Category Archives: Theater

HOW THE MEDIA PLAYED THE FOIL TO TRUMP’S “HEEL” CHARACTER.

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Philip

HOW THE MEDIA PLAYED THE FOIL TO TRUMP’S “HEEL” CHARACTER. This article by Elspeth Reeve on the New Republic site in August, 2015 (after the first Republican Presidential debate) shows how the media—and I— misunderstood what role Trump was playing. … Continue reading →

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SOME RHYMING FLOURISHES IN HAMILTON.

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Philip

SOME RHYMING FLOURISHES IN HAMILTON. Eastwood and Hinton point out Hamilton’s use of multisyllabic rhymes, which they characterize as “one of rapper Rakim’s signature sounds”. Here is the example from Hamilton that they give: “Now for a strong central democracy … Continue reading →

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THE INFLUENCE OF RAP ON BROADWAY MUSICALS.

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Philip

THE INFLUENCE OF RAP ON BROADWAY MUSICALS. Rap over a period of years has educated an audience for the complexities of Hamilton. This article from 2013 (before Hamilton opened) by Jaime Weinman in Maclean’s reported on critics and lyricists who … Continue reading →

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AN ABUNDANCE OF INTERNAL RHYMES.

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Philip

AN ABUNDANCE OF INTERNAL RHYMES. The frequent use of off rhymes differentiates rap and hip-hop from traditional Broadway lyrics, which avoided off rhyme and insisted on perfect rhyme. One reason that off rhymes are used so much in rap is … Continue reading →

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PERFECT RHYME PURISTS.

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Philip

PERFECT RHYME PURISTS. There are traditionalists on Broadway who feel strongly that perfect rhymes are the only way to go. Stephen Sondheim, who writes brilliant lyrics, says that: “using near-rhymes is like juggling clumsily.” The quote comes from this interview … Continue reading →

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ANALYZING THE POETRY OF HAMILTON.

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Philip

ANALYZING THE POETRY OF HAMILTON. We have seen several plays by David Ives which demonstrate the power of clever rhymed couplets to delight and amuse and to make every bit of dialogue interesting. . This article by Joel Eastwood and … Continue reading →

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THE POWER OF RAP.

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Philip

THE POWER OF RAP. About a month ago we saw a program on PBS about the musical Hamilton. The scenes we saw showed that it deserves all the praise it has gotten. I was surprised at the power of rap … Continue reading →

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I THINK APPOINTING A NEW DIRECTOR OF THE GLOBE IS FOR THE BEST FOR EVERYBODY.

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Philip

I THINK APPOINTING A NEW DIRECTOR OF THE GLOBE IS FOR THE BEST FOR EVERYBODY. After a little bit of reflection, I think that what happened at the Globe is for the best. There are already a lot of theaters … Continue reading →

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THE CONTROVERSY AT THE GLOBE—-MAYBE IT WAS REALLY ABOUT THE LIGHTING AFTER ALL.

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Philip

THE CONTROVERSY AT THE GLOBE—-MAYBE IT WAS REALLY ABOUT THE LIGHTING AFTER ALL. From a distance, it seemed to me that the announcement that the board of the Globe determined that: “…future productions will now see a return to simulating … Continue reading →

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THE CONTROVERSY AT THE GLOBE—PRESERVING THE GLOBE EXPERIENCE.

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Philip

THE CONTROVERSY AT THE GLOBE—-PRESERVING THE GLOBE EXPERIENCE. I posted here about our experience of the Globe. I said: “We saw an all female RICHARD III at the Globe Theater and the actresses playing Richard III [Kathryn Hunter] and Buckingham … Continue reading →

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