¶ … Olympia Theater -- or El teatro Olympia, as it's Spanish-inspired architecture and design might lead it to be called -- is a Miami, Florida landmark and a rich emblem of the city's history. It was designed by John Eberson, a master architect when it came to theaters; he was especially known for creating distinct "atmospheres" within his theatres, and the Olympia was no different. Eberson added to the mystique and majesty of the Moorish/Spanish architecture and design work of the building by creating a realistic image of the night sky on the ceiling of the auditorium, creating a full experience for the audience that went beyond simply the entertainment they were witnessing.
Though the Olympia first opened in 1926 as a silent movie theatre, and adapted easily to the "talkies" when they arrived, it also quickly became a popular venue for live performances. In the waning days of Vaudeville, the Olympia was one of the last theaters to continue to host these touring variety acts. It has also been very popular both with musical performers and their audiences throughout its history; artists as diverse as Elvis Presley and Luciano Pavarotti have performed on the Olympia's stage, and MTV continues to host events and concerts there on occasion.
Despite its popularity, however, the Olympia has faced some difficult times. In 1975, the theatre was scheduled for demolition, but was purchased by businessman Maurice Gusman and donated to the city along with the historic Olympia Office Building next to it. The entire complex was renamed in Gusman's honor, and earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The theatre is still not entirely safe from the clutches of time, however, and careful restoration work on the aging building is a constant and painstaking process -- but well worth the effort to preserve such a landmark theatre.
Musical Theatre From Musical to Film It is rare to find a quality musical that is beautifully adapted from the stage onto the screen. In fact, throughout the years, American cinema has ping-ponged between deaths and revivals where musical film adaptations are involved. Flops such as Rent (2005) and The Phantom of the Opera (2004) have shown the world the disappointing result of adaptation. Yet in essence, a successful adaptation is possible;
" Bob Fosse reached his peak with such shows as "Chicago" and "Dancin." The 1980s saw a decline of musicals, reviving in the 1990s with shows by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Walt Disney and a revival of musical comedies (Musical101.com). For over two centuries, musical theatre has entertained Americans nationwide in urban areas as well as smaller communities. Many professionals now worry about the death of the musical. Others call it
Musical Theatre Film and the Choreographed Dance Sequence Entertainment based on film has been paramount in this country since the beginning of the motion picture in the early 20th century. The movie-going experience spread throughout the world in a few quick years, and was enhanced subsequently by technological developments. Today, movies range from action to musicals to drama and animations. One type of movie mentioned above, the musical, however involves not only
Technology in Musicals Musical theatre has existed in some form for centuries. Theatre is an art form that allows many emotions to be expressed through acting and music. While talented performers are most responsible for being characters to life and performing the music contained in the production, musical theatre also relies on other factors to guarantee the success of a musical. These factors are inclusive of ambience (i.e. The way that
Music or Musical Theatre Like the Rising Sun Although in conventional times and among younger people jazz music is disparaged as boring 'elevator music', true jazz music is anything but. I reached this conclusion after listening to some excellent concert jazz albums of live music. The work of jazz that I am largely basing the aforementioned thesis on is Charles Lloyd's Forest Flower, which was released in 1966 when jazz music was
West Side Story, filmed in 1961, was one of the most ground-breaking works not only in terms of subject and genre, but also in terms of the boundaries it broke with its musical scores and choreography. Indeed, the film's dance sequences often form part of its plot. Its musical scores depict the deep distrust and underlying violence in the uneasy truces between the street gangs whose members form the basic
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