WEBVTT

1
00:00:06.573 --> 00:00:08.241
Welcome back everyone.

2
00:00:08.241 --> 00:00:10.543 line:0
The focus of this session is music.

3
00:00:10.543 --> 00:00:13.880 line:0
Music has a very important role
in the emotional journey of a play.

4
00:00:14.381 --> 00:00:17.350 line:0
Today we'll explore the function
of a song in musical theater and

5
00:00:17.350 --> 00:00:19.386 line:0
look at how one particular song works,

6
00:00:19.386 --> 00:00:20.253 line:0
in The Lion King.

7
00:00:22.922 --> 00:00:26.126
Playwrights use plot and dialogue
to tell a story on stage,

8
00:00:26.493 --> 00:00:27.660
but in musical theater,

9
00:00:27.660 --> 00:00:30.663
we tell stories through
singing and dancing as well as acting.

10
00:00:30.997 --> 00:00:35.001 line:0
When the emotions of a scene
become too big for dialogue, a composer

11
00:00:35.201 --> 00:00:38.204 line:0
that's the person who writes the music,
and the lyricist,

12
00:00:38.204 --> 00:00:41.441 line:0
the person who writes the lyrics
or words to the music,

13
00:00:41.541 --> 00:00:44.411 line:0
write songs to express these
important moments.

14
00:00:44.411 --> 00:00:47.647 line:0
In musical theater, songs
also move the story forward.

15
00:00:48.181 --> 00:00:49.682
The audience usually learns

16
00:00:49.682 --> 00:00:53.653
something specific about a character
or the plot during a song in a musical.

17
00:00:53.853 --> 00:00:58.725
Let's head over to the studio to explore
an example of a Lion King song in action.

18
00:01:01.961 --> 00:01:05.298
On his way to the Elephant Graveyard
with young Nala and Zazu.

19
00:01:05.331 --> 00:01:06.933
Young Simba gets so excited

20
00:01:06.933 --> 00:01:10.370
about the idea, ruling
the Pride Lands that he burst into song.

21
00:01:10.770 --> 00:01:13.706 line:0
We're here with
Associate Music Director Cherie Rosen

22
00:01:13.706 --> 00:01:15.775 line:0
and Young Simba, Caleb McLaughlin

23
00:01:15.775 --> 00:01:17.811
and Young Nala Casey Walfall,

24
00:01:17.811 --> 00:01:20.246
who are rehearsing
‘I Just Can't Wait to Be King’.

25
00:01:20.246 --> 00:01:21.614
Hey guys! Hi. Hi.

26
00:01:22.615 --> 00:01:25.618
A music director helps interpret
the music and lyrics

27
00:01:25.618 --> 00:01:27.520
written by the composer and lyricist.

28
00:01:27.821 --> 00:01:28.488
Cherie,

29
00:01:28.488 --> 00:01:29.923
can I watch your rehearsal
for a little bit?

30
00:01:30.190 --> 00:01:30.757
Sure.

31
00:01:31.091 --> 00:01:34.060 line:0
Joining us is Rick Plaugher,
who works with Young Simba

32
00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:36.663 line:0
and Nala backstage at The Lion
King on Broadway.

33
00:01:36.663 --> 00:01:39.632 line:0
Rick is helping us out today
by playing the role of Zazu.

34
00:01:39.632 --> 00:01:40.166 line:0
Hiya.

35
00:01:41.101 --> 00:01:41.835 line:0
Thanks.

36
00:01:41.835 --> 00:01:45.171
I'll just be as quiet
as a mouse over there, and I'll observe

37
00:01:45.171 --> 00:01:47.874
what the audience learns about the story
and the characters

38
00:01:47.874 --> 00:01:49.542
of The Lion King from this song.

39
00:01:51.010 --> 00:01:51.811
Okay, great.

40
00:01:51.811 --> 00:01:54.781
So the set up for this song is,

41
00:01:55.048 --> 00:01:58.852
Young Simba has just found out
two very important things.

42
00:01:59.018 --> 00:02:03.056
One with his day with dad looking over
the whole kingdom, what does he find out?

43
00:02:03.356 --> 00:02:05.859
That I'm going to be king. Awesome, right?

44
00:02:05.859 --> 00:02:07.527
And what's the other thing
that you find out?

45
00:02:07.527 --> 00:02:08.862
That shadowy place.

46
00:02:08.862 --> 00:02:11.131
Elephant graveyard. Yeah. What is that?

47
00:02:11.131 --> 00:02:13.066
That is, like, scary.

48
00:02:13.066 --> 00:02:14.200
Someplace scary, right?

49
00:02:14.200 --> 00:02:15.435
So what's the first thing you do?

50
00:02:15.435 --> 00:02:17.470
Go to Uncle Scar and tell him.

51
00:02:17.470 --> 00:02:19.739
And he tells you
the second most important thing.

52
00:02:19.739 --> 00:02:20.373
What is that?

53
00:02:20.373 --> 00:02:21.040
Do not go.

54
00:02:21.040 --> 00:02:22.142
Do not go there.

55
00:02:22.142 --> 00:02:23.643
Yes. Danger.

56
00:02:23.643 --> 00:02:25.778
But scary and exciting too. Right.

57
00:02:25.778 --> 00:02:28.748
So then what is the next thing you do?
I go tell Nala.

58
00:02:28.748 --> 00:02:30.850
Who's your best friend. Yes. Right.

59
00:02:30.850 --> 00:02:32.619
We got to go. Yes.

60
00:02:32.619 --> 00:02:37.223
And, and you kind of finagle it with mom,
and she says, okay, you can go, but,

61
00:02:38.925 --> 00:02:40.393
Zazu has to come with you.

62
00:02:40.393 --> 00:02:40.860
Yeah.

63
00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:42.128
You need a babysitter.

64
00:02:42.128 --> 00:02:46.933
Let's actually speak some of the scene
that leads into the song.

65
00:02:47.300 --> 00:02:47.634
Okay.

66
00:02:47.634 --> 00:02:51.271
And then I want you to speak
some of the lyrics of the dialogue,

67
00:02:51.371 --> 00:02:54.007
the lyrics from the song as dialogue.

68
00:02:54.007 --> 00:02:57.010
Okay, so let's go from the part
where you tell him he's fired.

69
00:02:57.043 --> 00:02:58.411
In that case, you're fired.

70
00:02:58.711 --> 00:03:00.914
In that case, you're fired.

71
00:03:00.914 --> 00:03:02.282
Nice try.

72
00:03:02.282 --> 00:03:04.484
But only the king can do that.

73
00:03:04.484 --> 00:03:07.487
Well, he is the future king. Yeah.

74
00:03:07.587 --> 00:03:09.956
So you have to do what I tell you.

75
00:03:09.956 --> 00:03:12.659
Not yet, I don't.

76
00:03:12.659 --> 00:03:15.261
And with an attitude like that, I'm afraid

77
00:03:15.261 --> 00:03:17.764
you'll make a pretty pathetic king indeed.

78
00:03:17.764 --> 00:03:19.299
Not the way I see it.

79
00:03:19.732 --> 00:03:21.367
So, Simba.

80
00:03:21.367 --> 00:03:23.836
Nala, where are you hiding?

81
00:03:23.836 --> 00:03:26.773
If you don't come out this instant,
this isn't funny.

82
00:03:26.773 --> 00:03:28.474
I'm not laughing.

83
00:03:28.942 --> 00:03:30.577
And then you sing.
But you're not going to sing.

84
00:03:30.577 --> 00:03:32.779
Just act the lyrics.

85
00:03:32.779 --> 00:03:34.414
I'm going to be a mighty king.

86
00:03:34.414 --> 00:03:35.782
So enemies beware.

87
00:03:35.782 --> 00:03:36.649
A mighty what?

88
00:03:37.083 --> 00:03:37.951
King. Right.

89
00:03:37.951 --> 00:03:40.687
Make sure you get that ‘kuh’ out there, right.
I'm going to be...

90
00:03:40.687 --> 00:03:42.488
I'm gonna be a mighty king.

91
00:03:42.488 --> 00:03:43.957
So. Enemies beware.

92
00:03:44.290 --> 00:03:48.194
I've never seen a king of beasts
with quite so little hair.

93
00:03:48.428 --> 00:03:51.531
I'm going to be the main
event like no king was before.

94
00:03:51.764 --> 00:03:53.833
I'm brushing up on looking down.

95
00:03:53.833 --> 00:03:55.401
I'm working on my roar!

96
00:03:55.401 --> 00:03:55.802
Good.

97
00:03:55.802 --> 00:03:58.204
Let's just stop there.
Let's just do that much.

98
00:03:58.204 --> 00:03:59.872
We'll just focus on that much.

99
00:03:59.872 --> 00:04:04.010
So the beautiful thing about the song is,
once the music starts,

100
00:04:04.177 --> 00:04:05.311
it's got this kind of...

101
00:04:09.882 --> 00:04:12.151
Right? It's got this infectious
little kind of beat,

102
00:04:12.151 --> 00:04:13.119
and you just got to...

103
00:04:13.519 --> 00:04:15.221
You can't tell him anymore.

104
00:04:15.455 --> 00:04:16.956
Not the way I see it.

105
00:04:17.190 --> 00:04:19.058
You can't, you can't explain it any more,

106
00:04:19.058 --> 00:04:20.260
you have to sing about it.

107
00:04:20.260 --> 00:04:22.161
Ok. You think Simba’s ready to be the king?

108
00:04:22.495 --> 00:04:24.797
Of course he is. He's, he was born ready. Yeah.

109
00:04:24.797 --> 00:04:26.432
Do you think Simba's ready to be the king?

110
00:04:26.432 --> 00:04:27.200
Absolutely not.

111
00:04:27.200 --> 00:04:28.768
Absolutely not. Not even close.

112
00:04:28.768 --> 00:04:31.504
Do you think Simba is
ready to be the king? Oh, yeah. Right.

113
00:04:31.504 --> 00:04:34.207
So everybody's got their own perspective
here, right?

114
00:04:34.207 --> 00:04:35.341
Yes. Good.

115
00:04:35.341 --> 00:04:37.977
And then Simba's vocal part,

116
00:04:37.977 --> 00:04:40.046
it's funny how they wrote it,

117
00:04:40.046 --> 00:04:41.881
you know, he doesn't go,

118
00:04:41.881 --> 00:04:45.385
I'm gonna be a mighty king so, and ah, right?

119
00:04:45.418 --> 00:04:46.919
Yeah. He's always on top of the beat.

120
00:04:46.919 --> 00:04:49.322
Yeah. I'm gonna be a mighty two.

121
00:04:49.322 --> 00:04:51.557
So enemies beware. Right?

122
00:04:51.557 --> 00:04:53.059
So now let's just,

123
00:04:53.059 --> 00:04:56.462
instead of singing the notes,
just say the lyrics in rhythm.

124
00:04:56.629 --> 00:04:57.096
Okay. Here we go.

125
00:04:57.096 --> 00:04:59.432
Five. Six. Seven. Eight.

126
00:04:59.432 --> 00:05:01.234
I'll be a mighty king.

127
00:05:01.234 --> 00:05:04.237
Yeah, but remember how you said it
when you were just singing this dialogue?

128
00:05:04.470 --> 00:05:05.805
What's the important word?

129
00:05:05.805 --> 00:05:07.907
Mighty, mighty king. King.

130
00:05:07.907 --> 00:05:10.443
I'm going to be a mighty king.
Okay. Right?

131
00:05:10.443 --> 00:05:12.512
So make those louder and good.

132
00:05:12.512 --> 00:05:13.946
Here we go. Five, six.

133
00:05:13.946 --> 00:05:14.981
Here you go.

134
00:05:14.981 --> 00:05:17.116
I'm gonna be a mighty king.

135
00:05:17.116 --> 00:05:18.818
So. Enemies beware.

136
00:05:18.818 --> 00:05:23.423
Well, I've never seen a king of beasts
with quite so little hair.

137
00:05:24.090 --> 00:05:25.825
I'm going to be the main event

138
00:05:25.825 --> 00:05:27.593
like no king was before.

139
00:05:28.027 --> 00:05:31.597
I'm brushing up on looking down
and working on my roar!

140
00:05:31.597 --> 00:05:32.498
Good.

141
00:05:32.498 --> 00:05:35.168
So now let's do it with, with the notes.

142
00:05:35.168 --> 00:05:37.036
With the real notes. Okay. Right.

143
00:05:37.036 --> 00:05:38.071
So, um...

144
00:05:38.338 --> 00:05:39.972
And with an attitude like that.

145
00:05:40.807 --> 00:05:42.709
And with an attitude like that,

146
00:05:42.709 --> 00:05:45.812
I'm afraid you'd make a pretty pathetic
king indeed.

147
00:05:45.945 --> 00:05:47.413
Not the way I see it.

148
00:05:48.214 --> 00:05:50.416
Simba. Nala.

149
00:05:50.883 --> 00:05:52.018
Where are you guarding?

150
00:05:52.018 --> 00:05:53.453
If you don't come out this instant.

151
00:05:53.453 --> 00:05:55.488
I'm not laughing.

152
00:05:56.055 --> 00:05:58.024
I'm going to be a mighty king.

153
00:05:58.024 --> 00:05:59.659
So enemies beware!

154
00:05:59.659 --> 00:06:03.763
Well, I've never seen a king of beasts
with quite so little hair.

155
00:06:04.464 --> 00:06:08.134
I'm gonna be the main
event like no king was before.

156
00:06:08.701 --> 00:06:10.903
I'm brushing up on looking down.

157
00:06:10.903 --> 00:06:13.005
I'm working on my roar!

158
00:06:13.906 --> 00:06:14.407
Excellent.

159
00:06:14.440 --> 00:06:15.775
That's the right idea.

160
00:06:16.142 --> 00:06:17.510
How does this song,

161
00:06:18.378 --> 00:06:21.047
further the plot of the whole play?

162
00:06:21.047 --> 00:06:23.449
It's just. He's
just, like, really excited.

163
00:06:23.449 --> 00:06:25.151
And he just can't wait to be king. Right.

164
00:06:25.151 --> 00:06:26.652
Nothing's going to stop him. Yeah.

165
00:06:26.652 --> 00:06:28.321
Nothing's going to stop me now.

166
00:06:28.321 --> 00:06:32.592
So all of these things are planting
seeds for later on in the show.

167
00:06:33.092 --> 00:06:33.693
Right?

168
00:06:33.693 --> 00:06:35.728
Because what happens in the second act
when,

169
00:06:35.728 --> 00:06:38.931
when big Nala turns to big Simba and says,

170
00:06:39.866 --> 00:06:42.168
you're not the Simba I remember.

171
00:06:42.735 --> 00:06:45.071
And she's remembering this moment,

172
00:06:45.071 --> 00:06:48.508
you know, about how he was so brave
and so strong he could do anything.

173
00:06:49.208 --> 00:06:50.576
Now it's like.. He doesn’t believe in himself.

174
00:06:50.576 --> 00:06:52.278
Now he doesn't believe in himself.

175
00:06:52.278 --> 00:06:56.382
And Nala still does believe in herself.
And Nala still does believe in herself.

176
00:06:56.482 --> 00:06:57.116
Right.

177
00:06:57.750 --> 00:07:01.621
So it's not just a song
not just a fun jaunty song

178
00:07:01.621 --> 00:07:05.591
that we sing to show
how little Simba can sing a great song.

179
00:07:05.792 --> 00:07:07.727
It's telling the whole story

180
00:07:07.727 --> 00:07:10.096
and, and each little turn in road

181
00:07:10.096 --> 00:07:12.999
is going to affect
where we wind up at the very end.

182
00:07:13.299 --> 00:07:15.101
Wow, you guys, that was awesome.

183
00:07:15.101 --> 00:07:17.136
Thanks so much for letting me
crash your rehearsal.

184
00:07:17.136 --> 00:07:18.304
Sure, anytime.

185
00:07:18.905 --> 00:07:22.275
Today we examined the function of a song
in musical theater and,

186
00:07:22.275 --> 00:07:24.610
observed how ‘I Just Can't Wait to Be King’,

187
00:07:24.710 --> 00:07:26.913
helps tell the story of The Lion King.

188
00:07:26.913 --> 00:07:31.117
Now you will analyze the function of
‘Be Prepared’ in The Lion King Kids,

189
00:07:31.350 --> 00:07:35.021
and create your own ideas
for an original musical theater song.