Module overview
This module introduces you to the history of the American Musical and examines some of the issues connected with race, exoticism, gender and national identity as they were articulated in this multimedia entertainment between the late nineteenth century and today. The module will take a chronological but also issue-related approach. Beginning with an overview of the main features of the musical and its relation with opera, operetta and the revue, we will go on to explore the social, cultural and political contexts in which it emerged, developed, and flourished, as well as the ways in which the genre became a crucial cultural arena for the articulation of contemporary social and political concerns and the formation of national identity. We will also follow the trajectory that brought the musical from the stage to the movie set, and the synergy between Broadway and Hollywood, discussing the ways in which music and text engaged with dance, lights, and costumes on stage and on video. This module is offered at two levels that will be taught together. (N.B. Students who take the module in year 2 cannot take the year 3 version)