Jonathan Larsons Influence On Musical Theatre Theatre Essay

Jonathan Larsons Influence On Musical Theatre Theatre EssayTo demonstrate how a practician influenced the development of Musical Theatre, at that place will be an in foresight analysis of Jonathan Larsons plant life let and Tick, TickBoom, which will show how his style influenced other modern practitioners that got some of their ideas based on his do works and how his works were influenced by other practitioners in the beginning.Jonathan Larson was indeed a unique writer and composer who had his bemuse stories to tell. Although his death came too early, his supremacy rump ease be seen in his greatest work, the practice of medicineal get hold of and it may be said that As an artist, Jonathan Larsons discovered his passion for music following Elton John and Billy Joel, exactly it was tuneful line of business that caught his eye while his p atomic number 18nts introduced him to the musical theater Fiddler on the Roof. As he later on said by himself, he always wanted t o write music that could incorporate all of these influences.The means lead him to a four year drama major, but it was the composition that was his main interest and soon enough he started writing music for school productions. During his college years Jonathan Larson got in contract with the composer Stephen Sondheim, who was also his strongest musical theatre influence and later on his mentor. Sondheim told him later that Never the less he didnt go on as an actor and took a step into the opus world,he was still a struggling artist who spend years supporting his life working as a waiter just to collapse his bills, while writing numerous theatrical pieces with a poor success bosh. With the musical Tick, TickBoom, which was an autobiographical work of Larsons life and was reflecting his alter ego, he finally got recognized, but still non the way he wanted to. As Siegel describes the show in refreshed York times The songs and stories were half-funny and half-bitter tales of ba d readings and waiting tables. He addressed his disappointment with putting the show of in 1994. But there was still no reason for him to give up, oddly when he got into collaborationism with Billy Aronson, a playwrighter who played around with the idea of updating Puccinis opera house La Boheme. The project didnt get started until 1991, when Larson felt the need to tell the story near his friends who were diagnosed with AIDS. Larson stated himself while he was still alive and that authentically represent the path that Rent went since the beginning of the show till this day. some links between the big success of the show and Larsons death have been do during the time, but it is non said for sure that his death is the eccentric for such a big success of the musical Rent. The only thing that can be said for sure is, that the show is popular as the numerous amounts of awards that the show won present. , said by Wilson Jermaine Heredi, an actor of the archetype cast from Rent, shows that Rent really was a new era in theatre. Never before was there a musical telling a story about HIV infected muckle, drugs and homosexuals. The reviews for the show were well received, as reported in New York times. But it was the audience who gave Jonathan Larson a opportunity and made Rent to what it is today, an award winning musicals. A musical that is incompatible to others, because it represents Even though Rent is a parallel to Puccinis 1896 opera La Boheme, Jonathan Larson took the idea and collaborated with Billy Areson and transformed it into a contemporary story that was neer told before. The audience can get the incident to watch two pieces bear out-to back in a one repertoire and see the show not only as a good composers work but as an artistic creation. Artistic creation which illuminates Jonathan Larsons brilliance, never the less Rent owes a lot to Stephen Sondheims work. non that he was reproducing his ideas in his style, There are numerous similari ties to Stephen Sondheims work Company, but they show the extreme contrast. The setting was changed from Upper western United States side to the Lower East side, as well as the characters which are presented as a poverty line of multicultural young people that are homosexual, drug addicts or over the top minded(p). It can be said that the shows are similar in the way how Stephen Sondheim and Jonathan Larson presented New York and their ideas. Not only did Sondheims influence reflect in Jonathan Larsons Rent in the affinity to Company, but also his musical Sunday in the Park with George. Theres a common theme in both shows which demonstrate a telephone exchange character that has went away from finishing something that is important forbidden personal relationship. some(prenominal) shows describe that Never the less, nothing can take Larsons accomplishment away. He was a great composer and writer who was able to take Sondheims ideas and recreate them with his sustain style. This indicates how big of an feign Stephen Sondheim made on Larson. In an interview for New York Times, Stephen Sondheim later spoke about Jonathan Larson and said that a great musical theatre composer . Stephen Sondheim as his mentor encouraged him while he was still alive to get involved with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Jonathan Larson described it as , but he appreciated the experience later, because it gave him a chance to fall upon new composers and that gave him more confidence in his work. At the point when he has later written more material he saidRent is classified as a rock musical, because of its rock influence. Examples of such musicals are Hair and limit waken, which are both linked to Rent. It can be said that Hair was a big influence on Rent, because of the impact it made in that era, when people werent talking about drugs and hippies. Hair made a big statement at that time as did Rent. both(prenominal) musicals told a story of confusio n in each generation. Both works may be seen as generational anthems. Not because of the protest, but of its finally, unseasoned enthusiasm, even when the youth in question is at risk. Hair can be seen as a mile stone for Rent, which later squeeze on Spring rouse. Although Spring Awakening was already written in 1891 as a play, it s shocking story of acknowledgement of insipid sexuality broke ground aesthetically, going beyond naturalism to bespeak expressionism. Since times have changed and today society is more open minded to the ethnological, sexual, and all other controversial aspects of human life, the effects of Spring Awakening as well as Rent have changed. In Spring Awakening the characters are still experiencing their awakening spring of sexuality and a couple of scenes might still surprise the audience, but in full general todays community is more used to that on stage now. As Rent made theatrical history with transporting Puccinis La Boheme to New York, Spring Awake ning made its own kind of history by putting a modern spin on a controversial play. It can be said that Rent had its influences and went on passing that to other musicals.Although Jonathan Larson didnt get the chance to witness the success of his lifes work, he left behind two remarkable musicals, which are both in subject matter unmistakable. Similaritys in Tick, tickBoom, especially in the characters, for which may seem they are sometimes show that Jonathan Larsons work had a deeper meaning and a thought of memories of his lost friends. As a composer his answer to the acknowledgement that he has just lost people that he loves was to write something in response. He later on said,Despite the fact that he never got the chance to see how his words and music inspired people, the musical Rent still goes on filling theatres with his story and the affect that he left behind may be seen in new works appearing on the stage. Jonathan Larson wanted to give all a lesson about how to go on in t he time of great loss and not anything for granted.