Musical Theater

This was my favorite class yet! I love musical theater and learning about how it has evolved throughout the past century. I remember learning all about Vaudeville and Burlesque as well as the minstrel shows and more recent musical theater productions in my "Development of Musical Theater" class, but I had forgotten much of it. I liked that in this class we talked more in depth about the cultural events that shaped the turn entertainment was taking, like how the strict rules and laws during the prohibition era led to the popularizing of jazz music, seeing as more and more people were visiting these underground clubs where the minorities were playing their culturally inspired music. Burlesque was a direct result of the brothels that were a very popular form of entertainment at the turn of the century. The increase in immigrants during WWI gave rise to a new melting pot of music as different cultures introduced new styles and instruments. Even today, musical theater is still a reflection of the times with shows like "Rent" that is based on an opera but deals with young adults batting with AIDS and La Cage a Faux that deals with gay relationships and acceptance. We even delved into the evolving technology of the shows, from the extravagant sets and costumes of the Burlesque era to the interactive setting of "Cabaret", the was the show was engineered visually was very important to the show's entertainment value. I'm so glad we watched clips from the PBS broadway series because it's so informative but never dull.