Broadway musical final paper

MUS 102: Music Appreciation: Broadway Musical Theater

Final Paper Guidelines

(160 points = 20% of your total grade)

During the quarter, you are required to view a live show of Broadway musical theater (whether at a local high school, college, community theater, local professional house, national touring show, dinner theater, Broadway itself, and so forth), then write a paper about it. The paper should run three to five pages double spaced in a Word document.

The project consists of the following:

1. Proposal: 15 points

By now, having seen this assignment in the syllabus, I hope you have been checking around to determine what is available to you in your area during the quarter. By February 2, 2015, you must e-mail me a project proposal. This is simply a paragraph describing:

 The musical you would like to attend, along with composer, lyricist, and book writer

 The theater company and venue performing the musical

 The date you plan to attend the show

 An associated web link

I will respond within 48 hours to approve the proposal or suggest alternatives.

2. Background research: 40 points

Before you see your show, research background information about the show. Include the basics: composers, lyricists, and writers; director and choreographer of original show, performance history on and off Broadway. Where does this musical fit within the creator’s output? What if anything was groundbreaking or noteworthy about the show? Any major themes in the libretto (book plus lyrics)? How does this show fit in its historical and cultural context? What are the well-known songs? What kind of characters? What was the original orchestration? What styles of music find their way into the score? Any information about how often this show is done nowadays, or who usually does it? Are there any noteworthy productions of this musical on record?

Sources should include our class, your textbook, other books about musical theater, scholarly journal articles (use OSU online research databases to find appropriate articles—contact the library if you need help understanding how to do this, as you need to navigate these for your whole college career), study guides from professional theaters, and so forth. (Do not use

Wikipedia for this information—I check.) Keep up with any press about your event for other sources of information.

3. Production notes: 40 points

How was the musical presented? Take notes (by hand) at the show to jog your memory later. Use your word count with vivid precision to really give me a sense of what happened. I want to experience the show with you!

Describe the theater. Was the house full? What was the cast like? How were the songs presented? How large was the orchestra? Did the show use original orchestrations, or was the music arranged for this production? Tell me about the set designs. The lighting. The costumes. The sound effects. Any projections? Was any material cut or rearranged? How long was the show? What was the audience response? How did what you saw correspond with your background information?

4. Critic review: 30 points

Now’s your chance! What did you think? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Mixed? Why? Even if you are just learning about musical theater and are a novice critic, your opinions and points of view are perfectly valid, no matter how with or against the grain, so long as you back up your assertions with evidence and reasoning. Discuss your thoughts on any of the elements listed in the previous section. The background information you used to prepare yourself is also useful in informing your opinions.

5. Paper presentation: 20 points

As indicated in the course syllabus, I expect writing to be clear, concise, and clean, with care in all technical aspects: formatting, syntax, grammar, spelling. The paper is not particularly long, so make all the words count!

6. Relics: 15 points

You must e-mail me at minimum a scanned copy of the program and your ticket stub. I’m also delighted to receive your selfies with cast members, in front of the marquee with your friends, menus from your pre- or post-show noshing, and so forth.

I hope that this class makes your experience enjoying a live show informed and enjoyable!

NOTE: If you just cannot find a show to attend this quarter, contact me immediately so we can come up with a substitute approach for this paper (you will forfeit the 15 points under Relics, however).