Short description:

Milestones in Musical Theatre tracks ten of the most significant moments in musical theatre history, from some of its earliest incarnations, especially those crafted by Black creators, to its rise as a global phenomenon.?

Long description:

Milestones in Musical Theatre tracks ten of the most significant moments in musical theatre history, from some of its earliest incarnations, especially those crafted by Black creators, to its rise as a global phenomenon.?

Designed for weekly use in musical theatre courses, these ten chosen snapshots chart the development of this unique art form and move through its history chronologically, tracking the earliest operettas through the mid-century Golden Age classics, as well as the creative explosion in directing talent, which reshaped the form and the movement toward inclusivity that has recast its creators. Each chapter explores how the musical and its history have been deeply influenced by a variety of factors, including race, gender, and nationality, and examines how each milestone represents a significant turning point for this beloved art form.

Milestones are a range of accessible textbooks, breaking down the need-to-know moments in the social, cultural, political, and artistic development of foundational subject areas. This book is ideal for diverse and inclusive undergraduate musical theatre history courses.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Setting the stage for musical theatre milestones

Mary Jo Lodge

1. Early successful shows on Broadway by Black creators and the movement away from minstrel stereotypes

2. The musical goes legit: From H.M.S. Pinafore to South Pacific

3. "An Ally in the Fight": The civic engagement of activist musicals

4. The ascension of the director of the Broadway musical

5. "To being an us for once, instead of a them": Musical theatre aesthetics and youth-oriented musicals

6. Megahits and megamusicals: Achieving worldwide success with shows that (seem to) run forever

7. Global musical hits beyond American shores? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

8. From the West Side to Washington Heights: Transforming Latinx representation in American musical theatre

9. My Fair Lady in Japan: The dawn of the East Asian musical theatre boom

10. Women in charge: Female creative teams and Waitress