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12 classes
When we talk about a given musical—let's say West Side Story—are we always talking about the same thing? We may know it better from a movie version, but how close does a movie come to the original stage production? What happens if the show is filmed twice (as West Side was in 1961 and 2021)? What happens if it is given a later Broadway makeover (as with West Side in 2020?). What about musicals like Singin' in the Rain and White Christmas that began as films and were later adapted for the stage? Or Frank Baum's iconic book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that has given rise to a film, numerous stage musicals, and spinoffs such as The Wiz and Wicked? By looking at several such comparisons, this course will demonstrate what a multi-faceted art form the American musical is.