THEA 10.50 American Musical Theatre History

This course provides insight into over a hundred and fifty years of American musical theatre style, practice, and tradition. Beginning with its roots in minstrelsy, European operetta, and vaudeville, we will examine the evolution of the American musical form from its origins to contemporary commercial Broadway and other professional productions. This course provides an additional layer of sociopolitical context to our understanding of shows ranging from Show Boat to Hamilton and beyond. Considering how intersecting aspects of identity shape the form and content of the work we study, this course requires close reading and listening as we explore the aesthetics, history, and impact of American musical theatre in theatre and performance studies as a field.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:ART

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Theater