Musical Key Concepts Narrative Reality - the film’s narrative world that is consistent and coherent and follows the laws made up by the filmmaker.

Musical Key Concepts Musical Reality - musicals operate according to two different laws, and alternate back and forth between them. Musicals shift from their narrative reality to musical spectacle reality (song and dance sequences) and then back to narrative reality.

Types of Musicals / Integrated Musical - a musical that tries to cohere narrative and musical sequences. / Backstage Musical - a musical in which the characters are performers working to put on a show. / Integrated Musical - a musical that tries to cohere narrative and musical sequences. / Backstage Musical - a musical in which the characters are performers working to put on a show.

Types of Musicals / Showpeople Musicals - the profession of the characters is that of a performer. / Operettas - make no attempt to have a realistic reason for the musical numbers. / Showpeople Musicals - the profession of the characters is that of a performer. / Operettas - make no attempt to have a realistic reason for the musical numbers.

Types of Musicals / The Astaire-Rogers Musical - feature attractive romantic leads who displace their feelings for each other into song and dance routines.

Types of Musicals / Arthur Freed Musicals - Arthur Freed was a producer at MGM from 1939 (Wizard of Oz) to Musical space mixes back and forth with narrative space in a sophisticated way as typified by the title number of “Singin’ in the Rain”

Elements of Musical Sequences / Transforming narrative space into a performace space using Performer, Props, and Audience. / Drapes become stage curtains, party guests become an audience / Transforming narrative space into a performace space using Performer, Props, and Audience. / Drapes become stage curtains, party guests become an audience

Elements of Musical Sequences / Props: Astaire turns a coat rack into a dancing partner, Donald O’Conner flirting and then fighting with a dummy in the “Make ‘Em Laugh” sequence, dancing with raincoats in the “Good Morning” sequence.

Elements of Musical Sequences / Audience: performers usually need an audience, the diction teacher in the “Moses Supposes” sequence or the cop and passerby in the “Singin’ in the Rain” sequence.

Musical Key Concepts Musical Reality - In the musical spectacle reality, characters surrender themselves to the spectacle of song and dance. There is usually a smooth transition of some kind between the two realities. Every musical exists in the tension between it's narrative and musical sequences.