Consider the three performances included below.
After watching the clips and investigating the storylines and context of these performances (through accompanying materials and research of your own), write an essay (minimum of 250 words) that discusses and answers the following questions:
The commonalities among these three performances.
Why each was relevant to audiences and social issues during the time of their premiere.
Do you see a different value in the musical arts after learning more about music of the 20th century and operettas/ballets/musicals?
Performance #1
George Gershwin’s Operetta, Porgy and Bess, premiered in 1935. In order to view the video, you will need to click Play twice – Click Play below, then click the “Watch on YouTube” link to view the video through YouTube. You can also read the lyricsLinks to an external site..
Summertime – Anne Brown – Movie SequenceLinks to an external site.
Summertime – Anne Brown – Movie Sequence
Now, watch the accompanying material for Porgy and Bess. Below is an interview with Anne Brown (Bess) where she discusses first joining the cast and her thoughts on George Gershwin writing for the first cast made up entirely of people of color.
Performance #2
Leonard Berstein’s, West Side Story, premiered on Broadway in 1957. Watch the opening number below.Now, watch the accompanying material, a short segment about West Side Story which includes the overture/opening to his Symphonic Dances. Be sure to click the CC in the video play bar, if you’d like to access the captions.
Performance #3
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton premiered on Broadway in 2015. Watch the video of the opening number performed at the Grammys below. You can also read the lyricsLinks to an external site.
Alexander Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda – Hamilton GRAMMYs PerformanceLinks to an external site.
Now, view the accompanying material: a short segment about Miranda\’s inspiration for creating the musical and his thoughts on how it represents America today.
The commonalities among these three performances are that they each discuss important issues during their era of production and premiere. Porgy and Bess is about racial identity and black culture in America, West Side Story deals with interracial romance between two rival gangs in New York City, and Hamilton is best known for its representation of American history from the perspective of immigrant communities. Each performance also has strong themes around love, power struggles, race relations, immigration, culture clash, political tensions/conflicts and society’s acceptance of difference or lack thereof. In addition to these core themes they also use music as a way to tell stories which allows them to connect with wider audiences through both entertainment value and emotional resonance.
Each performance was relevant to audiences at the time of their premiere because they explored contemporary social issues such as racism (Porgy & Bess), gang violence (West Side Story) and immigration (Hamilton). The works were not only entertaining but allowed people to reflect upon current affairs by exploring them through fictional narratives. Porgy & Bess served as a powerful vehicle for African American expression during the Jim Crow era whereas West Side Story focused on themes such as class struggle & cultural tension between Puerto Ricans & white Americans living in New York City during this time period . Finally Hamilton focuses on our nation’s founding fathers from a diverse range of backgrounds which brings attention to our ever changing landscape today where immigrants make up a large percentage of our country’s population .
Yes I see different values in musical arts after learning more about 20th century music operettas/ballets/musicals due largely in part because these works have opened up conversations about difficult topics that affect us all by allowing us to explore them through empathy filled storytelling techniques instead solely relying on facts or data alone which can often be interpreted differently depending on one’s own personal biases or beliefs . For example while Porgy & Bess may seem like just another lighthearted musical at first glance , it really serves as an important reminder that African Americans deserve respect dignity even when faced with racial discrimination throughout history . Similarly , Westside Story offers us insight into complex matters surrounding class inequality gang violence cultural divide without simply demonizing its characters while still conveying an honest truthful narrative overall . Lastly Hamilton continues this trend by providing perspectives regarding diversity inclusion within our nation’s government structure emphasizing how much there is still left undone if we truly want create equal opportunity for everyone regardless one’s background or circumstances.
These works have also served as a form of artistic expression for their time period allowing people to express themselves in new ways that weren’t available before while simultaneously providing an avenue for audiences to explore varied perspectives on the topics at hand . It’s clear that these performances are still relevant today given their lasting impact even after many decades since they’ve been released which speaks volumes regarding how powerful music can be when used correctly.