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.
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
Eric M. Glover
2. The musical goes legit: From H.M.S. Pinafore to South Pacific
Paul R. Laird
3. "An Ally in the Fight": The civic engagement of activist musicals
Virginia Anderson
4. The ascension of the director of the Broadway musical
Mary Jo Lodge
5. "To being an us for once, instead of a them": Musical theatre aesthetics and youth-oriented musicals
Barrie Gelles
6. Megahits and megamusicals: Achieving worldwide success with shows that (seem to) run forever
Raymond Knapp and Holley Roplogle-Wong
7. Global musical hits beyond American shores
Olaf Jubin
8. From the West Side to Washington Heights: Transforming Latinx representation in American musical theatre
Colleen Rua
9. My Fair Lady in Japan: The dawn of the East Asian musical theatre boom
Rina Tanaka
10. Women in charge: Female creative teams and Waitress
Paige Allen and Stacy Wolf
Biography
Mary Jo Lodge is Professor of Theater at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, the current Producing Artistic Director for the Lafayette Theater Department and an active director/choreographer and musical theatre scholar.
