Theater in the United States has been strongly influenced by European drama, but the "musical" is of truly American origin. The musical is a play with spoken lines, songs, and dances. In the 1920s and 1930s these plays were called "musical comedies". They told simple stories with happy endings: "Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl". One important exception to this pattern was "Showboat". Written in the 1920s, this musical play introduced a sad and serious theme, the problem of an interracial love affair between a white man and a black woman.
It was not until the 1940s and the production of "Oklahoma" that musicals began to change in style and content. Although the basic plot of "Oklahoma" presented an uncomplicated love story, the characters in the play seemed more like real people, and, instead of the routine dancing, ballet was introduced. Since "Oklahoma" many successful musical plays have appeared on the American stage. No longer just light and amusing, they often deal with serious themes, accompanied by sophisticated music and dancing. One example is "West Side Story", a modern version of Shakespeare s "Romeo and Juliet", the story of young lovers who died tragically. Set in New York City, it portrays tense and hostile relationships between Puerto Ricans and native New Yorkers.
Another highly successful musical play was "My Fair Lady", the musical version of a play by George Bernard Show. It tells the story of a poor London girl who wants to change her working-class accent. The scene in which she studies vowel sounds is particularly popular with students who are studying English pronunciation.
Two important developments in recent years are the "theater of the absurd" and the "black theater". There are also some controversial experiments with electronic music and lighting, body movements to replace spoken words in expressing ideas, and even spontaneous audience participation in some performances. The theater of the absurd has been largely influenced by such European writers as Eugene Ionesco and Samuel Beckett. These plays satirize some of the more ridiculous aspects of contemporary society. They portray a world in which life and human action seem meaningless and beyond understanding.
New York City is the theater center of the United States. Most important new plays are produced there. For years young actors actresses, and playwrights have gone to NYC, hoping to find success. It is considered if a tourist didn't visit one of the Broadway shows he saw nothing in New York.
The New York theater world is nodivided into two parts. One centers around Broadway, which is one of the city's most important streets. Almost ali the large commercial theaters are located on or near Broadway in the midtown area. Plays performed in this theaters are known as Broadway productions. Because rents are very high, these plays must attract large audiences willing to buy expensive tickets. Most Broadway theatergoers seem to prefer musicals and sophisticated dramas or comedies featuring one or two highly paid stars.
The other New York theater nodivision, off-Broadway, has no definite geographic location. Off- Broadway theaters are found throughout the city in buildings once used as garages, offices, and stores. Rents are low, and there is just space enough for small audiences Sometimes there is no raised stage. Then the cast performs in the center of the room, surrounded on all sides by audience. This arrangement is known as "theater-in-the-round". Off-Broadway productions were begun in the late 1940s and early 1950s by young actors and playwrights who were unable to find employment on Broadway. Often they wanted to perform in new and experimental plays. By keeping production costs down and by using unknown casts instead of star performers, producers have been able to offer interesting theater at low prices.
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