In this 8-week course, we will learn and discuss the history of musical theatre from its origins in ancient Greece, up to present day Broadway. Each week, we will focus on a different period in the timeline of the cannon, learning about important figureheads ––directors, choreographers, composers, writers–– and productions that have shaped the industry we know today:

Week 1: The Origins of Musical Theatre––Ancient Greece, Operettas, and Minstrel Shows
Week 2: Vaudeville and Burlesque (Late 1800s and Early 1900s)
Week 3: The 1920s and 1930s––How the Great Depression Impacted Broadway and 'Show Boat,' the first book musical
Week 4: The 1940s and New Era with 'Oklahoma!'
Week 5: The Golden Age of Musical Theatre (Late 1940s-1960s)
Week 6: Concept Musicals (Late 1960s-1970s)
Week 7: Mega Musicals and Corporate Musicals (1980s-Today)
Week 8: Final Presentations

In this live video chat format, each class will consist of a PowerPoint presentation on the content, class discussion, and watching and or listening to any relevant media of productions discussed in class. Outside of class, students will engage with other students and the teacher through weekly discussion posts, with prompts pertaining to content covered in the previous class (example in "homework" category). The final class will consist of final presentations by the students (more details in the "assessment" category)