MUTH 100 - Introduction to Music Theatre (4 Credit Hours)

A workshop course that explores the relationship between music (both instrumental and with lyrics) and theatre (the live presentation of drama) in the creation of music theatre works. The course will involve the investigation and discussion of significant concepts and theories regarding musical composition, playwriting, and lyric writing.

MUTH 201 - Acting the Song: Performance Skills for Musical Theatre (4 Credit Hours)

This course explores the singing actor’s responsibilities in preparing a vocal selection for performance in any given situation – as an audition piece, as a stand-alone piece in a recital, and as a song integrated in a full theatrical production. Opportunities to perform or create a simulated performance in all three areas will be provided. Spoken presentations will be given throughout the semester as well as musical performances.

Prerequisite(s): MUS 107 or MUS 200 or permission of instructor.

Corequisite(s): MUSP 195 or MUSP 295 or MUS 117.

MUTH 280 - Musicals Adapted from Films (4 Credit Hours)

For more than a century, musical theatre artists have drawn inspiration from plays, novels, poems, and folklore to create many of Broadway's greatest works. In recent decades, however, the movie screen has become one of Broadway's most fertile sources. From Beauty and the Beast and Legally Blonde to Waitress, film-to-stage adaptations have reshaped the Broadway landscape, producing some of the most popular musicals of the last twenty years. This course examines the history and evolution of these adaptations, analyzing how stories move from screen to stage and how creative teams translate cinematic narratives into theatrical form. By examining their artistic strategies and cultural contexts, we will consider how film-based musicals have become a vital part of Broadway's identity and cultural fabric. Significant attention will be given to the craft and purpose of writing. Students will write in multiple modes while developing skills in audience awareness, revision, and adaptation. Through weekly readings, film viewings, and writing assignments, we will study how stories and arguments are reshaped across mediums and practice how to write with a specific objective for a particular audience.

Crosslisting: THTR 280.

MUTH 285 - Music Theatre Dance Styles (4 Credit Hours)

Repertory dance class exploring the major choreographers who have contributed to musical theatre, ranging from the advent of the genre to the present day. While this course will offer a historical and dramaturgical survey, the coursework is primarily made up of learning and performing the iconic and boundary-breaking choreography of these artists.