The Magical Qualities of Music

We spent a good deal of class discussing the role music plays in a staged production. I didn't see The Winter's Tale this weekend, so I can't say whether that particular production used music well. I can, however, cite an example of music NOT being used well.

I once saw a high school production of Romeo and Juliet. They decided to modernize it, which is fine. I think they were going for a Leo Dicaprio/ Claire Danes kind of vibe, and it didn't quite get there. I mean, everyone on stage was like sixteen and had no idea what they were saying. They used music pretty extensively throughout the show, which, in theory, is fine. Unfortunately, they only used one song.

This was the ONLY song they used. Literally the only one. Capulet's Party? Crawling. Marriage scene? Crawling. Mercutio got killed? Crawling. They also played it over their horribly long scene changes, and it was almost never appropriate for what was happening.

I love ambient music for a stage play, and I think it can add a lot. Unfortunately, it can also be terribly, terribly distracting if not done well.