‘A Tale as Old as Time’: Narrative Theory

Taylor, Millie; Symonds, Dominic

doi:10.1007/978-1-137-27096-2_2

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The Cakewalk also provided an avenue for African-Americans to access the white performance stage (Gottschild 2000). On July 5th, 1898, the Cakewalk first appeared on a Broadway stage in the production of the all-Black musical, Clorindy: The origin of the Cakewalk, with lyrics by Paul Laurence Dunbar and music by Will Marion Cook (Taylor & Rush 2023). It unfortunately took a long time from being written to make it to the stage, until white producer Edward Wright "agreed to give the show a chance" (Bañagale, Hayward, & Goodwin, 2016:n.p.).…”

Section: Origins Of the Cakewalkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black Women of The Cakewalk: Reclaiming The Performance Though Corporeal Orature

Johnson¹

2023

iukad

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The presentation of the Cakewalk through history is contested through white narratives of appropriation followed by Black narratives of reclamation. Originating in the United States as a performance created by slaves, the Cakewalk is a predecessor to many forms of social dance today. However, it is often Black men who receive recognition for the performance while Black women are forgotten to history. In looking at a historical review of the Cakewalk and following two case studies of Aida Overton Walker and Heather Agyepong, this article argues for the importance of Black women in reclaiming the Cakewalk by embedding new narratives into its history through their own bodily presence and agency. The work extends from theories of literature, politics, and media to physical embodiment, understanding that the Black body has agency in the ways it chooses to communicate through visual presence and performance. In doing this work, Aida Overton Walker and Heather Agyepong not only redefine the presence of the Black person through history, but also negotiate how Black identity should and can be presented.

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Section: Origins Of the Cakewalkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black Women of The Cakewalk: Reclaiming The Performance Though Corporeal Orature

Johnson¹

2023

iukad

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“…For example, when all four plays nominated for ‘Best Musical’ in 2010 were written in the style of rock, New York Times critic Jon Pareles (2010) wrote: ‘Broadway may be the final place in America, if not the known universe, where rock still registers as rebellious’. The Broadway musical thereby constitutes associations to genres that become ‘increasingly potent as cultural habits become ingrained, and as popular music uses stereotypical signifiers to short-cut meanings’ (Taylor and Symonds, 2014: 32). Further, these ‘broad brushes of Broadway’ might additionally make the single body of the performer ‘bear the burden of representation, signifying more than simply an individual, standing in for the very idea or whole category of [.…”

Section: Omnivorousness As the Trick Of Production: The Art Of Musica...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To explore and conceptualize our notion of the omnivorous voice, we begin by paying attention to the American musical’s history and its changing aesthetic values. Though musical theatre history studies reveal no single linear development of relationships that tell the whole (hi)story of the genre (Taylor and Symonds, 2014), it is arguable that an eclectic aptitude has existed, not only within contemporary times but since its beginnings in the early 20th century. Stemming from a mix of influences, such as Tin Pan Alley, burlesque, extravaganza, minstrelsy and vaudeville – all historically considered commercial, lowbrow art forms – it merged with more well-regarded middlebrow classifications, such as the European operetta – exemplified by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, such as HMS Pinafore (Sullivan, 2006) – to become what we recognize as the American musical today (Hodge, 2020; Knapp et al, 2018a).…”

Section: A Brief History Of Voice In the American Musicalmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Voicing Omnivorousness, Assembling the Omnivorous Voice: The American Musical Explored

Germeten¹,

Karlsen

2022

Cultural Sociology

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This article focuses on the notion of cultural omnivorousness, as coined by Richard Peterson, to explore its various manifestations within the American musical, commonly known as the Broadway musical. Through two interconnected research questions, we explore how patterns of cultural omnivorousness are manifested within the American musical, contemporarily and in a historical perspective, and scrutinize what these omnivorous features demand from performers, more specifically, what it takes to perform what we name the omnivorous voice. Using the American musical as a site for exploration, the article aims to show that the omnivorousness is not only enjoyed by its audiences, but produced, brought about and enjoyed by its composers, producers and performers alike. Consequently, the article’s main argument is that the phenomenon of cultural omnivorousness not only concerns cultural consumption but is to be regarded as a matter of cultural production as well, manifested ultimately as specific artistic and embodied practices. The article conveys a theoretically informed discussion, drawing on works written within the fields of cultural sociology, musicology and voice studies, while incorporating illustrative references to specific recorded musical works and the vocal behaviours of named performers.

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‘A Tale as Old as Time’: Narrative Theory

Cited by 2 publications

References 2 publications

Black Women of The Cakewalk: Reclaiming The Performance Though Corporeal Orature

Black Women of The Cakewalk: Reclaiming The Performance Though Corporeal Orature

Voicing Omnivorousness, Assembling the Omnivorous Voice: The American Musical Explored

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