Counterpoint in Musical Theater: A Harmonious Broadway Maven Masterclass
Juilliard Professor Edward Barnes explores Broadway's interweaving melodies
What’s the buzz? Join The Broadway Maven for a FREE deep dive into Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s blockbuster rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar Monday, February 3 at Noon and 7 pm ET. Delve into this groundbreaking show’s music, themes, and cultural impact. Analyze its portrayal of biblical events, character development, and Lloyd Webber's iconic score. Included once again is musical analysis by Mateo Chavez Lewis.
Shalom, Broadway lovers!
In today’s MARQUEE: The Broadway Maven’s Weekly Blast: A) a video of a Broadway Maven Masterclass on counterpoint in musical theater given by Juilliard Prof. Edward Barnes; B) a Broadway Blast about West Side Story; C) a Video Quiz about identifying the B sections of Broadway AABA songs; D) a Broadway Blast about Annie Get Your Gun; E) a survey about possible upcoming Broadway Maven classes; and F) a Last Blast about My Fair Lady.
BROADWAY MAVEN YouTube GEM: What do you hear? Some of Broadway's most beautiful music involves the technique known as counterpoint. In a recent exclusive class for Broadway Maven Members, Prof. Edward Barnes from Juilliard taught about the use of counterpoint in songs from shows like Call Me Madam, Falsettos, Pacific Overtures, Bye Bye Birdie, and West Side Story. Edward has a knack for clear explanations of complicated subjects and an inviting style that trains both the ear and the brain. He teaches for The Broadway Maven approximately once a month.
BROADWAY BLAST: In “Gee, Officer Krupke” from West Side Story, after A-Rab, playing a social worker, declares that “Juvenile delinquency is merely a social disease,” his mock patient Action declares, “Hey, I got a social disease!” Action is rather proud of the diagnosis, with its implication of venereal disease and thus evidence to his friends that he’s had sex. This humorous moment of bravado not only encapsulates the gang's dismissive attitude towards societal norms but also offers a poignant reflection of their misguided understanding of adulthood and masculinity within the turbulent social fabric of 1950s America.
VIDEO QUIZ: A quirky feature of Broadway's common AABA structure is that the B section, sometimes called the bridge, is not always closely identified with the song itself even among people who know the music. The point will almost certainly be made more clearly in this video quiz, in which you hear the bridge and have to identify the song. If you get stuck, don't jump off a bridge!
BROADWAY BLAST: One of the most ingenious—and fun—songs in Annie Get Your Gun is "Anything You Can Do," a comic challenge song between Annie Oakley and Frank Butler. But as a revolutionary 1946 musical that came just three years after Oklahoma!, Annie Get Your Gun may also have been saying to musicals of the past that the art form had evolved into a new phase of a tight book, two-couple structure, and songs (tons of them!) that advance the plot. Anything old Broadway could do, Irving Berlin was saying, he could do better. This shift toward integrated musicals allowed characters' internal motivations to drive the songs, creating richer storytelling that left behind the revue-style formats of earlier Broadway.
MEMBERSHIP: Broadway Maven Membership is just $18 a month and includes 5-15 classes and other expert-led Broadway experiences, plus a password to the Clips Archive and periodic giveaways to Broadway and off-Broadway shows, including at least one opening-night performance and party. Upcoming Members-only classes include a “Savoring Broadway” presentation, a Watch Party for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder in which we watch it with the man who won a Tony for writing it: Robert L. Freedman, and four Sondheim classes led by Gail Leondar-Wright. Also in February: “Hamilton from the Top” with Juilliard Prof. Edward Barnes and a trivia party. Join this vibrant learning community at the button below. It’s your home for Broadway appreciation!
Members-only “Savoring Broadway” presentation on Sunday, January 26 at Noon and 7 pm ET:
Think more deeply about musical theater in this eye-opening and innovative look at Broadway shows from Oklahoma! to A Strange Loop. A preview of Substacker, YouTuber, and Broadway Maven David Benkof’s upcoming presenation at BroadwayCon 2025, this presentation will rely on David’s career passion of finding novel interpretations to favorite musicals. In this whirlwind journey through a century of Broadway, participants will tear off the curtain to reveal some of the symbolic and thematic aspects of beloved shows that are easy to miss but unmistakable once they're pointed out. What's the symbolism of butter in Rodgers & Hammerstein shows? What Greek myths are represented in shows like A Chorus Line and Evita? What are the central symbols in Heathers, Waitress, and Kimberly Akimbo? No background is necessary, as David will share plenty of clips, examples, and explanations.
Note: A full calendar of upcoming classes is always available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.
• Sunday, January 26 Noon and 7 pm ET “Savoring Broadway” presentation (Members only)
• Sunday, February 2 Noon ET Watch Party: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder with SPECIAL GUEST Tony-winning book writer Robert L. Freedman (yeah, we’re watching it with the guy who wrote it). (Members only)
• Monday, February 3 Noon and 7 pm ET Jesus Christ Superstar (FREE, register here)
• Tuesday, February 4 7 pm ET Sondheim Under the Hood part one with Gail Leondar-Wright Members only (with a three-month commitment)
• Tuesday, February 11 7 pm ET Sondheim Under the Hood part two with Gail Leondar-Wright Members only (with a three-month commitment)
• Sunday, February 16 10 am ET “Hamilton: From the Top” with Juilliard Prof. Edward Barnes (Members only)
• Tuesday, February 18 7 pm ET Follies with Gail Leondar-Wright Members only (with a three-month commitment)
• Tuesday, February 25 7 pm ET Road Show with Gail Leondar-Wright Members only (with a three-month commitment)
LAST BLAST: In a clever twist of irony, My Fair Lady portrays Henry Higgins—a phonetics professor obsessed with diction—as he misstates that Eliza should be "taken out and hung." The proper term is "hanged" when referring to execution. This slip not only undermines his linguistic authority but also hints at a deeper subconscious perception of Eliza. By using "hung," Higgins may be viewing her as an object to be displayed—something to be "hung" like artwork—rather than acknowledging her as a person with feelings. This moment serves as a subtle critique of his pedantry and objectification, reminding the audience that even experts are fallible, and that true respect requires seeing others as equals.
The Broadway Maven is a vibrant educational community that helps its members think more deeply about musical theater. Every month, members may attend 5-15 expert-led classes and innovative Broadway experiences, all for just $18. We also foster enthusiasm for Broadway through the FREE weekly substack newsletter MARQUEE and host an expansive YouTube channel. It's your home for Broadway appreciation. Contact The Broadway Maven at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.