Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
A note that has the time value of two quarter notes. It is also half the length of a whole note.
Arrangement of music, often based in chords, that supports the melody.
Using resonance in the head, sometimes associated with higher notes.
A genre of music that uses stylized rhythms and quick lyrics. Hip-hop is a larger cultural expression that first developed in the 1970s among African-American, Latinx, and Caribbean American communities, especially in New York City. Hip-hop includes DJ, turntable scratching, beatboxing, and music sampling.
A counterculture originating in the United States in the 1960s, typically characterized by unconventional dress and behavior, communal or transient lifestyles, opposition to war, and liberal attitudes toward sexuality and drugs.
A type of song, usually early in the musical, in which the protagonist expresses their desires. The "I Want" song establishes the character's objectives.
The measurement between two pitches, either vertically or horizontally.
A genre of music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by syncopated rhythms, complex chords, elements of improvisation, and distortions of pitch and timbre.
A musical that features hit songs of a popular music group or genre.
Also called the Paris Uprising of 1832, an insurrection against the monarchy of Louis Phillipe I. The event is a central plot point in Les Misérables.
The notation of the musical key, including sharps (raising the pitch) and flats (lowering the pitch).
A performance technique used to simulate the sound of violence.