DEFINITION
Musical is a perform style which is united song, dance and performance. It is a public art from USA. Music, especially song, is the most important element. And dance, dramas make it a synthesized performance. These days, many dramatic elements are added to musical. Compare of the first musical, it has very complicate expression style. It is consist of music, dance, act, costume, stage, lighting, make-up and so on.


BROADWAY in NEWYORK


Broadway which across the Manhattan is the wide road. Not only fashion and trade but also theaters and musical make Broadway. Victoria Theater, built in 1900 on 42nd street, is the first playhouse. Now a day, about 40 theaters are on around Time square and ten times of them are on the other place. However not all theaters open all seasons. About 200 plays are always performed.

Many good performances target Tony Awards every year in June, are come out especially spring season. In summer season, a lot of people come to Broadway to see plays which is commented well by critics. Every performer and actor want to get Tony Award which has grand authority. In 1997, Choi Juhee, actress of ¡®King & I¡¯ from Korea, was a candidature of Tony Award¡¯s the Best Supporting Actress. She became famous and acted ¡®Maria¡¯ in ¡®Westside Story¡¯ in Seoul. Among all plays, the musical is the most popular thing. The Comedy and The Drama are second and third.

If you want to see a famous musical, you need to pay $60~70. But if you are visitor to Broadway, you can¡¯t see really famous musical. They are booked until 3~4 months later averagely. 'Cats¡¯, ¡®Les Miserables¡¯and¡®The Phantom of the Opera¡¯are the most famous musical in 1900's. They are all from London.


WEST END in LONDON


West End in London is another name of the area from Piccadilly to Coven Garden. Among over 50 theaters in there, West End is called theaters that have over 500 seats and play all season. In Londom, long run means a performance which is plays over one year. Not only ¡®Mousetrap¡¯ plays during 52 years, many plays played over one year and almost all tickets are sold out every day.

8 plays in a week is common custom of perform. 1 night time play is played on Tuesday or on Thursday. Famous musicals don¡¯t play at same time. ¡®Cats¡¯ is on Tuesday, ¡®The Phantom of the Opera¡¯ is on Thursday. In day time play, we call it ¡®Matini¡¯, we can get a ticket easily. But sometimes a substitute actor appears on the stage for saving main actor¡¯s vocal cords.If you want to see famous you need to book before 6 mouths. For some musicals which less popular, you can buy a ticket using ¡®half price ticket booth¡¯ in Leicester Square before 2 hours from play as a half.

West End in London is the home for today¡¯s famous musical. The ¡®Cats¡¯, ¡®Miss Saigon¡¯, ¡®The Phantom of the Opera¡¯ and ¡®Les Miserables¡¯ are all from here. They go to New York and made big hit. Also compare to Broadway¡¯s musicals which contain sensible elements and sexual appeal, West End¡¯s musicals contain literatures and philosophy.




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