How Musicals Work

How do musicals work? How do musicals create alchemy in song and dance? What is the relationship between content, form, and context? These questions will guide our study of musicals and their evolution. We will then cover the elements of musical production: backstage labor, casting, choreography, direction, design, marketing, performance, producing, and more. By the end of the course, students will gain holistic understanding of how the musical theater industry works. Students will recognize various forms of musical theatre, gain an understanding of the pivotal relationship between historical context and dramatic form, and be able to chart how innovations often become conventions. We explore the world's most popular form of theater, musicals, on the page, the stage, and behind the scenes.