Introductory description

As an art form, the musical is a global phenomenon. London theatres alone grossed over £800 million in box office sales in 2022, with a significant percentage of that derived from stage musicals. Developing out of traditions such as opera buffa and vaudeville in the 18th and 19th centuries, the musical became a major art form in the United States and the United Kingdom by the mid-20th century before spreading more widely. Despite this success and impact, the musical is often considered an inferior form of expression, especially when compared to opera. This negative comparison is unwarranted; the audience reach and artistic flexibility of the musical allows this art form to have significant social, political, and cultural impact.

Revolution -- its theory, practice, and applications -- is a topic that has a long relationship with the musical, including being the core theme of two of the ten top grossing musicals of all time: Les Miserables (1980) and Hamilton (2015). The former has been running, in multiple cities, continuously since its debut with a 35 year run in London, and the latter has gained a global reputation and ignited debates about formerly sacrosanct subjects. This module seeks to understand why and how revolutions have achieved such enduring success through the stage musical and what we can learn about revolution and representation. Students will be challenged to go beyond slick staging and catchy melodies to consider how both subversive and conservative stage musical representations of revolution are. Themes including inclusion/exclusion, voice, appropriation, and nostalgia will be considered. Significant space will be opened for students to identify themes and topics relevant to them and to co-create this module's problem-based learning seminars.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

This is an indicative syllabus, the details of which may change year on year:

Unit 1: Masters of the House: Situating revolution within the art of the musical.

Unit 2: Filling the Darkness with Order and Light: Les Miserables (1980) and the rise of a global revolution(?), including a film screening.

Unit 3: A Story of Those Who Always Loved You: Opera buffa, The Marriage of Figaro (1786), and the dangers of dissent.

Unit 4: The Never-ending Road to Calvary: Hamilton (2015) and revolutionary revision, including a film screening.

Unit 5: Somewhere Beyond the Barricades -- Urinetown (2001), satiric responses and the limits of revolution, plus film screening.

Unit 6: Like a Child Who is Lost in a Wood?: Making sense of art and revolution.

Unit 7: A World You Long to See: Presentation pitches.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Identify and discuss the key characteristics of musicals and how these relate to the study of revolutions.
• Interpret and unpack musicals to determine how and why revolutionary movments are portrayed in specific manners.
• Draw connections between different revolutionary movements, their presentations via musicals, and their relationship to real-world events and perspectives.
• Appraise the impact of musicals on the perception of revolutions.
• Design and produce an indicative artefact that expands the musical form to revolutions beyond the examples offered in the module.

Indicative reading list

As the specific musicals examined may change from year to year, this list is indicative only:

Arendt, H. (1963), On Revolution

Edney, K.A. (2009), A New Bretchtian Musical? An Analysis of Urinetown

Hollman, M., G. Kotis (2001), Urinetown

Hunter, M. (1999), The Culture of Opera Buffa in Mozart's Vienna: A Poetics of Entertainment

Magee, J. (2018), Miranda's Les Miz

McMillin, H.S. (2006), The Musical as Drama

Miranda, L.-M. (2015), Hamilton

Mozart, W.A., P. Beaumarchais (1786), The Marriage of Figaro

Polzonetti, P. (2003), Opera Buffa and the American Revolution

Richards, B.F. (1999), Musical Theatre: A Form of Political Expression

Schonberg, C.-M., H. Kretzmer, A. Boubil, J.-M. Natel (1980), Les Miserables

Stephens, B., K. Grossman (2015), Les Miserables and Its Afterlives: Between Page, Stage, and Screen

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Research element

Students will be asked to prepare readings and other materials for weekly problem-based learning seminars. Because of the student-led nature of these seminars, identifying and engaging with a range of their source material, in addition to that suggested each week, is critical to the collective advancement of thinking and ideas. Independent research also forms a critical part of the assessments for the module.

Interdisciplinary

This module draws upon a range of disciplinary methodologies and offers the participants the opportunity to identify specific areas of focus meaningful to them and their backgrounds. This module is open to students from any department, and the rich mix of backgrounds will enhance the overall range and experience of discussions and debates.

International

This module builds in an international perspective to understanding revolution through the musical art form and actively creates space whereby students can engage with revolutionary movements and music from around the world.

Subject specific skills

Ability to generate relevant multidisciplinary problems through individual and small group research.

Individual and group research skills through multidisciplinary examinations of specific case studies.

Oral and written communication.

Digital literacy.

Professional communication.

Working with others.

Problem solving.

Information technology.

Research across various disciplines and using a variety of methods.

Peer review.

Transferable skills

Through this module, you will develop different skills that are sought by employers which will support your professional development. We have highlighted this to enable you to identify and reflect on the skills you have acquired and apply them throughout your professional journey including during the recruitment process whether this is in a CV/application form or at an interview.

Critical and independent thinking — developed through: Weekly tasks, readings, and homework; encounters with and employment of complex theories and Problem-Based Learning activities and in-class discussion.

Written communication – developed through: Research Essay; musical pitch; and weekly collaborative interactive task; with ongoing weekly formative feedback.

Oral communication – developed through: musical pitch where students propose a musical about a revolution (or, a revolutionary musical); and weekly seminar tasks and presentations.

Research and evaluation – developed through: Weekly problems and tasks that require the students to research and evaluate issues concerning identified topics; and the final research paper involves the formulation of their own research question and conducting their own in-depth reviews and analysis of theories, archival materials, case studies, or interpretations of expressive works (mainly, but not limited to, stage musicals).

Time and self-management — developed through: Weekly group work and problems; weekly seminar preparation; musical pitch; and writing of research paper.