FYSM 144 - The American Musical Theatre:Portraying "The Other"

Institution:

Trinity College

Subject:

Description:

To many people, the American musical theatre has over-nurtured the boy-meets-girl-and-sings-about-it stereotype, oblivious to contemporaneous political, sociological, and intellectual trends. While some works could be thus described, many others have dealt forcefully with ideas and concepts. This seminar will examine eleven works that feature the difficulties of characters and groups who don't fit into or who openly reject prevailing societal norms. Eight of these shows are from the traditional repertoire (West Side Story, Show Boat, A Chorus Line, Assassins, The King & I, Falsettoland, Ragtime, and Sunday in the Park With George), while three are currently in their initial Broadway runs (Wicked, Rent, and Hairspray). We will study the music, lyrics, script, and production style of each show as well as explore how the sense of "otherness" is presented and developed. We will also take a class trip to New York City to attend a Broadway musical, perhaps one of the three current shows mentioned above. Only first-year students are eligible to enroll in this class. 1.00 units, Seminar

Credits:

1.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.Trincoll.edu

Phone Number:

(860) 297-2000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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