(Online) A Brief History of the American Musical Theater: The Golden Age and a Peek Beyond
OSHR 7012This course continues the exploration into the history of the American Musical Theater with the year 1943 and the shock of the first Rodgers and Hammerstein hit welcoming in several decades of what is popularly known as the Golden Age of the American musical theatre. One key feature of the Golden Age was advent of the director-choreographer; we will explore the musical theater work of Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion and some of the younger key figures such as Michael Bennett, Susan Strohman, Graciella Daniele, and Andy Blankenbuehler. Yes, these choreographer-directors had some great material to work with such as: Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, Hello Dolly, Chicago. And in pulling it all together, this course will try to answer this question: “What has made the Broadway musical, our cultural achievement, unique in the world?”
Dr. Wendy Rouder earned a BA in theatre from Skidmore, an MA from Queens College of the CUNY and a PhD from the University of Illinois. After graduating from Skidmore, Dr. Rouder worked in summer stock and off-Broadway before realizing that the chance of earning a living in the theater was akin to winning the lottery. With her doctorate in hand, she taught theater and directed plays, both musicals and dramas, at Keuka College, the State University of New York and San Jose State.
Notes
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