INQ-271 | Amer. Politics/Musical Theatre

Full Title: The American Musical: American Politics through Musical Theatre

Topic Description:

Although musicals have often been dismissed as pure pop culture, many musical plays engage larger cultural contexts and speak to the time in which they are written and beyond. In this course, students will examine the issues raised by composers and playwrights ranging from before the Golden Age of Musicals to contemporary works, and they will reflect on how those debates connect to our present. In particular, what makes this uniquely American form particularly nationalistic or critical of the national discourse? Non-dramatic readings will also be used to provide social and political context for the musicals under consideration. American identity will be presented as a contested term, either reflected or refuted by popular musicals of various eras.

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: November 2018