Broadway Musicals By the Decade: A Closer Look Broadway Musicals By the Decade: A Closer Look

Broadway Musicals By the Decade: A Closer Look  | 

March 18 — June 10

This course will take a close and detailed look at Broadway musicals of the past 70 years by focusing on a few key musicals per decade. Beginning with Oklahoma and Carousel, and including but not limited to My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, Annie, Les Miserables, Rent, Hairspray, Wicked, Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen, the class will hone in on seminal moments in the musical theater and examine their importance culturally, socially, and politically. No prior knowledge is required and the course is open to all those interested in a focused survey of the evolution of the American musical since World War II.

Members: log in to access your Member discount for this seminar.

12-week Seminar

90-minute lectures every Monday

7:00 – 8:30 PM

Pasadena Playhouse Friendship Center

Members: $249
NOn-Members: $299

This course will take a close and detailed look at Broadway musicals of the past 70 years by focusing on a few key musicals per decade. Beginning with Oklahoma and Carousel, and including but not limited to My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, Annie, Les Miserables, Rent, Hairspray, Wicked, Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen, the class will hone in on seminal moments in the musical theater and examine their importance culturally, socially, and politically. No prior knowledge is required and the course is open to all those interested in a focused survey of the evolution of the American musical since World War II.

Members: log in to access your Member discount for this seminar.

Instructor

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Adam Epstein’s theatrical productions have received 46 Tony nominations and garnered 12 Tony Awards, one of which Adam himself received as a producer of Hairspray in 2003. Adam’s other credits include A View From a Bridge, The Crucible, Amadeus, The Wedding Singer and Cry-Baby. In the West End, both his productions of Amadeus and Hairspray earned multiple Olivier nominations and Hairspray was awarded a record 11 nominations, winning four, including Best Musical. An adjunct faculty member of NYU, (which is also his alma mater,) Adam has also been a guest lecturer at Harvard, Columbia and the University of Miami. Adam recently graduated with his Master’s degree in American Studies from Brown University, and he is currently working in political journalism and media.

Syllabus

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This course will utilize and/or reference a variety of texts, including Harold Prince’s A Sense of Occasion, Todd S. Purdum’s Something Wonderful, and Michael Reidel’s Razzle Dazzle. 

Monday March 18, 2018: Welcome and Introduction: What makes the musical uniquely “American?”

Monday March 25, 2018: Oklahoma and Carousel: Rodgers and Hammerstein change the game

Monday April 1, 2018, 2018: The “golden” 1950’s: My Fair Lady and Gypsy: Hold your hats and hallelujah, Mama’s gonna show it to you

Monday April 8, 2018: “Willkommen to Anatevka”: Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret and Harold Prince

Monday April 15, 2018: Company and Annie: Stephen Sondheim’s concept musical and a gleeful redhead to cure the blues

Monday April 22, 2018: 42nd Street and Les Miserables: Gower Champion dies and Britannia rules the Rialto

Monday, April 29, 2018: Falsettos: William Finn’s “Tight Knit Family”

Monday May 6, 2019: Rent and Ragtime: Bohemian rockers and the people call it Ragtime

Monday May 13, 2019: Hairspray hits the joy buzzer

Monday May 20, 2019: Wicked and The Book of Mormon: flying witches and tapping Mormons

Monday May 27, 2018: NO CLASS (Memorial Day)

Monday June 3, 2019: Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen: Re-lighting Broadway, the American musical is reborn

Monday June 10, 2019: Conclusion