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Musical Theatre In All It's Glory!

By justxjanea
  • 700 BCE

    Ancient Greece

    Ancient Greece
    Musical theatre's origins go back to ancient Greece. The theater was used at festivals to honor Dionysus, the God of wine and fertility. These festivals were often held outside in amphitheaters. Musical theatre featured choral odes accompanied by musical instruments, such as a lyre and an aulos.

  • John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera

    John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera
    The first version of a "musical" was created in 1728 by a British dramatist, John Gay, who produced ‘The Beggar's Opera.' The ballad opera uses popular melodies with the lyrics rewritten and dialogue to mock the intensity of the Italian opera. Through the success of the genre "anti-opera," many British ballads were taken and transformed into performances by American colonies.