For this last post on musical theatre, I will answer the age
old question: How does musical performance mirror the gender and sexuality of
our society?
According to
Pirkko Moisala scholarly article “Musical Gender in Performance”, “The bodily nature of music intertwines
deeply with human sexuality”. In a sense,
performance embodies an audience’s interests and desires. Sexuality (in its wide variety) is explicitly
conveyed on stage in a variety of ways.
The article went on to say, “Music seems to be a site where we not only
free ourselves from gender limitations but also from the limitations of
conventional sexuality.” Music and
performance provide a canvas for expression and a diversity of moods. This variety can help us a society better
understand each other and our wide spectrum of perspectives. Moisala reinforces this idea in her
article. “As a unique human expression
that combines our bodily and cultural identity with idiosyncratic creativity,
music provides an interesting setting for gender performance and negotiation in
all sociohistorical and cultural contexts”.
Altogether, Moisala is hopeful for a future of equality and sees art as
the vessel for egalitarianism in our modern world. “The performative nature of music…allow for
an interesting and possibly radical, if not revolutionary, site in which new
kinds of gender performances and gender identities can evolve and which,
eventually, may transgress the gender boundaries of any society. The concept of
"musical gender," I hope, will help us to move away from looking at
what "men" or "women" do with music to an investigation of
how music acts in the practices of gender signification and resignification.
Music and musical gender can and should be used to deconstruct gender dichotomies
and to appreciate all gender differences and variations.”
This pairing with sexuality, gender, music, and dance is often so explicit
that the performance becomes controversial.
Judith Lynne Hanna’s article “Dance and Sexuality: Many Moves” addresses
this very concept. Her article addressed
religion’s view of dance as “immoral”.
Hanna’s article views dance, sexuality, and musical performance and a
union of strength and free expression.
“Dance and sexuality (are) a source of power (and) manifestations of
sexuality in Western theater art and social dance, plus ritual and non-Western
social dance. Expressions of gender, sexual orientation, asexuality, ambiguity,
and adult entertainment exotic dance are presented.” Hanna argues that because of such traditionalist
judgments toward dance, the gap between free expression and conservativeness
will only widen in our futures.
Nevertheless throughout this debate, the connection between performance
and sexuality only grows closer. At the
extreme end of dance, exotic dancers literally connect their specific type of
performance with sexuality and gender.
Everywhere in between sex workers and church choirs, sexuality and
gender are addressed through performance.
Altogether, musical performance directly relates to gender and sexuality. From musical theatre to strip tease to opera,
gender and sexuality are addressed.
Audience members make quick judgments biased on context clues about
characters and categorize them instantly.
This gender and sexuality framing is ever-present in our lives and it is
directly reflected in our entertainment.
Works Cited
Hanna, Judith Lynne. “Dance and
Sexuality: Many Moves”. Journal of Sex Research.
Moisala, Pirkko. “Musical Gender in Performance”. Woman
& Music 1999: 1-30. Web
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