TYPES AND TROPES IN THE GOLDEN AGE MUSICAL
Throughout Darling Grenadine, Daniel Zaitchik gestures at familiar tropes from Golden Age movies and musicals produced by studios like MGM and Warner Brothers to build the classic, Broadway-inspired world of this piece. Like Darling Grenadine, many of these stories center around show business and the glitz and glamor that accompany the entertainment industry. How does Zaitchik’s musical riff on these types to bring them into the present day?
The company of Merrily We Roll Along in Roundabout and Fiasco Theater’s 2019 revival Photo by Joan Marcus
THE FUNNY, TROUBLED "DRUNK"
Alcohol has been a mainstay of the creative world for many years (See p. 9, “Alcohol and Artmakers”), often turning up in films and musicals as an obstacle for the central character to confront as they go on their journey. Although these characters are at times struggling mightily, they usually employ humor and charm in social situations to mask how their dependence on alcohol is causing issues in their day-to-day lives.
EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE: • Norman Maine in A Star Is Born (1954) • Mary Flynn in Merrily We Roll Along (1981) • Arthur Bach in Arthur (1981)
THE INGENUE
Usually a young woman, the ingenue has recently arrived in New York— frequently from a flyover state—to make it as a star on Broadway. She is green, full of hope, and optimistic about what her future might hold as she acclimates to life in the big city.
EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE: • Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (1964) • Ruby in Dames at Sea (1966) • Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)
A publicity photo of Marilyn Monroe from 1953, taken by Frank Powolny. Monroe was known for consistently playing a version of the ingenue in her many films.
4 ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
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