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The Idea Of American Musical Theatre Often Conjures Up Images Of Bright Lights And Big City, But Its Lifeblood Is Found In Amateur Productions At High Schools, Community Theatres, Afterschool Programs, Summer Camps, And Dinner Theatres. In Beyond Broadway, Author Stacy Wolf Looks At The Widespread Presence And Persistence Of Musical Theatre In U.s. Culture, And Examines It As A Social Practice--a Live, Visceral Experience Of Creating, Watching, And Listening. Why Does Local Musical Theatre Flourish In America? Why Do So Many Americans Continue To Passionately Engage In A Century-old Artistic Practice That Requires Intense, Person-to-person Collaboration? And Why Do Audiences Still Flock To Musicals In Their Hometowns? Touring American Elementary Schools, A Middle School Performance Festival, Afterschool Programs, High Schools, Summer Camps, State Park Outdoor Theatres, Community Theatres, And Dinner Theatres From California To Tennessee, Wolf Illustrates Musical Theatre's Abundance And Longevity In The U.s. As A Thriving Social Activity That Touches Millions Of Lives.
This book investigates why amateur musical theatre remains a persistent and flourishing social practice across the United States despite the cultural dominance of professional Broadway productions. Professor Stacy Wolf, a scholar of theatre and dance, utilizes ethnographic research and field observations to argue that musical theatre functions as a vital, visceral form of community engagement. She posits that the medium's longevity is rooted in the intense, person-to-person collaboration required by local productions, which fosters social cohesion and individual expression in diverse settings.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and theatre practitioners frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the grassroots reality of American performance culture. Experts highlight the author's ability to bridge academic inquiry with the lived experience of amateur performers and audiences.
Page Count:
352
Publication Date:
2019-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190639547
ISBN-13:
9780190639549
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