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Stephen Sondheim and his Filmic Influences

O'Connor, John T.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1276883539

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Theatre and Film.
While the work of Stephen Sondheim has been studied by scholars, frequently with examinations of his musical and dramatic influences, his filmic influences have remained relatively overlooked. I want to consider the many ways in which Sondheim's work in musical theatre and in film has been influenced by his admiration for and interest in cinema. First, I want to look at the work Sondheim did in film, from script writing to composing songs for film scores, helped expand his knowledge and appreciation of film. Second, I want to examine how the work of Sondheim and his collaborators furthered the larger aesthetic movement in which filmic techniques became implemented in the structure, staging, and choreography of American musical theatre. Next, I want to consider how Sondheim's interest in certain types of films and industry figures aligns with his collaborations on musicals. Finally, I then analyze the influence film composers such as Bernard Herrmann had on Sondheim's scores. After studying Sondheim's film experiences, links between staging practices in Hollywood and on Broadway, shared aesthetic choices in certain film and musical theatre narratives, and connections between aesthetic practices in Sondheim's compositions and those of significant Hollywood film composers, I determined that there are a wide range of connections between mainstream film and Sondheim's work in musical theatre. My argument is that a careful look at these connections fosters a greater understanding of Sondheim's work, his contributions to musical theatre, and the complex relationship between film and musical theatre in the twentieth century.
Cynthia Baron, PhD (Committee Chair)
Lesa Lockford, PhD (Committee Member)
Ronald Shields, PhD (Committee Member)
89 p.
Theater
Stephen Sondheim; filmic influences

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • O'Connor, J. T. (2010). Stephen Sondheim and his Filmic Influences [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1276883539

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • O'Connor, John. Stephen Sondheim and his Filmic Influences. 2010. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1276883539.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • O'Connor, John. "Stephen Sondheim and his Filmic Influences." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1276883539

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1276883539
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.