This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Musical theater! Is anything more fun?! We will compare musicals to other forms of drama, look at the basic structures of the stories and songs in musicals, determine what makes some musicals better than others, and also look at scenes from the most famous movie musicals.
Total classes: 13
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 7th to 12th
Suggested credit: 1 full semester Drama or Music History
Description
Musical theater! Is anything more fun?! This class will look at the history of musicals, from their origins in comedies and light opera all the way to modern musicals like Hamilton. We will compare musicals to other forms of drama, look at the basic structures of the stories and songs in musicals, determine what makes some musicals better than others, and also look at scenes from the most famous movie musicals. For a Final Project, each student will create an outline of a musical they’d like to write.
Outline
Origins of Musicals – The Beggar’s Opera, pantomime, commedia
Light Opera – Gilbert & Sullivan
Revues and Vaudeville vs. Musicals
Early American Musicals – George M. Cohan, Irving Berlin, and the Princess Theater Musicals
Of Thee I Sing and Pre-Golden Age Musicals
The Golden Age Begins Showboat and Oklahoma!
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Lerner & Lowe
Dance and Musicals: Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse and Dancers on Film
Social Themes in Musicals: Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, etc.
Rock and Rap Musicals: Godspell, Hamilton, etc.
Show Biz Musicals: The Producers, Something Rotten, etc.
Review and Conclusion
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated Story by DK Publishing, plus video clips, audio clips and PDF’s provided by the instructor when able. Students may have to purchase or rent some musicals if they cannot find them available for free, but most are available to rent for around $2.99. Links will be provided each week with more information.
Homework: Assignments and readings. Expect to average two hours per week on homework outside of the classroom.
