The Yolanda and David Katz Faculty of the Arts, The Buchmann-Mehta School of Music

Name of Course:       American Musical Theater, 1900-1990

Semeter I, 2019-2020

Lesson, 2 hour weekly course/ 2 credits

The course will be held in English.

Name of Lecturer:     Prof. Nathaniel G. Lew (Visiting Professor of Music)

Tel:                              (USA) 1-802-310-6780

Email:                          natlewvt@gmail.com

Reception time

By appointment

Course requirements

• Weekly reading, listening, and watching
• Attendance and participation in class
• Participation in online discussions
• In-class spoken presentation of information on a historical musical with recorded examples
• Detailed analysis of the music and words of a song from a historical musical
• 3 written critical assessments of historical musicals
• Written review of a live show

Pre-requisites (if relevant)

            none

Description of course

This course offers a history of American musical theater. We focus on the professional Broadway repertory of the 20^th century, from Victor Herbert through Stephen Sondheim. We examine the important composers and lyricists and their shows, the cultural and stylistic trends they represent, the musical and dramatic forms they employ, and the relevant social issues around this repertory. 

Course topics

• The most historically important Broadway musicals. Their subject matter, dramatic structure, and musical styles
• Different genres of American musical theater: revue, operetta, musical comedy, musical play, concept musical, rock musical, and megamusical
• Musical forms of show songs and how they create dramatic meaning
• Integration theory and the importance of Oscar Hammerstein II
• The influence of American social history on Broadway shows
• The importance of Jewish immigrants in New York City in the establishment of Broadway both as art and business
• Backgrounds and styles of Broadway composers from Victor Herbert and George M. Cohan through Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Important lyricists, book writers, choreographers, directors, producers, and star performers

Grading Summary

• Attendance and participation in class discussion: 15%
• Online participation: 15%
• Writing assignments: 50% (10% each)
• Prepared oral presentations: 20% (10% each)

Bibliography

            Main text: James Leve, American Musical Theater (Oxford University Press, 2016)

Useful secondary text (not required): Larry Stempel, Showtime (Norton, 2010)

Full bibliography on Moodle