Instructor: Mr. Daniel Yurgaitis
Office/ Phone: JC 128/ 626-2563
Office E-mail:
yurgaitd@northern.edu
Home E-mail:
DanielYur@aol.com
Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 10-11, 2-3, or by appointment
| Description | A survey of the history of the American Musical Theatre, its origins, its development, and its effects on popular culture. |
| Text | The Musical: A Look at the American Musical Theatre by Richard Kislan (Revised, Expanded Edition, Applause Books, 1995) |
| Objectives | This course will examine the philosophy of the American Musical Theatre and its place in theatre arts today through a study of its historical evolution and its component parts. |
| Grading | Grading is based on individual effort, class participation, musical research presentation, quizzes, midterm exam and final exam.
The breakdown of the class grade is as follows:
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| Requirements | Quizzes: Ten oral quizzes on the assigned readings and viewings. You must purchase a blue test book from the bookstore, which will be used all semester for the quizzes. Many of the questions for the midterm and final will be selected from the quizzes. Musical Research Presentation: Each student will be responsible for selecting one of the musicals discussed (or another one approved by the instructor) and offering an in-class presentation. It is expected that the student will provide a background, critical observations and visual and/or aural examples to illustrate his/her points. The project musical must be presented for approval on March 23, with presentations scheduled on April 25 and 27. Midterm and Final Exam: Each exam will be a combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and short essay questions. Study sheets will be circulated approximately one week prior to each exam. |
| Attendance | Besides the lecture material, video and audio will be frequently presented to illustrate the various eras and styles. Therefore, attendance is mandatory since both exams and quizzes will cover text and in-class presentations. A total of three (3) absences will be permitted. Each succeeding absence will lower the final course average by one point. |
| Week #1 | |
| F 1/12 | Class orientation; explanation and review of syllabus and course objectives Video viewing: "The Best of Broadway Musicals, Vol. 1" Read: Kislan, Introduction, "A Philosophy of Musical Theatre" |
| Week #2 | |
| M 1/15 | Martin Luther King Holiday - No Class |
| W 1/17 | Lecture: A Philosophy of Musical Theatre Begin Video Viewing: "That's Singing " |
| F 1/19 | Continue Video Viewing: "That's Singing " |
| Week #3 | |
| M 1/22 | Continue Video Viewing: "That's Singing " Read: Kislan, Chapter 1, "European Forms in Early America" |
| W 1/24 | Lecture: Early Musical Theatre History in America Quiz Today! Read: Kislan, Chapter 2, "Minstrelsy" |
| F 1/26 | Lecture: Minstrelsy Quiz Today! Read: Kislan, Chapter 3, "Vaudeville" |
| Week #5 | |
| M 1/29 | Lecture: Vaudeville Quiz Today! |
| W 1/31 | Video Viewing: "Vaudeville" |
| F 2/2 | Complete Video Viewing: "Vaudeville", Audio Clips from Vaudeville Read: Kislan, Chapter 4, "Burlesque" |
| Week #6 | |
| M 2/5 | Lecture: Burlesque |
| W 2/7 | Lecture (cont.): Burlesque Quiz Today! |
| F 2/9 | Begin Video Viewing: "Gypsy" |
| Week #7 | |
| M 2/12 | Continue Video Viewing: "Gypsy" |
| W 2/14 | Complete Video Viewing: "Gypsy" Read: Kislan, Chapter 5, "Revue" |
| F 2/16 | Lecture: Revue |
| Week #8 | |
| M 2/19 | President's Day - No Class |
| W 2/21 | Lecture (cont.): Revue Quiz Today! Begin Video Viewing: "New Faces" |
| F 2/23 | Complete Video Viewing: "New Faces" |
| Week #9 | |
| M 2/26 | Midterm Review |
| W 2/28 | MIDTERM EXAMINATION |
| F 3/1 | TBA |
| Week #10 | |
| M 3/12 | Lecture: Comic Opera, Grand Opera and Operetta Begin Video Viewing: "Topsy-Turvy" |
| W 3/14 | Continue Video Viewing: "Topsy-Turvy" |
| F 3/16 | Finish Viewing, Audio Clips from Operetta Read: Kislan, Chapter 7, "Jerome Kern" Quiz Today! |
| Week #11 | |
| M 3/19 | Lecture: Jerome Kern and George Gershwin Note: Select Musical for Research Project by Friday, March 23rd! |
| W 3/21 | Begin Video Viewing: |
| F 3/23 | Continue Video Viewing: Read: Kislan, Chapter 8, "Rodgers and Hammerstein" Quiz Today! |
| Week #12 | |
| M 3/26 | Lecture: Rodgers and Hammerstein Read: Kislan, Chapter 9, "Sondheim" |
| W 3/28 | Begin Video Viewing: |
| F 3/30 | Contine Video Viewing: Quiz Today! |
| Week #13 | |
| M 4/2 | Lecture: Stephen Sondheim |
| W 4/4 | Video Viewing - "Original Cast Album - 'Company' " |
| F 4/6 | Lecture: Andrew Lloyd Webber Quiz Today! Begin Video Viewing - "Cats" |
| Week #14 | |
| M 4/9 | Continue Video Viewing - "Cats" |
| W 4/11 | Complete Video Viewing - "Cats" Read: Kislan, Chapters 10, 13 and 14, "The Book," "Dance" and "Design" |
| F 4/13 | Easter Holiday - No Class |
| Week #15 | |
| M 4/16 | Easter Holiday - No Class |
| W 4/18 | Lecture: Other Elements of Musical Theatre Quiz Today! |
| F 4/20 | TBA |
| Week #16 | |
| M 4/23 | TBA |
| W 4/25 | Musical Research Reports |
| F 4/27 | Musical Research Reports Read: Kislan, Chapter 15, "Problems and Issues" and the Epilogue |
| Week #17 | |
| M 4/30 | Lecture: Musical Theatre: Its Problems and Issues |
| W 5/2 | Final Exam Review and Wrap-Up |
| F 5/5 | Final Exam |