The Makings of the Great American Musical

Instructor:  Karen Land (aka Friedland)
                 Department of Theatre Arts

Do you remember seeing your first musical-in school or on the professional stage? Did you ever dream of what it would be like to be up there? Singing, dancing, or just being one of the writers-a creator of magic? In this seminar, we will explore the "Great American Musical," including its rich history, major contributors, and of course the wonderful imaginative world of storytelling through lyrics and music. Using voice, body, movement, playwrighting exercises, and a variety of theatrical workshop techniques, students will examine how the musical is sculpted. What is it about the songs from musicals that we can hear once and be instantly "hooked?"

We will explore the hook, a well-placed musical device, which keeps us humming tunes we barely know. Students will focus on how the musical is specifically structured, unlike any other play form, paying close attention to how the lyrics and music create enchantment for all the senses. We will encounter some of the most well-known characters and music ever written for the stage. Included in our reading and listening will be such musicals as: West Side Story, Phantom Of The Opera, Les Miserables, The Wizard Of Oz, My Fair Lady, Evita, The Sound Of Music, Avenue Q, Rent, Sweeny Todd, Little Women, The Producers, The Fantastics (this is the longest running musical of all time), and a variety of others. Students will work together over the course of the semester to study the history, components, and unique aspects of the American Musical. In small groups, they will write, or use existing scenes from musicals and perform them before campus and community.