Outline

Overview

This course will survey the history and development of the musical (the combination of song, dialogue, dance and acting onstage) from its antecedents including operetta, singspiel, musical comedy, cabaret and revue to the present day, including Broadway/West End/international, book musicals, epic, through-composed, jukebox and rock influenced, political, didactic, biographical, dance, film and tv. Students will analyze the specific mechanics of the musical (i.e., music, lyrics, book, design, etc.) and the major historical movements from the nineteenth to twenty-first century as contextualized in particular musicals. Students will become familiar with key historical repertoire from 1850 to the present. Students will consider how the musical has interacted with, reflected and influenced social and political culture across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Narelle Yeo, narelle.yeo@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Stuart Grant, s.grant@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Narelle Yeo, narelle.yeo@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Melissa Fenton, melissa.fenton@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Robert McDougall, robert.mcdougall@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Personal reflection Personal reflection of your experience of music theatre.	20%	Week 02 Due date: 12 Aug 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 19 Aug 2022	750 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group Presentation 15 minute group presentation on one form of music theatre	30%	Week 04 Due date: 22 Aug 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 29 Aug 2022	Equivalent of 1500 words =15 minutes.
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Hammerstein/Sondheim Pitch Portfolio Multi-modal outline, example lyrics, recordings, music.	40%	Week 13 Due date: 24 Oct 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 31 Oct 2022	Equivalent of 1500 words per participant
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Tutorial participation Contribution to tutorial activities	10%	Weekly Due date: 24 Oct 2022 at 22:59 Closing date: 31 Oct 2022	Weekly participation
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment with individually assessed component ?

Assessment summary

2 group projects with individual component up to 1500 words or equivalent

Class participation

1 personal reflection 750 words

Assessment criteria

As per Coursework Policy 2021

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Simple extension of 72 hours to be granted upon email request. Thereafter, 5% per day

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Musical analysis of historical antecedents and representative music theatre works	Tutorial (13 hr)
Week 01	What is music theatre? What is a musical?	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 02	Antecedents of the form. The evolution of music theatre at the turn of the 20th century.	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 03	American and European precursors to Music Theatre: Light Opera, Opera Buffa, Operetta, Offenbach, Strauss, G&S. The break from opera. Vaudeville, Minstrelsy, Burlesque, Spectacles, Early broadway theatres and business.	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 04	Early Broadway -The jazz age and the birth of Tin Pan Alley.	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 05	The Hollywood musical – Broadway goes to the movies	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 06	The Golden Age and the birth of the integrated book musical	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 07	The Global Form - European influences and the Jewish diaspora	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 08	Sondheim and the Concept Musical	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 09	Broadway reborn - The return of the “show business” Peace love and musicals for social change	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 10	The global-industrial musical complex – capitalism and the mega musical 1980s	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 11	Postmodern musicals 2000s – books, films, stars, jukeboxes...	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 12	The Australian Musical Theatre	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 13	Presentation of Pitches	Workshop (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Full attendance required.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

LaChiusa, Michael John. 2005. “The Great Gray Way”, Opera News 70(2), (Aug 2005): 30-35.

David Safran, 204, “Toward a Historiography of the Popular”, Theatre Survey , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , November 2004 , pp. 211 – 217

Yam Kim Fei and Bak Suit Sin,“Fragrant Sacrifice”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rgNRdbPdtg

Hurwitz, Nathan, 2016. “Chapter 1 Light opera”, Songwriters of the American Musical Theatre: A Style Guide for Singers, Routledge: Abingdon & NY: 11-43.

Gilbert and Sullivan, “I am the very model of a Modern Major General”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlTisI_HSgw

Offenbach, “The Bold Gendarmes”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3pGmoTPOKc

Offenbach, “Can Can Music”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Diu2N8TGKA

Hurwitz, Nathan, 2014. “Chapter 2 Early musical theatre in America, 1735–1865”, A History of the American Musical Theatre, Routledge: Abingdon & NY: 14-35.

“Historical Footage of Vaudeville Acts 1898 -1910: Part 1”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZo4imTt4Og

“Historical Footage of Vaudeville Acts 1898 -1910: Part 2”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsVQ9e8nWx0

John Kenrick, MUSICAL THEATRE A History. Depression Era Miracles (1930–1940) Continuum, New York, London. pp.207-237

George M. Cohan https://youtu.be/CeDDqYrfvt8

Sheida Sheikhha, Behrooz Mahmoodi-Bakhtiari. "The Evolution of the Twenty-First Century Musical Film". Avanca Cinema 2014, 28-35.

The Wizard of Oz https://youtu.be/6QoELNjcc9w

Nathan Hurwitz, A History of the American Musical Theatre: No Business Like It. "The Golden Age, 1945–64 An era of great musical dramatists". Routledge, London and New York. pp 148-168

The Bench Scene from Carousel https://youtu.be/Czp1ISWPQ2g

Laurence Maslin, CAROUSEL: THE BLOSSOM AND THE WIND: THE “BENCH SCENE”By https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/carousel-the-blossom-and-the-wind-the-bench-scene/

Music Journal; New York Vol. 5, Iss. 5, (Jan 1, 1947):

Kantor & Maslin, “When my ship comes in - Latter day emigres: Balanchine and Weill,” Broadway The American Musical, pp 174-177.

Kurt Weill, One Touch of Venus, excerpts

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=afIN0FezQJc&t=34s

Young-Gerber, C. (2010), ‘‘Attention must be paid’, cried the balladeer: The concept musical defined’, Studies in Musical Theatre 4: 3, pp. 331–342

Company https://youtu.be/xCdQOcL2sfE

John Kenrick. New Directions (1970–1979)— “Vary My Days”, in MUSICAL THEATRE A History. Continuum, New York, London. Pp. 318-341.

“At the Ballet”, A Chorus Line, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTZpXCcFq20

Taylor, Millie. 2014, “I’ve heard that song before”, Musical Theatre, Realism and Entertainment, Ashgate: Farnham, UK: 149-166.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Understand the historical and cultural roots of the genre of music theatre, including text, lyric, book, narrative, syntax, music, rhythm, melody, harmony, tonality, style, instrumentation.
LO2. Understand and analyse the porous boundaries between music theatre and other types of music performance, including opera, operetta, art song, performance art, drama with music, musical comedy.
LO3. Apply historical and cultural knowledge of music theatre to analysing style, genre, text, music, lyric, book to create a stylistically informed performance, and to be able to reflect effectively on music theatre performance in a range of contexts.
LO4. Differentiate, describe and critique embodiment in music theatre, including visual, aural and kinaesthetic elements, from the pragmatic to the philosophical.
LO5. Recognise, demonstrate and discuss a range of music theatre styles, periods, forms, genres with reference to characterisation, set, props, music, text and movement.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit has not run before.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

MUSC2675: History of the Musical

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect