Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. It is an art form of tremendous scope and diversity, ranging from operatic masterpieces to light-hearted operettas and raucous musical comedies.
While traditional stage plays rely solely on dialogue as a means of telling a story, musical theatre incorporates music, lyrics and choreography to create an engaging and entertaining experience for audiences.
The biggest difference between musical theatre and stage plays is the presence of music. Musical theatre often follows a narrative arc that moves the plot forward while introducing characters, sets and themes.
Songs are used to further develop characters, advance the story line or simply provide comic relief. The dialogue between characters often serves as a bridge between songs which helps to keep the story moving forward.
Choreography is also an important element in musical theatre. Choreography is used to bring the music and lyrics to life on stage through movement.
Dancers use intricate steps and movements to tell the story of each song or scene in order to create an emotional connection with the audience.
The costumes used in musical theatre are also quite different from those used in traditional plays. Costumes in musical theatre are designed to be more flashy and extravagant than those seen on stage during a play, as they have to be able to stand out against the background music and choreography.
Conclusion:
Musical theatre differs from stage plays by incorporating music, lyrics, choreography, costumes, sets and themes into its performances. Music is used as a tool to further develop characters or move the plot forward while dance brings the music alive on stage with intricate steps and movements. Costumes are also more colorful and lavish than those used in traditional plays so they can stand out against the background music.