Four Shows Compete for 'Best Musical' Award

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

nominee

Noun

ˌnɑːməˈniː

someone or something that has been suggested for an award

The nominees for the award will be announced at the end of the week.

The nominees were chosen by a committee of international judges.

Our company is a nominee as one of the top 100 places to work in the country.

Louise was a nominee for the award.

clash

Noun

klæʃ

the difference between two opposite things that cannot exist together

A clash of cultures led to a number of disagreements between people living in the area.

orchestra

Noun

ˈoʊrkɪstrə

a large group of musicians that play a variety of different instruments

I play the violin in the orchestra.

He works as an orchestra conductor.

competitor

Noun

kəmˈpɛtɪtər

a person, team, etc. that competes against others

This company is our main competitor.

My competitor was skilled, but I defeated him.

These two companies have been competitors for many years.

There were so many competitors at the race this year that new entry guidelines are being considered.

She was able to beat out competitors for the project with her striking design proposal.

praise

Noun

preɪz

public expression of one's approval of someone or something

He received praise for his performance in the play.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Four Shows Compete for 'Best Musical' Award

Nominees for the most important awards in American theater were announced Tuesday in New York City.

Two musicals lead all the candidates with 12 nominations each. Both came from already popular media products. Mean Girls is a story set in a high school, from writer and actress Tina Fey.

It was a huge hit in movie theaters in 2004. In the last year, it has had similar success as a musical on Broadway.

Mean Girls’ 12 Tony nominations include one for best musical. Fey was also nominated for a writing award as well.

Competing for best musical and 11 other awards is a production developed from the widely popular children’s television show, SpongeBob SquarePants. The lead character is an ocean animal called SpongeBob. He lives in a pineapple under the sea and has much to sing about.

The grown-up musical The Band’s Visit also earned 11 nominations. It is about a clash of cultures that results when an Egyptian orchestra gets lost and ends up in the wrong Israeli town. It is based on a 2007 Israeli film.

The Band’s Visit is less well-known than its Tony competitors. However, it has received a lot of praise.

You have probably heard of the final candidate for best musical. Frozen is based on the Disney animated movie of the same name. The 2013 film is the most popular animated picture ever, based on ticket sales.

Exercise 3

Questions

How many nominations did Mean Girls get?

Is The Band’s Visit intended for children?

What is the most popular animated film ever?

Exercise 4

Discussion

What are your thoughts on this year's Tony nominations?

Which of the musicals mentioned in this article would you be most interested in seeing? Why?

Have you ever been to a Broadway show? If so, what show did you see? If not, would you like to?

Why do you think Disney's Frozen is so popular all around the world?

Is SpongeBob SquarePants popular in your country? Why do you think that is?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

Do you often go to the theater? Please explain your answer.

Do you enjoy watching musical films? If so, what are some of your favorites? If not, why not?

Are you a fan of animated movies? If so, please name a few of your favorites. If not, why not?

Are Disney movies popular with kids in your country? Why do you think that is?

Slightly forgettable movies can sometimes make great musicals. - Mark Gatiss. In your opinion, what makes a great musical? Please explain your answer.

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.