever I would Leave You”), and fail to adequately hide their emotions towards each from King Arthur. To further complicate matters King Arthur’s illegitimate son Mordred arrives in Camelot with the desire to overthrown King Arthur and assume power (“The Seven Deadly Virtues”).

After finding King Arthur Hunting in the forest, he convinces his father to stay in the forest one night to prove his trust for Guinevere and Lancelot. When Mordred returns to the castle, he discovers Lancelot in Guinevere’s bedroom and charges them both with treason against the king. Guinevere is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake, while Lancelot escapes (“Loved you once in Silence”).

On the day of Guinevere’s execution King Arthur is unable to give the call to light the flames and Guinevere is rescued by Lancelot and taken to France.

The CharactersKing Arthur–Ruler of Camelot. He served as a simple squire until he managed to pull King Pendragon’s sword out of the stone and became King. He desires to rule fairly and create a land where justice and honor are held in high esteem.

Queen Guinevere–Queen of Camelot. At first she did not want to marry Arthur, but when she met him and saw the beauty of Camelot, she fell in love. She is devoted to Arthur and supports his causes.

Lancelot Du Lac –A knight of France and a skilled warrior, Lancelot comes to be a Knight of the Round Table. He is extremely pious and not particularly well liked by anyone except Arthur.

Mordred–Arthur’s illegitimate son. His mother is Queen Morgause, who bewitched Arthur when he was younger.He has come to the Round Table to stir up trouble.

Merlyn–A wizard type character. Arthur’s teacher. He wants Arthur to be ambitious and pursue the dream of a chivalrous kingdom.

Sir Pellinore – One of Arthur’s closest friends. He stumbled upon Camelot one day while in search of a dragon and decided to stay in Arthur’s court and join the Knights of the Round Table.

Tom –A young boy who wants to join King Arthur’s army.

Sir Dinadan–A Knight of the Round Table.Sir Sagramore-A Knight of the Round Table.Sir Lionel-A Knight of the Round Table

Nimue –A nymph intent on bewitching Merlyn.

BiographiesALAN JAY LERNER (Book and Lyrics) was born in New York in 1918. In 1942 Lerner wrote his first musical with Frederick Loewe called Life of the Party; in 1943, they wrote their first Broadway musical, What’s Up? The team went on to write The Day Before Spring in 1945, followed by their first hit, Brigadoon, in 1947. Lerner wrote the libretto for An American in Paris, the first musical film to win an Oscar. Lerner and Loewe teamed up again in the 1950s to write Paint Your Wagon, the mega-hit My Fair Lady, the film Gigi

(winner of nine Oscars, including Best Picture), and Camelot in 1960. After the retirement of Frederick Loewe, Lerner went on to write On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and Carmelina with Burton Lane, Coco with Andre Previn, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with Leonard Bernstein, and Dance a Little Closer with Charles Strouse. Lerner and Loewe reunited in 1973 to provide Broadway with a stage version of Gigi. Alan Jay Lerner died in 1986 at the age of 67.

FREDERICK LOEWE (Music) was born in Vienna in 1901. A child piano prodigy at age 4, he made his concert debut with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra at age 13. Coming to America in 1930, Loewe wandered about in such odd jobs as branding cows in Montana, gold prospecting in Colorado and saloon hall piano playing everywhere. In 1942, on the brink of establishing himself as a composer of popular songs, Loewe approached Alan Jay Lerner at a club in New York and said he would like to collaborate with him on a musical show. The two went on to enjoy a notable partnership that lasted 18 years, resulting in the musicals Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady, and Camelot. In 1961 Loewe retired to the French Riviera until 10 years later, when Lerner persuaded him to write the score for a musical film based on The Little Prince, followed by creating new music for Lerner’s expanded book and lyrics for the 1973 Broadway version of Gigi. Frederick Loewe died in 1988 at the age of 88.

Source: http://www.arenastage.org/shows-tickets/sub-text/2012-13-season/my-fair-lady/duo.shtml

DUO: THE MUSICAL EVOLUTION OF LERNER AND LOEWEBy Ken Savage

Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist born to an affluent Jewish family in New York City. Frederick “Fritz” Loewe was an Austrian pianist and composer from Germany who had yet to reach success in music. The unlikely duo met in 1942 at the New York Lambs Club, where Loewe piqued Lerner’s interest in working together. Loewe was already commissioned to rewrite the show Patricia, the pair’s first project and a primal micro-success. Following the first show of their partnership, Lerner and Loewe experienced continued mediocre success with their next three musicals: Life of the Party (1942), What’s Up? (1943), and The Day Before Spring (1945). Their collaborative work style was evident right off the bat as the duo preferred to write and compose together rather than having one write the music or lyrics first. 

Brigadoon was their first major Broadway hit. Lerner and Loewe incorporated traditional Scottish folk music and dance into the musical about two tourists who discover the village of Brigadoon, which magically appears in the

Scottish Highlands once every one hundred years.Brigadoon premiered in New Haven and Boston where it was ill-received by critics but popular to audiences. It played in Philadelphia to rave reviews then opened on Broadway in 1947 where it won the New York Drama Critics Circle award for most outstanding musical. In 1951, following the success of Brigadoon, Lerner and Loewe were inspired by the other great American-themed musicals likeOklahoma! and Annie Get Your Gun to write a musical about a mining town in California during the Gold Rush era: Paint Your Wagon.

In 1952 film producer Gabriel Pascal obtained the musical rights to George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion and approached Lerner with the proposition of turning it into a musical, convincing him to do it by saying no other artist was capable of such a feat. Ironically, in an encounter with Oscar Hammerstein II, Lerner discovered that Pascal had also approached

Rodgers and Hammerstein with the same project using the same buttery words. However, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and a list of other composers had given up on the musical endeavor. However, in 1953 Lerner and Loewe’s interest in transforming Pygmalion was reignited. They immediately sought Rex Harrison and even before having contracted him, Lerner and Loewe began writing the songs for the non-singing actor. From their non-singing muse, Lerner and Loewe developed a series of talk-singing pieces for the character of Henry Higgins. They discovered Julie Andrews in 1954 when she made her American debut in The Boy Friend and secured the British actress to play their Eliza Doolittle. Soon after, they recruited movie actor Stanley Holloway to play Alfred Doolittle, Eliza’s father. The duo underwent a huge ordeal in order to confirm Rex Harrison’s casting, but once he was secured, Lerner and Loewe spent hours constantly writing to finish their musical. The musical development of My Fair Ladywas very much based around the voices and talents of their selected actors. At the start of rehearsals, the book and score were nowhere near complete. In fact, they stumbled upon the title “My Fair Lady” during second week of rehearsals.

My Fair Lady received stellar reviews in New Haven, Philadelphia, and New York. In fact, at the time it was crowned the best Broadway musical ever written. It was the longest running musical of the time, playing for six and a half years with 2,717 performances on Broadway and 2,281 performances on the West End in London. My Fair Lady won six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. ThoughOklahoma! was America’s frontier musical, My Fair Lady was Broadway’s first major blockbuster hit.

Lerner and Loewe’s success continued to skyrocket. Immediately following the triumph of My Fair Lady, the team was commissioned to write the movie Gigi, which was based on the French novella by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette about a rich Parisian playboy and his relationship with a

courtesan-in-training. Lerner wrote the screenplay and together they collaborated on music and lyrics. Gigi won nine Oscars at the Academy Awards. Its transformation into a musical fell short and had only moderate success, but it still earned Lerner and Loewe a Tony Award for best score.

Their last major Broadway hit was Camelot (1960), based on the legend of King Arthur. It was

originally directed by Moss Hart, who also directed My Fair Lady, and starred Richard Burton and Julie Andrews. Camelot won four Tony Awards, toured London and the world, and was adapted for the screen in 1967.

Lerner and Loewe’s musical journey kicked off with a series of musical flops and underwhelming musicals but eventually gained momentum, producing multiple major hits for the stage and screen. Their music lives on in their popular songs– “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Almost Like Being in Love,” “They Call the Wind Maria,” “If Ever I Would Leave You”–  their iconic actors, and in the audiences who have fallen in love with their work.

Knights of the Middle AgesSource: Helen Cothran, ed., The 1100s: Headlines in History,(New York:

Cengage Gale, 2001).

The mysterious knight gently removed the long strands of hair that were entwined in the comb. He nearly fainted and fell off his horse as he caressed the strands. He “began to adore the hair, touching it a hundred thousand times to his eye, his mouth, his forehead and his cheeks.”Finally, the knight “placed the hair on his breast near his heart” and continued on his way. Cothran, The 1100s: Headlines in History.

The knight who lovingly placed the strands of his beloved’s hair next to his heart is Sir Lancelot and his beloved is Queen Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur. This depiction of the chivalrous knight is found in Chrétien de Troyes’ tale, “The Knight of the Cart.” Chrétien was the inventor of Arthurian romance as we know it, and he did much to shape contemporary conceptions of romantic love. Lancelot undertakes a quest to win the queen’s adoration, and for her he suffers humiliation, physical hardship, and exhaustion. He endures many trials during his adventures, but his loyalty to his beloved remains unshaken.

This passage about the mysterious knight depicts the romantic side of knighthood that is probably familiar to most modern readers. Modern readers would also be familiar to portrayals of knights as fierce warriors engaged in bloody battles. Knights are depicted as courageous and athletic, willing to enter dangerous territories and battles with other knights in service of their lords. In fact, real knights were more practical than romantic. They did perform brave feats out of loyalty to their lords during the 1100s, but they were obligated to do so.

Under feudalism, lords granted knights land in exchange for their service

during wars.Knights had to be loyal or they would break the feudal contact with their lords and lose their land. Because inheritance customs at that time dictated that only the eldest born son would inherit his father’s property, all other sons were effectively disenfranchised. For most young men, becoming a knight was the only option open to them unless they wanted to enter into service of the church. Their relationships with others were not governed by any laws, and knights were often ruthless. Kings in the early part of the twelfth century were not yet powerful enough to enforce laws against knightly transgressions, and knights’ misbehavior continued unchecked. Gradually, however, a political and cultural backlash formed to oppose knightly anarchy. As kings began to enjoy more power and influence as a result of booming economic expansion, they were able to afford their own armies, and did not have to rely on knights to protect their territories. Knights, in consequence, became increasingly unnecessary, and their prestige declined.

As a result of their declining reputation, knights found that people whom they used to treat with abandon were less tolerant of their behavior and now had the kings’ laws to protect them. Affluent people of the court also began to expect a higher code of knightly behavior, and began to commission

works of literature that depicted knights as thoughtful, generous, and above all, chivalrous toward women. Influential women like Eleanor of Aquitaine—who was the duchess of Normandy and then the queen of England—patronized the arts and encouraged writers to pen romantic stories of knights and other young men in love.

The troubadours—or traveling storytellers—helped to popularize courtly love. Other writers, like Chrétien de Troyes, popularized the notions of chivalry.These depictions in stories and songs helped set a standard for behavior that real knights were encouraged to live up to.

The Legend of King ArthurSources: Paper Mill Playhouse Guide for their production of Camelot Geva Theatre Center Study Guide for their 2004 production of Camelot

Whether Arthur, Guinevere or his knights of the round table were real people or fictional characters is unknown. There are some historical texts that suggest that Arthur was indeed a real king; Nennius, a Welsh historian studying and writing somewhere around 800 A.D., mentions a young leader named Arthur. However, Gildus, another historian who would have been a contemporary of King Arthur, never wrote about such a leader. A widely accepted view is that Arthur was a from a tribe in Wales known as the Celts, and he served as a chieftain or general in the fifth or sixth century A.D. in a time known as the Dark Ages.

Britain was a part of the Roman Empire until the Saxons invaded the island. It is believed that Arthur rallied the different tribes in Britain together to fight off the invaders, but they were not glorious knights described in the legends. They were most likely warriors who were most familiar with Roman customs and were perhaps a little barbaric; rather than wearing armor and using swords, the warriors probably fought with spears and axes and wore thick leather to protect themselves.

Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, and the other Knights of the Round Table are mostly likely fictitious characters that were used in stories to represent the ideals of chivalry. People in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were fascinated by romantic stories of knights and their adventures, and most likely troubadours, or traveling storytellers, roamed villages telling anyone that would listen the stories of knights and their adventures in places such as Camelot, which started the myth of King Arthur and his glorious knights.

These legends have influenced many aspects of modern society including manners and proper behavior, rules of sports and organized games, romantic

love, styles of architecture, and judicial law. The popular stories that are still told today are thought to be part history and part folk tale.

Where is Camelot?

Many historians have made attempts to locate or theorize locations of King Arthur’s Camelot. Celtic Wales was thought to be a probable site, along with Winchester, an early capital of England, and South Cadbury Castle. However, there is little historical or archaeological justification for these suggestions. The kingdom of “Camelot”first appeared in the manuscript of Chrétien de Troyes, which suggests that the location was invented around the end of the twelfth century. Many mentions of Camelot were in French medieval poems, which also leads many historians to believe That Camelot is a creation of someone’s imagination.

Changes Through the Years: Arthurian TimelineThere have been countless renditions of the legend of King Arthur. Here are some of the most influential:

Seventh century Earliest legends of Arthur are transmitted orally in Breton and Celtic stories.

Twelfth century Under the patronage of Countess Marie de Champagne (1145-1198)Chrétien de Troyes writes his five Arthurian romances, including the first reference to the Holy Grail and the idea that the love between Lancelot and Queen Guenevere was the downfall of Camelot.

Thirteenth century Wolfram von Eschenbach, a German knight and poet, writes his tale Perzival that further develops the story of the Holy Grail.

Fourteenth century The Vulgate Cycle, otherwise known as Prose Lancelot is written by French poets, telling of Lancelot’s calling by the Lady of the Lake, his quest for the Holy Grail, and Arthur’s death.

1485 Le Morte D’Arthuris published by Sir Thomas Malory, solidifying stories such as the sword in the stone, the quest for the Holy Grail, and Lancelot and Guinevere’s love and puts all the tales together in novel-form.

1691 Poet John Dryden and composer Henry Purcell compose the semi-opera King Arthur, which tells the story of King Arthur’s epic battles.

1833 Alfred Lord Tennyson publishes The Lady of Shalott, which along with his earlier poems Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere and Galahad, tells the tale of Arthur’s CamelotPre-Show Questions

1) Lerner and Loewe were collaborators on numerous projects. They wrote many great musicals together, but it was said that this collaboration put a stress on their friendship. What do you think would be the benefits and also the challenges of writing a script, music, and lyrics with someone else?

2) In the opening of the musical, King Arthur is hiding from his bride-to-be. How is this different from the way we imagine the story of King Arthur and Camelot?

3) Describe and analyze the role of Merlyn. How does Merlyn’s presence help or cause trouble for King Arthur?

4) CAMELOT takes place over an extended period of time. Imagine you are an actor playing either the role of Arthur, Guinevere or Lancelot. What would you do to portray growth and development in your character? How would you portray the process of aging?

5) Who is Pellinore and what is his significance in CAMELOT? Would the story be any different if Pellinore were not present?

Post Show Questions Music can provide an emotional connection between a character and the audience. Think about a song or character from CAMELOT that you connected with. Describe your own characteristics and discuss how they relate to the song or character.

How did Guinevere and Lancelot’s relationship go against the values of the Knights of the Round Table?

There are a lot of mystical characters in CAMELOT, such as Merlyn, Morgan le Fey, and Nimue. What are some ways in theatre to show the audience that these characters are different from everyone else? Think about the lighting, costumes, and music that is used for those characters.

CAMELOT ends at a camp just before the final battle of King Arthur’s war. What kind of impact did this have on you as an audience member? How did this affect the overall message of CAMELOT?

The story of King Arthur and CAMELOT is known on a global level and there have been many different portrayals of it. Collect images of King Arthur and describe how the artist interprets him. What is the tone of these images? How do they connect to the musical?

Write a Review! The RiverCenter Night School program is about the full theatrical experience. If you students so choose, part of that experience can be voicing their opinion about the show or any of the restaurant’s in Columbus. Review writing is meant to be non-threating for reluctant writers do to its abbreviated length and casual/conversational style.

Have the students read the following review: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/disneys-aladdin-theater-review-690038(any review maybe used)

Disney's latest animated movie musical to get a Broadway makeover is the 1992 fairy tale set in a fictional Middle Eastern kingdom, featuring songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.NEW YORK -- Its exotic Middle Eastern setting and multiethnic cast aside, Aladdin offers less "A Whole New World" -- to quote its signature song -- than a traditional Disney fairy-tale realm; it's perhaps the most old-school of the company's screen-to-stage adaptations since Beauty and the Beast. But that shouldn't deter audiences from making this splashy Arabian Nights wish-fulfillment fantasy into a family-friendly hit. Directed and choreographed by musical comedy specialist Casey Nicholaw with loads of retro showmanship, an unapologetic embrace of casbah kitsch and a heavy accent on shtick, this is sweet, silly fun. It's not the most sophisticated entertainment, but the target demographic won't mind at all.The 1992 release followed The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast in Disney's renaissance of the animated feature musical, heralding the valiant final resurgence of hand-drawn toon artistry before computer animation took hold. The film was notable

for its shift beyond the princess focus to a more boy-centric story, and for being among the first cases of major celebrity voice casting becoming central to the production's marketing, via Robin Williams' role as the motormouth Genie.It was also the final collaboration between composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman before the latter's death due to AIDS complications in 1991. The team completed eleven songs for Aladdin, only a handful of which made it into the movie; several of the others have found an afterlife here. Tim Ricestepped in to complete work on the film's score with Menken, whileChad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer, Elf), the book writer on this stage adaptation, contributes additional lyrics. Irrespective of who wrote what, the songs are tuneful, if not quite top-drawer.Nicholaw won a 2011 Tony Award as co-director with Trey Parker of The Book of Mormon. But the most indicative precursor of his work here was his staging of "Show Off," the hilariously insincere disavowal of a Broadway star's natural spotlight-seeking tendencies, performed with brio by Sutton Foster in The Drowsy Chaperone. That same more-is-more, irrepressibly over-the-top shamelessness defines the twin showstoppers that bookend intermission in Aladdin.The first is "Friend Like Me," in which the Genie (James Monroe Iglehart), freshly uncorked from his lamp, previews the infinite gifts available to his astonished new master, Aladdin (Adam Jacobs). Starting with Iglehart doing a Cab Calloway-esque scat, Nicholaw builds the song into a mammoth production number, with a chorus of whirling valets and showgirls, a "Dancing with the Scimitars" ballroom break, a step or two of hoedown, a game-show interlude, a mini-medley of Disney tunes from other musicals, an exuberant tap routine and a finale with canes and a kickline. While Williams' vocal performance in the movie was quite large, Iglehart's high-energy turn is perhaps even larger, whether he's dropping in winking pop-cultural anachronisms (he quotes Sweet Brown at one point) or firing off hoary one-liners like a Catskills comic. He's a delight.The follow-up song, again led by the indefatigable Iglehart, is "Prince Ali," a royal procession that makesElizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra entrance look like a casual stroll. Replete with Vegas-style fan dancers, peacocks and the now-regulation streamer explosion, this takes place after the Genie has transformed Aladdin from street scruff into a regal suitor worthy of Princess Jasmine (Courtney Reed), the feisty Sultan's daughter feeling cramped inside the palace walls.Beguelin's book is larded with gags but sticks more or less to the movie. The main addition is a trio of vaudevillian comic sidekicks for Aladdin, (Brandon O'Neill, Jonathan Schwartz and Brian Gonzalez), replacing his kleptomaniac monkey onscreen. (Jasmine's tiger has also been nixed.) These guys were part of

Ashman's concept for the film, and their jaunty songs are enjoyable, particularly "High Adventure," even if they sometimes outstay their welcome.The opening number, "Arabian Nights," is a busy riot of marketplace scene-setting and souk-chic fashion, in which the Genie reminds us that, "Even our poor people look faaabulous!" That goes double for buff Aladdin, in his artfully patched Hammer-time pants. Beaming like a toothpaste commercial model, Jacobs packs plenty of charm into the role, and is an ideal incarnation of the handsome Disney cartoon hero -- now with lifelike nipples and body hair! He also brings tenderness to his warm rendition of "Proud of Your Boy," in which the orphaned urchin dreams of becoming more than a street thief.

But the romantic pulse of Aladdin is a little faint. Jasmine is a less captivating version of Belle and Ariel before her, spouting generic female-empowerment refrains but never acquiring much dimension as a character. Her magic carpet flight with Aladdin during "A Whole New World" is a

technological marvel (no visible trace of cables or lift mechanisms), set against the star-strewn velvet of lighting designerNatasha Katz's night sky. But the scene lacks enchantment because the chemistry between Aladdin and Jasmine isn't quite there. While Reed sings sweetly, she's more like a curvy Kardashian than a Disney princess, and her trio of fly-girl attendants could sub for Destiny's Child. (I swear, I kept listening for the opening guitar lick from "Bootylicious," waiting for someone to ask, "Kelly, can you handle this?")Beguelin looks for the true heart of the musical in the intertwined quests of Aladdin to be an honorable man and the Genie to be a free one. But while both actors are winning presences, their storylines bump along with the jokey buddy dynamic of a Bob Hope-Bing Crosby movie (think Road to Morocco), limiting the emotional pull.In leaning so heavily on the campy humor (yes, there are "Walk Like an Egyptian" dance moves aplenty) the creative team has slightly shortchanged the show on earnest sentimentality, which for better or worse is an essential Disney ingredient. That makes Aladdin's appeal somewhat juvenile, though plenty of adults with a taste for broad comedy will eagerly get on board. The cartoonish aspect is enhanced by the mugging villains: Jafar (Jonathan Freeman, reprising the vizier role he voiced in the

film), and his diminutive henchman, Iago, no longer a parrot but a sneering human sycophant who, in Don Darryl Rivera's amusing performance, seems spliced from the DNA of Danny DeVito and Matt Lucas.Bob Crowley's pretty sets appear lifted from storybook illustrations and classic animation backgrounds, but the most lavish design element by far is Gregg Barnes' endless parade of costumes. Their rich textures and vibrant colors are frequently embellished with beads, brocades, tassels and trinkets, accessories that are available in more modest versions at the lobby merchandise stand. Ka-ching!Venue: New Amsterdam Theatre, New York (runs indefinitely)Cast: Adam Jacobs, James Monroe Iglehart, Courtney Reed, Jonathan Freeman, Brian Gonzales, Brandon O’Neill, Jonathan Schwartz, Clifton Davis, Don Darryl Rivera, Tia Altinay, Andrew Cao, Joshua Dela Cruz, Yurel Echezarreta, Daisy Hobbs, Donald Jones Jr., Adam Kaokept, Nikki Long, Stanley Martin, Brandt Martinez, Rhea Patterson, Bobby Pestka, Khori Michelle Petinaud, Ariel Reid, Trent Saunders, Jaz Sealey, Dennis Stowe, Marisha Wallace, Bud WeberDirector-choreographer: Casey NicholawBook & additional lyrics: Chad Beguelin, based on the Disney film written by Ron Clements, John Musker, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, directed and produced by Musker and ClementsMusic: Alan MenkenLyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim RiceSet designer: Bob CrowleyLighting designer: Natasha KatzCostume designer: Gregg BarnesSound designer: Ken TravisIllusion designer: Jim SteinmeyerOrchestrations: Danny TroobMusic supervisor, incidental music & vocal arrangements: Michael KosarinPresented by Disney Theatrical Productions

Step 2: Analyze the writing style, and compare it with the elements of a good theatrical review below.

Elements of good theatrical review:The Production (Paragraph 1)

Name of show, playwright (and composer if warranted), date and time, location, name of characters and actors, the name of the producing agency, and the names of any of the production crew that you would like to mention later in the review.

The Plot (Paragraph 2) Give a BREIF outline of the plot. Evaluate how they told the story: was there a cathartic moment? Did it bore you to tears? Why or why not. Remember. “This play is horrible” is not a good review you must be able to tell the reader why.

The Technical Stuff (Paragraph 3) Discuss how the lights, sets and costumes worked in the overall telling of the story you observed?

Acting of the Performers (Paragraph 4) Did you believe them? Did the actors allow you to “suspend disbelief?” Did the actors have “chemistry” on stage? Give examples.

Conclusion (Paragraph 5) What was the overall feel for the show? How was your experience with live theatre? Would you recommend this show?

Step 3: Evaluate a show!!!

Step 4: Publication: If you receive a review you may send it to teacherlounge@rivercenter.org the best reviews maybe published on or website or in our board newsletter!!!!

CAN’T SEE THE SHOW?

You can watch the show here: Act I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGG0Z_JX_zk

Act IIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8YYqD_u7G4

Grading Rubric:

Standards and other teaching aids

Grade 8 CCGPSReading Literary (RL)ELACC8RL2:

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.Grade 8 CCGPSReading Literary (RL)ELACC8RL3: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

ELACC11-12SL2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

Grade 11-12 CCGPS Speaking and Listening (SL)ELACC11-12SL1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively

http://www.arthuriana.org/teaching/highschool.html