Music 2701A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Pacific Overtures, Penny Dreadful, Counterpoint
Document Summary
Developed from a series of workshops/interviews (1974-75) (cid:449)ith (cid:862)gypsies(cid:863) - the term given to dancers who do broadway, off-broadway, and touring shows. Documentary gives the impression that michael bennett was the person who conceived the idea for the show. According to some sources this was not true: he joined the taped sessions after they had begun and soon took over. Story of a group of dancers and how they audition to be a part of a broadway chorus. Starts out showing a cattle call in the first number, pares down to 19 dancers who we see go through a lengthy audition, get to know them. In early versions of the show, the eight dancers who are chosen were a surprise to the performers; later the chosen ones were set. Emphasizes them as individuals throughout the process, but at the end we see them as a unit, identical in dress and dance style.