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The underlying message or meaning conveyed through a song’s lyrics or a character's actions, which may not match the literal words.

The process of changing from one key to another within a song, often used to heighten emotion or signal a change.

A type of musical theater song that helps establish the appeal of a character, often by showcasing their personality, humor, or likeability.

A metrical pattern in poetry or songwriting where each line has five iambs (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one).

A style of delivery where a singer adopts the rhythms of ordinary speech, acting as a bridge between dialogue and formal singing.

A contrasting section of a song that provides a break from the repeated patterns of verses and choruses, often leading to a climax.

In songwriting, when two or more melodic lines are combined harmonically but retain their individuality.

A type of song in musical theatre characterized by emotional, narrative storytelling, often slower in tempo.

A song where characters sing about love but with reservations or under specific circumstances, often in the first act of a musical.

A repeated passage in music or a repeated song in musical theater, often with altered lyrics to reflect the development of the story.

A musical phrase or motif that is persistently repeated at the same pitch throughout a composition.

A show-stopping song near the end of a musical, often the character’s ultimate revelation or emotional climax.

A song structure consisting of two similar verses (A), a contrasting bridge (B), followed by a return to the original theme (A).

A recurring musical theme associated with a particular character, object, or idea, used throughout a musical.

A song structure in which each verse is set to the same melody, often used in ballads and folk songs.

In a musical theater score, this is a notation indicating how an intricate piece of orchestration is divided up between the different instruments.

A song structure with new music for each stanza, leading to continuous musical and lyrical development, without returning to previous themes.