Musical Theater Since 1850: A Mirror of Society

Catalog description

The musical has become one of the most globally popular forms of entertainment, illuminating the ways in which society understands itself by showcasing changing issues of politics, economics, gender, sexuality and ethnicity. This course examines these themes through a framework of lectures, detailed analytical viewings and practical performance workshops. Topics will include: the economic and political satires of Offenbach and Gilbert and Sullivan, changing attitudes to race and conflict in 'Showboat', 'South Pacific', 'Oh, What a Lovely War' and 'Miss Saigon', issues of cultural identity in 'Beyond Bollywood', gender and sexuality in 'Sweet Charity' and 'Rent', the grand historical spectacle of 'Evita' and 'Les Miserables', Disney comes to Broadway, satire in the 21st century through the lens of 'Urinetown' and 'Avenue Q' and the postmodernist fantasies of Sondheim. Lectures are supported by a practical workshop or an analytical viewing each week. Practical sessions allow students to workshop scenes and individual numbers from examples of the genre studied in the previous lecture, allowing for an in-depth exploration of music, text and interpretation for the actor/singer.