PRESENT
1980 - 2019
The film industry and Hollywood industry has progressed to new heights during the 21st century. Film entertainment has become a large business and is expected to continue to grow in the future. This community, full of celebrity feuds, love, drama, and more, often teach young kids bad habits. This can have a bad impact on morals and decisions of the youth. The Broadway industry today has also become more modern and nuanced to entertain people of all ages. This industry has tackled new themes - technology, suicide, politics, etc - through different crucial decisions in the set, acting, pieces, orchestration and more. These industries today are made not only entertaining people but also communicating a message about society today.
Dear Evan Hansen
-2015-
“Dear Evan Hansen” has become a phenomenon across the world due to the fact that it tells the story of a teenager going through many of the issues that teens and parents face today. Evan Hansen, a lonely and awkward teenager, becomes a social media sensation and symbol of hope and kindness after his “friend” Connor Murphy commits suicide. Evan lies about the origins of their friendship (they were not friends) and tells Connor’s story, bringing hope to millions. The show is relevant and addresses many issues of today - suicide, high school, social media, bullying, parenting, etc - while leaving people with a sense of hope for a solution in the future. The musical is a must-see for families looking for something more complex than your usual musical and for people who are “on the outside looking in” and waiting to be true to themselves.
Interesting article from Vox about how the writers of the show addressed the topic of teenage suicide and their approach to communicating a positive message.
RENT
-1996-
“Rent” is a multi-award-winning 1996 musical about la vie boheme in the East Village of New York. This musical tells the story of one year of the lives of friends living in New York City from 1989-1990 and their battles with AIDS. Many of Jonathan Larson's songs and lyrics were inspired from meetings in a nonprofit group called Friends In Deed, which was a support group for HIV and Aids. The musical helps to portray the millennial spirit of Generation X and Z through showing the lives of numerous musicians and performers struggling to pay their rent and survive. The characters are very diverse in their sexual orientation and race; however, they live as one in harmony, proud of their differences. Rent’s overall message is to live life to the fullest because there is no day but today. When Rent first appeared on stage it was a huge success because of the number of people that connected with it at the time. The group of friends struggling with addiction, eviction, parents, sexual identity, materialism, and more brought light to many issues at the time and still deems relevant to modern day. The New York Post explains an important anecdote: “see a cluster of teenage girls perform “Rent.” In the midst of the performance, which was slightly edited for a younger audience, I realized they were all born after the play premiered. The AIDS crisis is something they’d read about in a textbook or on Wikipedia. But they still sang the moving, memorable lyrics with gusto” (Alberts). Showcasing the fact that the musical is timeless and highlights issues that are foreign to some while bringing up others that are relevant to all.
Hadestown
-2019-
Why We Build The Wall
"How does the wall keep us free?
The wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free"
Ten years ago Anais Mitchell wrote the song “Why We Build the Wall” for the Tony award-winning musical "Hadestown" about Greek mythology. In this song, the king (like a dictator) Hades sings about “the wall” between the underworld - a walled city where citizens engage in mindless, soulless work in exchange for the security - to his “children." This call-and-response song asks “why do we build the wall?” "Hadestown" evolved for a decade until it reached Broadway this year and has now won numerous awards. When Donald Trump came along the song became more relevant and meaningful in representing the world today and politics. Trump made the building of “the wall” a central aspect of his initial platform; therefore, the song became more relevant and spoke directly about today’s politics, rather than ancient mythology. When Mitchell was asked if the song was written about, she responded with “both Trump and the song were simply tapping into the same folk archetypes. There is nothing new about the Wall. Political leaders have invoked it time and again to their advantage because it works so well on people who feel scared” (Mitchell). Scared people are willing to give up a decent amount of their rights and other things for a sense of security and safety, and in this show, Eurydice makes a choice to go to the underworld (according to actual mythology she is forced to go; however, in the show, she made the decision). This choice kills her spirit and heart. By walling other people out, the citizens of the underworld, Hadestown, wall themselves into hell in which they live safely physically but are stripped of all their rights and happiness. America has a choice coming up too, of whether or not to elect “the wall” again.
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Why We Build The Wall - Lyric Analysis
[HADES]
Why do we build the wall, my children, my children?
Why do we build the wall?
[ALL TOGETHER]
Why do we build the wall?
We build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
[HADES]
How does the wall keep us free, my children, my children?
How does the wall keep us free?
[ALL TOGETHER]
How does the wall keep us free?
The wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
[HADES]
Who do we call the enemy, my children, my children?
Who do we call the enemy?
[ALL TOGETHER]
Who do we call the enemy?
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
[HADES]
Because we have and they have not, my children, my children
Because they want what we have got
[ALL TOGETHER]
Because we have and they have not
Because they want what we have got
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
[HADES]
What do we have that they should want, my children, my children?
What do we have that they should want?
[ALL TOGETHER]
What do we have that they should want?
We have a wall to work upon
We have work and they have none
And our work is never done
My children, my children
And the war is never won
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
We build the wall to keep us free
When Hades calls his workers/citizens "my children" he is attempting to establish dominance not only as an authoritative figure but also as a paternal and caring leader. He wants his workers to see him as a father who is protecting them from the dangers of the outside world. This can also be read as a way of demeaning those under him, and the fact that he thinks they need his guidance to survive.
This line is repeated various times throughout the song. This line shows how the people were brainwashed and lived a life controlled by the "devil." They continuously repeat multiple statements made by Hades.
In the official script, this chorus of voices who repeated Hades' rhetoric questions back to him is called "Cerberus," which means dog. This is hinting at the peoples' intense loyalty to Hades through brainwashing,
The residents of Hadestown are not very wealthy. In the song they are told that they are not living in poverty and that they are thriving, creating a sense of jealousy for people outside of the underworld. Hades is showing off his political decision-making skills but pitting one group of disadvantaged people against another. This will make the citizens stop wondering why he is doing so well and they are not because of the fact that they have escaped from the "enemy."
This part of the song is a shift in Hades' tone because it is the first part in which he acknowledges something, as opposed to asking them a rhetorical question. He is explaining why the outside world is jealous of Hadestown. He is trying to invoke the cliche of the "haves and have-nots" to instill the idea that those in Hadestown are wealthy, and those outside are poor. He wants the workers to believe that Hadestown is a utopia for the workers that they are much better off in.
Because they are building a wall, they are automatically making the people on the other side jealous. When they say "our work is never done" they are paradoxically oblivious to the full truth in what they are saying, and the fact that they are trapped.
The idea of "war" is used by authoritarian leaders to give people the idea of having a common enemy. If the war can never be won, but only fought then the enemy is always there. Hades shows the workers that they will be fighting together forever.
What message do you think this song is sending TODAY?
Be more chill
Move The Pictures!
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Charlie Rosen - a performer, arranger, orchestrator, producer, music director, etc. - plays over 70 instruments and inspires thousands of people on the daily through his “Be More Chill” orchestrations. He is the orchestrator and music supervisor for Broadway’s award-winning “Be More Chill,” in which he also plays guitar in the pit. The score includes a theremin, an electronic musical instrument controlled through different motions, a flugelbone, and other unique instruments that add to the themes and messages of the show.
“Be More Chill” tells the story of Jeremy Heere, a normal teenager living in New Jersey, and the risks he takes to try and gain popularity. Jeremy is considered a loser by many of his peers: girls don’t want to associate with him, he is frequently bullied by others, and his father won’t even “put his pants on” for him. When Jeremy comes into contact with Rich Goranski, a member of the “popular group”, he is exposed to the SQUIP (Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor). Jeremy decides to implant this supercomputer into his brain, not aware of the popularity and consequences it will bring. The pill is a voice in Jeremy’s head which tells him how to act, talk, dress, and function. This pill helps Jeremy gain popularity, girls, and more; however, he turns into a different person and betrays his true friends. In the end, Jeremy realizes how the SQUIP had a bad correlation to his life and the fact that he needs to listen to himself, not others.
"The Modern Music Man"
More Information about Charlie Rosen
Interview with Charlie Rosen
How do you think Broadway addresses the issues in society today? How do you think "Be More Chill" does this specifically?
• "Be More Chill" ultimately is a show about knowing who you are and not relying on the outside influence of others in order to feel secure about what behavior feels right to you. The voices in our head are always there but it’s important to know which ones should be the loudest. Something people of all ages can relate to!
How have specific decisions in your orchestration helped to tell the story of Be More Chill and communicate different themes? What has this experience taught you about the show?
• Through the use of unusual electronic instruments such as the Theremin, we are able to portray the sonic pallet of the robot supercomputer the SQUIP which implants in kids brains and advises them what to do and say in order to raise their social status. This is one of the themes of the show that is paired with orchestration. Others include “pure” sounds associated with the character Christine who seems to be immune to the squips influence such as recorders, glockenspiel, and acoustic guitar. Another example is the sound of Jeremy and his friendship to Michael which draws from quirky fun rock/pop genres like rock and ska as evidenced through the use of the rock band and horn section.
What does "Be More Chill" tell viewers and listeners about life as a teenager or life in general?
• I feel like you can derive this answer from question one, but with the added influence of the SQUIP personifying social media and the external pressures of only seeing people's lives through the rose-colored filter of what they choose to post about
What idea or feeling do you want the audience to walk away from the show with?
• Probs the message in question 1 again :)
The Theremin - A unique instrument used in "Be More Chill"
-2019-
HOLLYWOOD AND POPULAR CULTURE
Morals
Today, Hollywood tends to have a negative influence on people's morals because of the fact that most films and scandals are based off of sex and violence.
Role Models
People who see their role models engaging in promiscuous behavior, tearing others apart, and doing drugs are influenced by this and think that this behavior is okay.
Stereotypes
Movies today exaggerate problems that exist and plaster us with stereotypes on age, race, gender, sexual preference and more.
Decisions
Hollywood, with its emphasis on movies and television, has powerful control over the morals, culture, politics, and societal decisions that people make. This control creates a narrow-minded way of decisions making and thinking.
-The (Lack of) diversity in hollywood-
Even though many women, civil rights activists, and minorities have protested the lack of diversity in the broadcast and film industry, allegations of racial, gender and sexual-orientation bias still remain. White males have continued to dictate all aspects of the Hollywood industry. In 2016, the movie industry reached its tipping point in regards to the Academy Awards for best actress and actor. All the nominees were white. Television has continued to get more diverse; however, movies have continued to be white dominated. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigated claims about the bias against female directors; however, change has been slow and not very impactful. Skeptics say that a significant industry change is very unlikely because of the high cost and risk of the film industry and the fact that people don’t want to see new faces in movies.
People outside of the Academy Awards in Hollywood, protesting racial and gender discrimination in the entertainment industry in 2016.
In 1940, Hattie McDaniel received an Academy Award for the Best Supporting Actor for her work in Gone With The Wind; however, she had to sit at a different table than her white co-stars because the venue didn't allow blacks in the building.
It is expected that the film entertainment business will generate 35.3 billion U.S. dollars in revenue by 2019.
1.
On the top 250 grossing films of 2018, women comprised 6% of composers. This represents a 3% increase since 2017
4.
The U.S. Entertainment industry is expected to reach more than $830 billion by 2022
2.
Gaga and Perry released their songs "Applause" and "ROAR" in the same week during the summer of 2013. The music media tried to pit them against one another IRL, as opposed to simply on the pop charts.
5.
Box office receipts reached over $11 billion in 2017
3.
Among the three effects of globalization on culture, the growth of global “pop culture” gets the most attention
6.