MTH 151 History of Musical Theatre to 1975
(formerly MUS109 Music and Theatre)
Land Acknowledgment:
Bishop’s University is located on the Traditional and Unceded Territory of the Abenaki People.
Calendar Course Description:
This course will cover the field of popular musical theatre from its origins in 19thcentury comic opera and operetta; and then Broadway musicals up to ca. 1975. Kern, Rogers and Hart/Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe; the more sophisticated works of Bernstein. Not open to students who have successfully completed MUS109Semester: Fall 2020
Credits: 3
Tuesdays and Thursdays
11:30-12:59
Location: In Person, except where otherwise noted
Class coordination and resources: MOODLE: https://moodle.ubishops.ca/course/view.php?id=3005
Instructor information
Wade Lynch
Preferred means of contact; email: wlynch@UBishops.ca
Office location: TBA
Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 14:00 – 16:00, or by appointment
Communication policy: response within 24 hours
Mission:
To explore and contrast the evolution of Musical Theatre, especially as it relates to the Broadway stage in America, but also with consideration to the influences and advances of European musical theatre and, often, Canada’s contributions to the art form. Students will examine the medium in its social and cultural contexts.
Course description:
“Let’s start at the very beginning.” Musical theatre shares its stories though spoken word, singing, music and dance. MTH151 will explore the beginnings of the art form from comic opera, operetta, vaudeville, and burlesque, and follow its evolution as it comments-on, and shapes the cultures it reflects. Important contributors to the canon will be identified and their work will be examined and discussed. The great composers of the era, Jerome Kern, the Gershwins, Leonard Bernstein, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Lerner & Loewe, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Jerry Herman, Stephen Sondheim, etc. will be showcased alongside influential directors and choreographers. The work of legendary musical theatre performers will be investigated in productions ranging from Show Boat, and Anything Goes, to Annie and A Chorus Line.
Context is an important factor in any study of history, and MTH151 will compare and contrast contemporary musical theatre in consideration of the following contexts:
• Politics
• The Economy
• Social Change
• Global Conflicts - Making theatre in a time of crisis! (World wars and the stock market crash make for great shows!)
• Etc.
Further, MTH151 will look at the practical aspects of producing commercial musical theatre and how changes are made to accommodate:
• The technology of music (instrumentation, amplification, backing vocal tracks)
• The technology of stage special effects (Peter Pan flies, Mary Martin nearly dies)
• Marketing and Communication (evolutions in print, radio, television, etc)
• Audience expectations and tolerance (culturally, financially, time commitment)
• Critics and contempt
Like any art form, musical theatre resides within a specific artistic framework. The course will examine how those frames are maintained, adapted, revised and ignored with respect to:
• Music and lyrics
• Book and Libretto
• Staging
• Choreography
• Physical production
A 12-week time period does not allow for an exhaustive exploration of musical theatre history from its origins up to 1975, but it does accommodate a good first introduction to the topic. Significant trends and milestones will be examined along with the creators and performer who distinguished them. MTH151 will use Broadway’s “tools of the trade” to illustrate the exploration. We will examine scripts, listen to show tunes, watch film and video clips and read reviews and critiques. Liberal Education competencies to be developed in the course include:
• Oral and written communication
• Critical thinking
• Creative and adaptive thinking
• Quantitative reasoning
• Problem solving
• Information literacy
• Social and cultural literacy
Course material
This course will rely significantly on the products of musical theatre; cast recordings, scores, librettos and articles. These will be provided by the instructor and made accessible via attachments and links on Moodle. We will review scenes and musical numbers in class, and students are expected to research other sources independently. We will also explore reviews and critiques of musical theatre, in context, from professional journalists of the day. They too will be provided by the instructor in a timely fashion throughout the course.
Text books: The instructor will be using a number of different texts throughout the course, and students are not required to buy a textbook.
On-line Considerations:
Owing to circumstances imposed by the Global Covid-19 pandemic, and in accordance with national, provincial and Bishop’s University regulations, MTH 151 – History of Music Theatre to 1975 – present
may have to move to an online platform. Students will be advised if this occurs.
As indicated in the Bishop’s Calendar, classes will take place Tuesdays and Thursday for up to 90 minutes, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023 - Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 2020: 11:30 a.m. – 12:59 p.m.
• Class times may be varied to accommodate access and opportunities for students and instructors (i.e. meeting on-line at more convenient hours for group/partner work),
Evaluation
Attendance and class participation: 10%
MARQUEE profile partner/group presentation: 25%
Response to Moodle forum posts: 25%
Musical play Review: 40%
TOTAL: 100%
Policy on deadlines: Deadlines – except in the case of extreme circumstance (i.e. family emergency, University closure) - will be strictly observed. The partner/group assignments will consider the participants’ variables, and presentation dates will be negotiated. Once established, they need to be upheld.
E-mail communication:
As per University regulation, the “ubishops.ca” address is deemed to be the official e-mail between the University and its students.
Language of Instruction:
In accordance with the University’s policy on Language of instruction, students have the option to submit individual written work in English or French, except where a knowledge or competency in a language is an object of the course. Students who wish to submit their work in French must notify their instructor by the Add/Drop deadline.
(formerly MUS109 Music and Theatre)
Land Acknowledgment:
Bishop’s University is located on the Traditional and Unceded Territory of the Abenaki People.
Calendar Course Description:
This course will cover the field of popular musical theatre from its origins in 19thcentury comic opera and operetta; and then Broadway musicals up to ca. 1975. Kern, Rogers and Hart/Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe; the more sophisticated works of Bernstein. Not open to students who have successfully completed MUS109Semester: Fall 2020
Credits: 3
Tuesdays and Thursdays
11:30-12:59
Location: In Person, except where otherwise noted
Class coordination and resources: MOODLE: https://moodle.ubishops.ca/course/view.php?id=3005
Instructor information
Wade Lynch
Preferred means of contact; email: wlynch@UBishops.ca
Office location: TBA
Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 14:00 – 16:00, or by appointment
Communication policy: response within 24 hours
Mission:
To explore and contrast the evolution of Musical Theatre, especially as it relates to the Broadway stage in America, but also with consideration to the influences and advances of European musical theatre and, often, Canada’s contributions to the art form. Students will examine the medium in its social and cultural contexts.
Course description:
“Let’s start at the very beginning.” Musical theatre shares its stories though spoken word, singing, music and dance. MTH151 will explore the beginnings of the art form from comic opera, operetta, vaudeville, and burlesque, and follow its evolution as it comments-on, and shapes the cultures it reflects. Important contributors to the canon will be identified and their work will be examined and discussed. The great composers of the era, Jerome Kern, the Gershwins, Leonard Bernstein, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Lerner & Loewe, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Jerry Herman, Stephen Sondheim, etc. will be showcased alongside influential directors and choreographers. The work of legendary musical theatre performers will be investigated in productions ranging from Show Boat, and Anything Goes, to Annie and A Chorus Line.
Context is an important factor in any study of history, and MTH151 will compare and contrast contemporary musical theatre in consideration of the following contexts:
• Politics
• The Economy
• Social Change
• Global Conflicts - Making theatre in a time of crisis! (World wars and the stock market crash make for great shows!)
• Etc.
Further, MTH151 will look at the practical aspects of producing commercial musical theatre and how changes are made to accommodate:
• The technology of music (instrumentation, amplification, backing vocal tracks)
• The technology of stage special effects (Peter Pan flies, Mary Martin nearly dies)
• Marketing and Communication (evolutions in print, radio, television, etc)
• Audience expectations and tolerance (culturally, financially, time commitment)
• Critics and contempt
Like any art form, musical theatre resides within a specific artistic framework. The course will examine how those frames are maintained, adapted, revised and ignored with respect to:
• Music and lyrics
• Book and Libretto
• Staging
• Choreography
• Physical production
A 12-week time period does not allow for an exhaustive exploration of musical theatre history from its origins up to 1975, but it does accommodate a good first introduction to the topic. Significant trends and milestones will be examined along with the creators and performer who distinguished them. MTH151 will use Broadway’s “tools of the trade” to illustrate the exploration. We will examine scripts, listen to show tunes, watch film and video clips and read reviews and critiques. Liberal Education competencies to be developed in the course include:
• Oral and written communication
• Critical thinking
• Creative and adaptive thinking
• Quantitative reasoning
• Problem solving
• Information literacy
• Social and cultural literacy
Course material
This course will rely significantly on the products of musical theatre; cast recordings, scores, librettos and articles. These will be provided by the instructor and made accessible via attachments and links on Moodle. We will review scenes and musical numbers in class, and students are expected to research other sources independently. We will also explore reviews and critiques of musical theatre, in context, from professional journalists of the day. They too will be provided by the instructor in a timely fashion throughout the course.
Text books: The instructor will be using a number of different texts throughout the course, and students are not required to buy a textbook.
On-line Considerations:
Owing to circumstances imposed by the Global Covid-19 pandemic, and in accordance with national, provincial and Bishop’s University regulations, MTH 151 – History of Music Theatre to 1975 – present
may have to move to an online platform. Students will be advised if this occurs.
As indicated in the Bishop’s Calendar, classes will take place Tuesdays and Thursday for up to 90 minutes, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023 - Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 2020: 11:30 a.m. – 12:59 p.m.
• Class times may be varied to accommodate access and opportunities for students and instructors (i.e. meeting on-line at more convenient hours for group/partner work),
Evaluation
Attendance and class participation: 10%
MARQUEE profile partner/group presentation: 25%
Response to Moodle forum posts: 25%
Musical play Review: 40%
TOTAL: 100%
Policy on deadlines: Deadlines – except in the case of extreme circumstance (i.e. family emergency, University closure) - will be strictly observed. The partner/group assignments will consider the participants’ variables, and presentation dates will be negotiated. Once established, they need to be upheld.
E-mail communication:
As per University regulation, the “ubishops.ca” address is deemed to be the official e-mail between the University and its students.
Language of Instruction:
In accordance with the University’s policy on Language of instruction, students have the option to submit individual written work in English or French, except where a knowledge or competency in a language is an object of the course. Students who wish to submit their work in French must notify their instructor by the Add/Drop deadline.
- Teacher: Wade Lynch