ONLINE: Historians of American musical theater concur that the golden age of the Broadway musical began with "Oklahoma!" and "Carousel" in the 1940s. But what of the dazzling musical comedies of the 1920s and ’30s? In this course, we’ll explore two composer-lyricist teams that defined this “silver age” with their witty and tuneful scores: Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and George and Ira Gershwin. These four men, sons of European Jewish immigrants, created musicals that yielded indelible popular songs. We’ll focus on such shows as Rodgers’ and Hart’s "On Your Toes," "Babes in Arms," "The Boys From Syracuse" and "Pal Joey," and the Gershwins’ "Strike Up the Band," "Girl Crazy," "Of Thee I Sing" and "Porgy and Bess." Students will learn about the books and scores of the major shows — and how, together, these shows helped define a truly American art form. The course is primarily lecture with video and audio clips, but students will be able to ask questions and make comments during each class. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 200.
Class sessions are recorded.
