Posted
on February 8, 2015
 |
| Most opera houses are...um...a bit on the fancy side. |
Do
you enjoy the opera?
I
was wondering if, indeed, I had ever even experienced opera (let
alone enjoyed it). For sure, I have seen and heard and enjoyed a lot
of musicals, including Jesus Christ, Superstar, The Lion
King, Oklahoma!, and Phantom of the Opera (which
has the word “opera” right there in the name!).
 |
| This musical is sometimes called a rock opera. |
But
what is the difference between operas and musicals? And what about
folk opera, jazz opera, rock opera, and pop-art opera?
Both
operas and musicals have stories, characters, costumes and sets, and
most importantly music.
In
operas, there tends to be continuous singing, but in most (not all)
musicals, there are dialogues that are spoken separate from the songs
that are sung. However, some musicals have an awful lot of dialogue
that is sung, not spoken (Jesus Christ, Superstar is an
example), and some are sung straight through (Les Miserables is an
example). If a musical fudges this spoken-sung line, it is often
called a popular opera or rock opera or other, similar name.
Operas
tend to be more difficult to understand and more serious. (However, I
ask you, what could be more serious than Les Miserables?)
Musicals
tend to have more dancing. |
| Hmm...easy to understand, spoken dialogue separate from songs, often light-hearted, and a popular movie was made from it... Definitely a musical! |
I
get the impression that there really isn't a hard-and-fast rule of
what makes something a musical rather than an opera. Defining opera
is a bit like defining art;
some people might say, if you have to ask, you won't get it, anyway.
Here
are some short and funny answers from some British folks:
What is the difference between opera and musical theatre?
About
50 pounds ($76) per ticket. – John Peniket
- Snobbery. – Art Butler
- When someone starts singing after being stabbed, it's an opera. – Michael Whooley
- Ears. – Steven Thomson
Here
is a website dedicated to helping kids learn about opera.
Here
is a short “children's opera.”
Here
is a video of a then-seven-year-old girl singing a song from Phantom
of the Opera. (Hey, it has the word “opera” right there in the
title!)
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