The American Musical on Film

Catalog description

While the Musical represents a quintessentially American art form, it is Film that has amplified and popularized it around the world, entertaining audiences as well as inspiring performers, writers and composers to put their own stamp on the form. The American musical plays a significant role in our appreciation of the cultural past. This class will cover a range of film musicals from from the dawn of the sound era to the present day. We will encounter them not only as works of art or popular entertainment but as time capsules that help us understand the issues of the time. Discussion will be central to this class as we share our observation and critical evaluations of these films with respect to performance, art direction, music, lyrics, direction and themes. The course will require essays that increase in length as reflections on a specific film or piece of writing. Students will also collaborate in groups to create and develop the outline of a new film musical based on an original concept or based on material that has not previously been musicalized. Counts as a Communication Intensive course.