DEVELOPMENTAL FORM
|
All pieces are intertwined via a theme of ‘pressure’. This theme is represented through the characters with each character exhibiting a difference form of pressure. For Lilly, this is the pressure of being the youngest actress accepted into Saint Genesius. For Myah, the pressure of being the first female painter, for Anna, the pressure of maintaining the ‘headgirl’ and stereotyped model demeanour, for Charlie, the pressure of being the school’s most sought out playwright. Our company also represents four divisions being model, painter, playwright and actress which also allows the company to have their own pressure that they battle with.
Saint Genesius Saint Genesius is the opening number for the musical. Genesius is spelled out in an acrostic poem like way which is seen in the first opening lines. Importantly, Saint Genesius is where the musical takes place, an arts academy for the ‘best of the best’. The song establishes the characters and the 4 divisions that every member of Saint Genesius fit into (model, playwright, actor, painter). The song establishes the 4 classes as well as introducing the audience to the setting, characters and the overarching theme of pressure. The song is an unusual take for an opening number with many moving parts and only one reoccurring melodic theme (chorus). The A section is very light-hearted championing a simple swung rhythm with the first word of each phrase spelling out Saint Genesius. The B section establishes the diversity of the academy, accepting people from all around the world who present themselves as the best of each division. Notably, the modulation to the tonic of C sharp major to C sharp minor changes the mood of the song entirely which is later resolved through its remodulation to the new tonic centre of E flat major. Just a chance Just a chance is followed shortly after Saint Genesius, introducing the musical to its first solo number. The audience is met with the innocent, sweet Lilly who has just been told by her acting professor that being the young actress at Saint Genesius requires more than just talent as her naivete shines through her acting. As the song develops, we are given more information giving depth to Lilly’s character and the pressure she feels within being the youngest actress. The bass drum crotchets in the first verse mimic Lilly’s pacing heartbeat which only accelerates in the second verse. The texture is deliberately very light until the chorus as the intention was to allow the lyrics to drive the music not necessarily the underscoring. The lyrics are very true to the moment with references to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet allowing the audience to also piece together the time period without explicitly stating it. Smile Smile is a light hearted company number which takes place during the dance rehearsals for Saint Genesius’s annual Crown event. This number establishes the relationships between the characters of Lilly and Charlie, Anna and Jack, Myah, Charlie and Lilly and everyone in between. Musically, the structure and form are very simple allowing the on – stage choreography and interaction between the characters through the conversational lyrics to shine. The song’s conversation like lyrics also inspired many moments of call and response between the strings line and the vocal lines which are seen in section B. Further, throughout the song, audiences are invited to view Myah as a distasteful character lacking depth. Whilst, this is only slightly explored during Smile, audiences are put at ease during Myah’s solo song as they are given answers to the raised questions. Again Again is another solo number sung by our hidden protagonist Myah. With the interaction we see between her and everyone except Jack, she is portrayed as cold – hearted, depressingly sad but she is often misunderstood. Being an outcast and the first female painter accepted into Saint Genesius, she is no stranger to pressure however, when she realises that she is now alone with the feeling, she struggles to deal with the emotion. The song Again recounts her first relationship with Charlie as she relives the once good memories she had with him, sung shortly after their first interaction following their breakup. The song is written in a typical MT ballad style with notable elements such as key changes, time signature changes (12/8 to 3/4) giving a new pacing feel to the music in the bridge section. The instrumentation is also very simple allowing the audience to fully engage in the rawness of the lyrics written. Collide Collide was written with the intention of being the finale song of act 1, a company number featuring all leads. The purpose of Collide was to write a song that answered all the questions that audiences may have had during act 1 however introducing a new complication which exciting the audience returning for act 2. All relationships established in Smile are further fleshed out. Myah and Lilly’s interaction is resolved as we see Myah offering to fix Lilly’s dress with an obvious oil paint spill. Anna and Jack’s interaction is sweet, and the audience is invited to see a different side to Anna, the genuine yet earnest Anna, who is not just the ‘mean girl’. The only relationship that we do not see on stage is Myah and Charlie however this is to be resolved in act 2. The song is very conversational with emphasis on rhythm which plays a key role in establishing the end of phrases. Notably the ending of the piece is deliberately abrupt with layers of dissonant harmonies clashing with the general upbeat feeling of the song. The song takes place at the annual Saint Genesius where all models, actors, playwrights and painters have a role to present. For Lilly, she was tasked with performing Charlie’s play and in the final 8 bars of act 1 we see the beautiful chandelier fall on top of Lilly leading to a blackout hence the dissonant layers of harmonies. |
SECTIONAL FORM
|
Being a contemporary musical, the song structures are to be expected of a pop genre song (verse 1, pre – chorus, chorus, verse 2, pre – chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus * coda). Whilst the solo songs Just a chance and Again follow these structures, the ensemble numbers stray away from the expected structure. Smile and Collide follows a similar sectional form with the an A,A,B,A,C,A,D,C,A form whilst Collide form an A,B,C,AB,C,D,D’ coda form with both songs having reoccurring themes throughout the song. Saint Genesius on the other hand has a completely different structure. Being the opening number, a different approach was taken as the song needed to establish the characters, physical setting, time period and most importantly why we should care about the musical. Thus, an A,B,C,D,E,C form was chosen with C being the reoccurring chorus in a modulated key.
*Lyrics with the sectional forms are provided as a document |