Course Description
Studies the Broadway musical as one of the most quintessentially American forms of performance. Explores the history of musical theatre and its relationship to other entertainment media. Analyzes the messages about gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality, and the meaning of "America" that musicals have conveyed.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students read 8-10 additional articles or book
chapters as well as supplementary materials related to their
specific area of study (acting, design, or theatrical theory)
including primary sources and current scholarship; write short
analytical papers in place of the objective quizzes that
undergraduates take; complete a final exam modeled after and
graded according to the standards of the comprehensive exams in
their area of study; and carry out a research and analysis
project resulting in a paper twice the length expected of
undergraduates.
Athena Title
Broadway Mus and Amer Culture
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: * Analyze musicals as performances, which include music, lyrics, script, staging, dance, and design * Describe the development of the musical as a key element of U.S. culture * Identify the contributions of significant creators of musicals * Utilize a range of historiographical and critical methods to examine musicals * Theorize the significance of a given musical as a form of art and entertainment in its cultural context * Interrogate musicals as contemporary performances * Write clearly and engage in informed discussion about musical theatre.
Topical Outline
TOPICAL OUTLINE: 1. Roots of the American Musical a. Vaudeville and Variety Theatre b. Operetta c. Blackface Minstrelsy 2. Analyzing the Integrated Musical a. Stardom and the Broadway musical b. Broadway and Hollywood c. Methods for analyzing music and dance d. Analysis of Rogers and Hammerstein musical (e.g., Oklahoma! or South Pacific) e. Methods for analyzing design elements f. Musicals from the �Golden Age� of Broadway g. Ongoing evolution of the integrated musical: e.g., West Side Story 3. Branches of the American Musical a. The dance musical: (e.g., A Chorus Line) b. The concept musical: (e.g., Into the Woods) c. The megamusical: (e.g., Cats) d. The rock musical: (e.g., Passing Strange)
Syllabus