| CODE | PFA2006 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Musical Theatre: Histories and Training | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | School of Performing Arts | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit introduces students to means and ways through which singing, acting, and dancing interact together to create a piece of musical theatre. It combines historical study of the genre with practical, hands-on, training. The histories and particularities of musical theatre are examined to develop the student’s knowledge of the genre, with particular emphasis on the cultural contexts where (i) this form of performance developed (ii) it is particularly visible today. In practical sessions, students will be exposed to pertinent practical techniques by musical theatre practitioners across the spectrum of dance, theatre, and music. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims to introduce students to the complexities surrounding musical theatre as a distinctive genre of performance. In function of this overarching aim, it exposes students to the various levels of understanding required to engage historically and practically with musical theatre. It will explore the historical milieus that gave rise to musical theatre, such as the late ninteenth and early twentieth centuries. It will also explain the genre’s development during the twentieth century and its current popularity. The study-unit places an emphasis on training, and consequently it aims to expose students to the skills necessary in the performance of musical theatre. With its emphasis on preparation, the unit also aims to prepare students for further, more production-oriented study in musical theatre. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - discuss musical theatre both as a historical genre as well as a vibrant contemporary performance reality; - evaluate the wider interdependence of musical theatre within its cultural, social, and economic contexts; - identify and be able to use in practice foundation performance skills as they pertain to musical theatre. These skills include: basic vocal training, basic dance technique, and basic actor training. - enhance his/her underlying knowledge-base in support of other areas of the course. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - appraise the link between historical contextualisation and practical endeavour, and their mutual enrichment; - negotiate and successfully bridge cross-disciplinary barriers between theatre, dance, and music, using musical theatre as a platform; - work and learn collectively in order to expand one’s skills and knowledge base; - undergo creative, reflexive and independent thinking about examples, ideas and issues discussed; - enhance his/her technical proficiency in the application of dance, theatre, and music techniques; - communicate effectively in writing, debate, and performance. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Kenrick, John. 2008. Musical Theatre: A History (Continuum International Publishing Group Inc: United States of America). - Gänzl, Kurt. 1997. The Musical: A Concise History (Boston: Northeastern University Press). - Taylor, Millie, and Dominic Symonds. 2014. Studying Musical Theatre: Theory and Practice (Macmillan Education UK). - Deer, Joe and Rocco Dal Vera. 2008. Acting in Musical Theatre: A Comprehensive Course (Routledge: Oxon). Supplementary Readings: - Studies in Musical Theatre Journal (Intellect). - Rodosthenous G (ed.). 2017. The Disney Musical on Stage and Screen: Critical Approaches from 'Snow White' to 'Frozen' (Bloomsbury Methuen Drama). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Practicum | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Marco Antonio Calleja Mario Frendo (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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