Welcome to
TheFolkReservoir
A Dramaturgical Site for Theatre Artists
American Folk Music history
Folk Musicals
How to do the style justice
Recent Blog Posts
American Folk Music History
To perform these styles well on stage, we have to understand the artists who created the musical style we are building on. "Folk" is the blanket term that covers Country, Bluegrass, Honky Tonk, and much much more (In the same way "Rock" covers so many sub-types). It is important to dive into all of these, as they are interconnected and built on one another. From Bill Monroe, to Johnny Cash, to Dolly Parton: it's all in that sweet, beautiful vein of twang. And as you will see, Musicals can shift between these genres from song to song, so knowing how to hear the difference will set you apart in any room!
Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys
Logically, when you talkin' about folk music and blues, you find out it's music of just plain people.
/ Brownie McGhee
Once: The Musical
music and lyrics were by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Folk Musicals
What makes a Folk Musical? When we look at shows like "Bright Star" or "Honky Tonk Angels" no one is going to give you much argument that they are Folk Musicals. But what about shows like "Oklahoma!" or "Once"? The subject matter of the first seems to say Country, and you could argue "Once" is more Indie Rock than Folk. This Series will dive into the defining characteristics of what a Fok/Country Musical has to have in it, along with diving into shows we think are in the genre (and see if we're right!).
Theory behind doing the style justice
In this genre, there is a stark difference between authenticity and lack thereof. It is a genre built on openness, making it perfect for Musical Theatre, however, cannot be approached in the exact same way. How do we healthily produce something that in its original form, is often produced unhealthily? When Juke-Box Musicals such as "Ring of Fire" appear, how do we act through songs that were not written to achieve that?
