A backstage musical is a genre of
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
with a plot set in a theatrical context that revolves around the production of a play or musical
revue. The film's narrative trajectory often comes to a halt one or more times to allow a performance. The songs performed in this context are considered
diegetic numbers in that they occur literally in the plot, though they do not necessarily move the story forward.
The backstage musical was typified in the early films by director and choreographer
Busby Berkeley, including ''
42nd Street'' (1933), ''
Footlight Parade'' (1933), ''
Dames'' (1934) and the ''Gold Diggers'' series (
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...
,
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...
and
1937), with examples in later films including
''Burlesque'' (2010) and
A ''Star Is Born'' (2018).
Stage musicals that themselves have elements of backstage musicals include ''
Show Boat'' (1927), ''
Kiss Me, Kate'' (1948), ''
The Band Wagon'' (1953), ''
Gypsy'' (1959), ''
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
'' (1966), ''
Follies'' (1971), ''
A Chorus Line
''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante.
Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...
'' (1975), ''
The Phantom of the Opera'' (1986), and ''
Curtains.''
See also
*
Metafiction
Metafiction is a form of fiction that emphasizes its own narrative structure in a way that inherently reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and story ...
References
Film genres
Theatrical genres
Metafictional plays
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