Publications and Research
Document Type
Other
Publication Date
8-2002
Abstract
The 1959 Broadway musical Juno, based on Sean O'Casey's 1924 classic Juno and the Paycock, is notable despite its ultimate artistic and financial failure. Musical adaptors Joseph Stein and Marc Blitzstein were inspired by the inherent musicality of O'Casey's play. However, O'Casey's linguistic complexity, profound characterization and political commentary were impossible to translate onto the Broadway stage. Instead, Stein, Blitzstein and de Mille emphasized ritualism and psychology within the story of the Boyle family, and were careful to conform O'Casey's world to that of 1950s Broadway. In doing so, however, the adaptation became different thematically from its predecessor. Whereas O'Casey's world vision was a cynical one, the Broadway musical glorified fantasy, underlined the importance of community and attempted to illustrate the benefits of tragedy.
Comments
This work is a Master's Thesis completed at the University College Dublin.