Loading...

Course Description

Musicals have been a major part of American theater with plenty of audiovisual support.  In this class, we will explore - the Tin Pan Alley-driven comedy works of the early 20th century; the book musicals and concept musicals that followed; the arrival of European mega-productions later in the century and the present and future of this beloved genre. We will profile the leading composers, writers, choreographers, directors, performers and the most unforgettable shows, like: Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, Showboat, Guys and Dolls, Company, Hair, Cabaret, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Wicked, Hamilton and more.


Week 1:    The Origins. Panorama of American Music and Entertainment. Migrations to America. Early musical theater. Minstrelsy. Yiddish Theater. Tin Pan Alley. Illustrated Song. Nickelodeons. Vaudeville.
Week 2:    The Ziegfeld Follies. George M Cohan. Bert Williams. Fanny Brice. Marilyn Miller. Shubert theaters. Musical Comedy. George White Scandals. A blend of cultures. Eddie Cantor. W C Fields, Al Jolson. Sissle and Blake. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter. George and Ira Gershwin.
Week 3:    Book Musicals. Jerome Kern. Showboat. 1928-1942. Walter Winchell. Rodgers and Hart. Harold Arlen. Yip Harbourg. Ethel Merman. Ethel Waters. Kurt Weil. Rodgers and Hammerstein. Oklahoma. Carousell. South Pacific. The King and I. and The Sound of Music.
Week 4:    Frank Loesser. From Nostalgic Views to Concept Musicals. Frederick Loewe and Alan J Lerner. Betty Comden and Adolph Green. On the Town. Singing in the Rain. Leonard Bernstein. Jerome Robbins. West Side Story. Leonard Bernstein.
Week 5:    Fiddler on the Roof. Funny Girl. Golden Era, Decay, Rebirth. Stephen Sondheim. Jule Stein. Hal Prince, David Merrick. Jerry Herman, La Cage aux Folles, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Cabaret, Chicago, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennet, A Chorus Line, Joseph Papp.
Week 6:    Hair, Mega productions, present and future. The Producers, Rent, Wicked, Stephen Schwartz, Disney productions, the European invasion, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron MacKintosh, Broadway's present and future.

 

Instructor: Mr. Emanuel Abramovits

Course Outline

Public Course Outline
Loading...

Enroll Now - Select a section to enroll in

Section Title
Broadway Musicals
Type
Discussion
Days
W
Time
10:00AM to 11:45AM
Dates
Jul 01, 2026 to Aug 05, 2026
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
10.5
Delivery Options
Course Fee(s)
Tuition credit $80.00 Click here to get more information
Required fields are indicated by .