Musical Theatre History - Where Do Our Favorite Shows Come From?
In this ten week course, students will learn where musical theatre comes from and how it has changed over time, culminating in four presentations throughout the course on each era.
Lauryn Morgan Thomas
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(564)
What's included
10 live meetings
10 in-class hoursHomework
Following a week of lecture/discussion, there will be a week dedicated to presentations. Students will be asked to create at least one presentation (if there are fewer than eight students in the class, students will have the opportunity - but will NOT be required - to present more than once) on a musical from the previous week's era. For example, during week 2 we will discuss the Golden Age. The following week, two students will be asked to create a presentation on a musical from that era. Students will be asked to summarize the musical, give background information including when it was produced, where it was first produced, who wrote it, and more, and explain how it exemplifies themes from this era. They will also be asked to provide visual aids (production photos, videos, etc.). Other students will also have the opportunity to ask questions, and the presenting student will be asked to answer them to the best of their ability/knowledge (but Miss Lauryn always has their back!). They may create this presentation via powerpoint, canva, iMovie, or any other digital platform, as well as drawing/writing their own materials and holding them up to their video screen. Students will be notified two weeks in advance of their presentation so they may complete it in a timely manner. Questions are always welcome!Class Experience
In this 10 week course, students will dive into the history of musical theatre, learning about four core eras and how they shaped the musicals the love today. Students will be responsible for at least one presentation on a musical in this course (more information in the homework section!). The class schedule will appear as follows: Week 1 - Lecture/Discussion - What is a musical and where did it come from? Week 2 - Lecture/Discussion - Golden Age Week 3 - Presentations - Two students present on musicals from the Golden Age Week 4 - Lecture/Discussion - Rock/Protest Musicals/Mega Musicals Week 5 - Presentations - Two students present on Rock, Protest, or Mega musicals Week 6 - Lecture/Discussion - Disney Musical/Contemporary Musicals Week 7 - Presentations - Two students present on Disney or Contemporary musicals Week 8 - Lecture/Discussion - Post Contemporary Musicals Week 9 - Two students present on Post Contemporary musicals Week 10 - Wrap Up - Final thoughts, questions, etc. The structure of each class is as follows: Each class will begin with a check in before diving into a brief lecture on the musical era of the week. During this time, students will hear about and be able to take notes on a specific era in musical theatre history, the Golden Age, the Protest/Rock Musical, the Mega Musical, the Disney Musical, Contemporary Musicals, and Post Contemporary Musicals. Both throughout and after this lecture period, students will be asked discussion questions regarding themes from that era, how those themes relate to modern musicals, what the various styles conveys to them, and have the chance to ask any of their own questions. Because students may have not yet been introduced to certain moments in history, context will be given so they can accurately understand the relationship these musical eras had to their moment in time. Following a week of lecture/discussion, there will be a week dedicated to presentations. Students will be asked to create at least one presentation (if there are fewer than eight students in the class, students will have the opportunity - but will NOT be required - to present more than once) on a musical from the previous week's era. For example, during week 2 we will discuss the Golden Age. The following week, two students will be asked to create a presentation on a musical from that era. Students will be asked to summarize the musical, give background information including when it was produced, where it was first produced, who wrote it, and more, and explain how it exemplifies themes from this era. They will also be asked to provide visual aids (production photos, videos, etc.). By the end of this course, students will have a vast knowledge of how musical theatre has changed throughout history, and how it has mirrored historical events onstage.
Learning Goals
By the end of this course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of how musical theatre began and has changed over the nearly 100 years since its inception. Students will be able to identify the four eras that the musical theatre canon can be broken into, and have a deeper understanding of how art reflects cultural events and changes within our history.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Some musicals may contain profanity and/or mature content. Miss Lauryn will always choose clean versions of songs and scenes to be shared in class, and will help students choose appropriate musicals for their presentations.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined March, 2020
4.9
564reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
As a professional musical theatre actor and academic myself, I believe that learning about where my art form comes from and how it has altered over the years is vital to understanding where I fit into the industry. My experience working on a wide variety of musicals from all different eras has given me hands on opportunities to see how musical theatre has changed from decade to decade, and gives me a strong understanding of how we can see key differences in both the art form and the content. Moreover, I believe that learning about history can be made entertaining when we put it in the context of a significant cultural medium, and we can see how the world has changed over the last several decades by examining what was put onstage. With this mission in mind, and my interest in using discussion and video examples to approach a class that would typically be offered as lecture only, I am eager to tackle this subject with students in a unique setting. Reviews
Live Group Class
$225
for 10 classes1x per week, 10 weeks
60 min
Completed by 3 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-12
2-8 learners per class
