WGS.3005 Musicals: Hollywood, MTV, and Beyond
We examine one of the most entertaining, vibrant and distinctive of media genres-the musical. Few genres match its stylistic and performance virtuosity, so this course is especially useful for those aspiring to perform in or to create mass media. What qualifies as a musical? How do filmmakers make them? How do they compare with Broadway and other live theater? How can we study fans? We consider "genre" in terms of visuals and sounds, typical stories, themes and messages about gender, class, race, nation and sexuality. We categorize different subgenres of musicals, see how they change over time, and learn from close readings of story, spectacle and style. This course studies key filmmakers, songwriters and choreographers, but since the musical emphasizes performance, we give considerable weight to the stars-the singers, dancers, comics and actors who are among the most versatile, talented performers in screen history. The range of media spans from classical Hollywood to recent variations and innovations, and we also include MTV's rock videos, YouTube, and international musicals (e.g. India's "Bollywood").