Matching Items (3)
Description
This dissertation considers how adolescent identity is constructed and represented in commercial musical theatre for youth (e.g. Broadway and Disney Theatrical Group) by examining two commercial productions with adolescents in lead roles--Spring Awakening and Disney's High School Musical. My theoretical framework is intersectionality which creates a foundation for my research within the field of childhood studies, gender studies, and performance studies to illuminate current US American trends in youth oriented art and research. My framework extends into a case study methodology exploring the world of childhood and youth sexuality through a close read of the popular Broadway musical adaptation, Spring Awakening. In addition, a second investigation chronicles the world of Disney's High School Musical through my own intersectional tool, the Disney Industrial Complex. I claim that adolescence, as a constructed identity, exists as a multi-faceted intersectional category composed of multiple and conflicting intersections such as gender, race, sex, ethnicity, and so on. These intersections develop over the course of the period known as "adolescence" and "youth." The goal of this dissertation is to serve as a reference for other theatre educators and their work with young people creating art.
ContributorsBliznik, Sean J (Author) / Etheridge-Woodson, Stephani (Thesis advisor) / Saldana, Johnny (Committee member) / Adelman, Madelaine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Since its inception, the American Broadway industry has flourished and grown to include numerous vocal styles and techniques. The early twenty-first century has seen a rapid increase in demand for collegiate courses and instructors pertaining to music theater. It has therefore become necessary for voice instructors to be equally comfortable teaching both music theater and classical techniques such as bel canto. This document serves as a resource for instructors seeking more information on defining and teaching vocal styles in music theater including legit, mix, and belt. The first two chapters address the following three questions: 1) What is bel canto and how does the technique function? 2) What is music theater as a vocal style and how do colloquial terms such as legit, mix and belt function within music theater? 3) Are the technical ideas behind bel canto and music theater really that different? The third chapter offers a curriculum for a semester-long course (a hybrid between a song literature class and a performance-based seminar) called Singing Music Theater Styles: From Hammerstein to Hamilton. This course shows the rich development tracing techniques of bel canto through techniques used in contemporary music theater. This document concludes with an annotated bibliography of major sources useful to both the instructors wishing to teach this course and the performers looking to expand their knowledge of singing music theater.
ContributorsBruton, Sara (Author) / Weiss, Stephanie (Thesis advisor) / Feisst, Sabine (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
My topic is derived from my field of study of English, Secondary Education and will focus on the integration of the hit Broadway musical 'Hamilton: An American Musical' into a secondary education English curriculum. My compelling question is: How does 'Hamilton' affect diverse students’ perspectives on their individual potential? It is my belief that students will be changed after seeing the show, that they will feel empowered by the unique representation and modern casting of the musical. There is so much to learn from 'Hamilton' and its effects on the affective domain of learning. My interest in this topic lies not only in musical theatre and education, but more specifically in the intersection of the two. It is through the intentional casting decisions and strategic musical arrangements of 'Hamilton' that students will be impacted — decisions and arrangements that challenge all preconceived notions about musical theatre and American history. Having seen 'Hamilton' twice now, and having been equally moved each time, I am able to conceptualize the emotions of a diverse student body as they experience the show in any capacity. Seeing four of the most prominent men in American history in a room together, represented as men of color is powerful. Seeing sisters love and support each other despite their various skin colors and hair textures is powerful. Seeing children that don’t look like their parents is powerful. Hearing American history recounted through hip-hop verse is powerful. Casting the story of American-then as America-now is powerful. The main goal of my thesis is to help young, diverse minds understand that they have a voice, that they are important, that they can be anything they want to be. Young audience members see themselves represented in the diversity presented onstage in 'Hamilton,' an experience that is unique to the production of this musical. Through the lessons and curriculum I design, students will be able to measure what they believed about themselves and their situations before experiencing 'Hamilton,' and how those beliefs about themselves may have changed as a result of experiencing this life-changing show.
ContributorsGeidel, Alexa Lee (Author) / Blasingame, James (Thesis director) / Sterling, Pamela (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12