Musicals with socio-political messages

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Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 12:40am

More specifically than musicals in general (I'm sure we can name them all from 1776 to Zanna Don't), I'm looking for songs that would be appropriate in a revue setting. Any suggestions?

"I am ready to disclaim my opinion, even of yesterday, even of 10 minutes ago, because all opinions are relative. One lives in a field of influences, one is influenced by everyone one meets, everything is an exchange of influences, all opinions are derivative. Once you deal a new deck of cards, you've got a new deck of cards." — Peter Brook

Updated On: 8/11/07 at 12:40 AM

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 1:05am

Sorry, I'm a little confused by your post. Are you looking for titles of songs rather than titles of shows?
War Is a Science, Glory from Pippin
Back to Before, Make Them Hear You from Ragtime

If you know the shows, why not go listen to them and pick out the songs you are interested in using?

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 1:22am

Both "Lot's Wife" and "I Hate the Bus" from CAROLINE OR CHANGE can be sung in revues (I've at least heard "I Hate the Bus" in concert setting) and both are numbers with heavy socio-political messages.
"Back to Before" from RAGTIME is a great example.
"Me and My Town" from ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, "Waltz for Eva and Che" from EVITA, "I Know Where I've Been" from HAIRSPRAY, "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" (to an extent) from HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, "The Day After That" from KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN, "The Song of Great Capitulation" from MOTHER COURAGE, "Sodomy" from HAIR--among others, "Pirate Jenny" (to an extent) from THREEPENNY OPERA, and "Be a Lion" from THE WIZ could all find their way into that kind of review, IMO. Some obviously fit better than others but I think you could find some kind of social and/or political message in all of those songs.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

Updated On: 8/11/07 at 01:22 AM

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 1:28am

It's revue.

Anyway, can you be a little more specific? There are a million ways something could be socio-political. "Sodomy" from Hair might be one - a good chunk of that score, in fact.

Hell, "The Ladies Who Lunch" could be considered socio-political from a certain angle.

"How do you like THAT 'misanthropic panache,' Mr. Goldstone?" - PalJoey

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 1:53am

To be a bit more specific, I'm looking for material suitable for a group of college students to perform. The topics addressed would preferably pertain to our generation, running off the question posed in Tick Tick... of "What does it take to wake up a generation?" Any voice part or dance requirement is suitable, as I'm intending to find material that suits the wide variety of students I'll be directing.

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 8:05am

"The Flame" from Flora, the Red Menace
"Sing Me a Song With Social Significance" from Pins & Needles
"Don't Be the Bunny" from Urinetown
"Bring All The Boys Back Home" from Two Gentlemen of Verona
"How the Money Changes Hands" from Tenderloin
"The Cradle Will Rock" from The Cradle Will Rock
"The Spring of Next Year" from Dear World
"Why Can't the World Go and Leave Us Alone?" from Dance a Little Closer
"What Would You Do?" from Cabaret
"Are You There?" from Bare
"Another National Anthem" from Assassins

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 10:26am

There are so many great coming of age musicals out there, including Rent, Hair, Spelling Bee, Spring Awakening, Pippin. There are also great songs from the Falsettos series that might be appropriate because the people in that story are dealing with the onset of a frightening new disease. And my head keeps turning back to Ragtime because of the revolutionary ideas and statements that it sings from the turn of the previous century - Make Them Hear You would be great finale or encore, even. Crime of the Century is something we are still dealing with now (the show Chicago also touches on this issue with Razzle Dazzle and They Both Reached For The Gun). You have a ton of choices!

Oh, and how about Big River? Worlds Apart is an amazing piece about understanding and acceptance, and Free At Last is gorgeous.

Updated On: 8/11/07 at 10:26 AM

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 12:15pm

A few thoughts . . .

Please Hello! - Pacific Overtures
Tomorrow Belongs To Me - Cabaret
Far From the Home I Love - Fiddler on the Roof
There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This - Sweet Charity
Nickel Under the Foot - The Cradle Will Rock
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Les Mis
I Don't Know How To Love Him - JCS
You've Got To Be Carefully Taught - South Pacific
You Can Have The TV - Notes/Could I Leave You? - Follies
Easy Terms - Blood Brothers

Also take a look at The Me Nobody Knows and Runaways

"Love Life. Live." Michael Bennett

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 12:43pm

Make Them Hear You - Ragtime

Poster Emeritus

#10

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 12:48pm

Does it have to be American politics? If not, Evita and Kiss of the Spiderwoman have some fantastic political commentary towards Argentina (yes, Kiss of the Spiderwoman is supposedly just set in a Latin American country, but I think it's pretty obvious that it's about the Dirty War.)

Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!

#11

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 12:59pm

Rocky Horror might work too.

"you freakin freaks. get a ****in life. theres more to life than this stupid website." stage manager 2

#12

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 1:13pm

I've Hear It All Before - Shenandoah

Poster Emeritus

#13

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 1:57pm

In the show, it's a creepy little Nazi anthem, but out of context, "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" from Cabaret could work nicely.

Some people paint, some people sew, I meddle.

#14

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/11/07 at 2:04pm

What A Country - All American

Poster Emeritus

#15

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/15/07 at 1:02am

the opening and closing numbers of Reefer Madness
Class from Chicago

You're reminding me of people you hear at the movies asking questions every ten seconds, "Who is that? Why is that guy walking down the street? Who's that lady coming up to him? Uh-oh, why did that car go by? Why is it so dark in this theater?" - FindingNamo on strummergirl

"If artists were machines, then I'm just a different kind of machine...I'd probably be a toaster. Actually, I'd be a toaster oven because they're more versatile. And I like making grilled cheese" -Regina Spektor

"That's, like, twelve shows! ...Or seven." -Crazy SA Fangirl

"They say that just being relaxed is the most important thing [in acting]. I take that to another level, I think kinda like yawning and...like being partially asleep onstage is also good, but whatever." - Sherie Rene Scott

#16

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/15/07 at 2:35am

The Wiz at the La Jolla Playhouse

#17

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/15/07 at 8:42am

It's not really an entire song, but everytime Horton says "A persons a person, no matter how small" in SEUSSICAL.

#18

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/15/07 at 9:26am

Urinetown.. like the entire show (in context, atleast) I'd try doing that one.
Are You There from Bare (someone already mentioned that, I know, but I'm seconding it) and some stuff from Spring Awakening.. would you be allowed to perform the Bitch of Living?

#19

re: Musicals with socio-political messages

Posted: 8/15/07 at 9:33am

Also, would "Straight to Heaven" from Zanna, Don't! work? Has that already been listed/crossed off the list?

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