Semiotics of the Broadway Musical

Catalog description

In this class, we will explore the history, present, and future of one of the quintessentially American artforms—the Broadway musical—by investigating its unique combination of music, drama, dance, spectacle, and commerce. Our focus will be on understanding the different ways that the musical produces social meanings. To do so, the course will introduce concepts from semiotics—a method for studying the production and communication of meaning through various systems of “signification.” Surveying the history of the artform in four broad phases, we will explore how musical theater has represented quintessentially human conflicts around identity and belonging. Assignments will include weekly response posts, a midterm paper, in-class presentations, a final project, and opportunities to perform.