MUS 330W: Topics in Music Literature (Topic Musical Theatre)

Spring 2020
TuTh 8:00-9:15am
Performing & Fine Arts, Room 217
3 Credits
Prerequisite: ((MUS 241 or 242), MUS 221, and (Foundation English Requirement or HON
190) with grades of C or better in each); and Junior Status or higher

Instructor: Dr. Alexander K. Rothe, Lecturer of Musicology

Contact Information: Performing & Fine Arts, room 225, Alexander.Rothe@nau.edu, (928)
523-7536
Office Hours: TuTh 9:30-10:30am, by appointment

Catalog Description: In-depth study of various genres in the Western classical music tradition
including symphonic, chamber music, and choral literature. This course fulfills NAU's junior-
level writing requirement. Letter grade only. This course may be repeated for credit. Course fee
required.

COURSE PURPOSE
This course fulfills the 300-level writing class required for the music major. It examines the
genre of the Broadway musical from an artistic, historical, and cultural perspective. Adopting a
case study approach, the course introduces students to the various issues that have shaped the
creation and reception of Broadway musicals since the beginning of the twentieth century to the
present. In addition to musical theater on the stage, the course will also consider the film
musical.

The aim of the course is to demonstrate effective writing skills, and students are required to
submit a number of short writing assignments. These short writing assignments will primarily
focus on a single case-study, which the student will select at the beginning of the semester. There
will also be several listening tests, which involve identifying examples and responding to short
questions based on the daily reading and listening assignments. Students will also give two short
presentations.

COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Successful students in this course will be able to demonstrate through assessment:
• historical, artistic, and cultural knowledge and understanding of the Broadway musical
• effective writing skills, in particular how to write a college-level essay
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• comprehension of the relationship between the script and musical score for a case-study
musical; the ability to identify and elaborate on aesthetic, social, and political issues as
they pertain to the case study; the skill to write a comparative analysis of the musical and
its source material
• understanding of how music plays an active role in social formation and cultural values

ASSIGNMENTS/ASSESSMENTS OF COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Short Writing Assignments

Students will complete a number of short assignments based on a single case-study musical
(CSM). By studying a single musical in depth, they will be able to address various artistic and
cultural issues with a thorough understanding of the script, musical score, and source materials.
Each assignment focuses on a different aspect of writing a college-level essay (providing a main
claim or thesis, evidence, paraphrasing, engaging with secondary sources, etc.).

Assignment 1: Declaration of case study musical, 1-2 pages (due 1/24)

• Students will select their CSM, taking into consideration the availability of the CSM’s
script, musical score and/or audio recording, and source material. Only if all three items
are in the student’s possession at the time of the first assignment can the CSM be
selected. If students cannot find these items, they should select one of the default CSMs
(see list below).
• Since a Broadway musical is a spoken play with integrated music and dance, it is
essential that students have access to their CSM’s script, either a hard copy or in an
online digital format. (Note that the script is not the same thing as the lyrics. The script
contains a written transcription of the musical’s spoken text.)
• Students will need access to their CSM’s source material, i.e. a preexisting play, novel,
movie, etc. from which their musical is adapted. (The source material is not a sketch,
idea, or scenario on which the musical is based, but rather an independent text or work of
art.) Students must select a CSM that involves an interesting and noteworthy adaptation
of the source material, since this will be the basis of an assignment later in the semester.
• A musical score or audio recording is required for musical analysis. While a musical
score is preferred, an audio recording may also be used to provide timestamps and
listening details. If there is an easily accessible musical score for the CSM, the student
must be in possession of it.

Assignment 2: Plot synopsis, 1-2 pages (due 1/31)

• Students will provide a clear synopsis of their CSM, demonstrating correct usage of the
historical present tense.

Assignment 3: Adaptation of source material, 2-3 pages (due 2/21)

• Students will write a comparative analysis of their CSM and its source material,
addressing the differences between the two in terms of plot, setting, character
development, and the use of music. Further, students will have to provide a persuasive
argument about which work, the CSM or the source material, that they find to be more
effective and why.
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• Papers must demonstrate all three components of an argument: a main claim (thesis),
reasons, and evidence.

Assignment 4: Article critique, 2-3 pages (due 3/13)

• Students will engage with a secondary source, i.e. a scholarly article or single book
chapter relating to their CSM. They will learn where and how to search for secondary
sources.
• Students will evaluate the article or book chapter’s main argument by identifying the
main claim and assessing the reasons and evidence. In the process of engaging with a
secondary source, students will need to paraphrase the author’s claims and evidence in
their own words, as well as properly cite their article using the Chicago Style notes-
bibliography format.

Assignment 5: Song analysis, 3 pages (due 3/27)

• Students will analyze a particular song in their CSM, considering such aspects as the text-
music relationship, musical form, and the overall effect of the song within the musical.
• In addition to providing an argument or claim about the song, students will need to
incorporate musical evidence—e.g., traditional harmonic analysis, melodic/motivic
development, form, music-text relationships, musical style, and instrumentation.

Assignment 6: Case study issue, 3 pages (due 4/17)

• Students will identify an outstanding aesthetic, social, and/or political issue in their CSM,
elaborating on how the issue shaped the creation and/or reception of the CSM.
• In addition to providing an argument or claim about a particular issue, students will need
to incorporate additional types of evidence by consulting primary sources in addition to
the musical score. Examples include a textual analysis of the lyrics and/or script of the
CSM, as well as reviews of the musical in newspapers (e.g., The New York Times).

Assignment 7: Playlist paper on contemporary musicals, 3 pages (due 5/2)

• Students will return to their case-study issue from Assignment 6 and create a 30-minute
playlist on Spotify or Apple Music, providing examples from other musicals—especially
contemporary examples—that are occupied with the same aesthetic, social, and/or
political issue. In addition to creating the playlist, the student will provide a close
listening of a particular song on the playlist, describing how the song conveys the
playlist’s theme.
• Students will reflect on the broader relevancy of their case-study issue and how it
contributes to our understanding of other Broadway musicals.

Presentations
Students will give two short presentations. The first will be a five-minute presentation on one of
the class readings. Students should sign up for a presentation in the first week of classes.

The second presentation will be 5-10 minutes in length and may take the form of either a
presentation on the song analysis paper (Assignment 5) or a musical performance of a song from
the CSM.
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Listening Tests (2/11, 3/5, 4/7)

There will be three listening tests, which involve identifying works from the playlists discussed
in class. I will play a clip, not necessarily from the beginning, and students will have to identify
information such as the composer and key collaborators, what is occurring in the plot, and basic
musical features (melody, harmony, rhythm, form, style, instrumentation). These listening tests
are non-cumulative and are administered on Bb Learn during class.

GRADING SYSTEM

Short assignments 35%

Tests 45%
Presentations 10%
Participation 10%

All final grades are based on strict percentages.

A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F below 59%

A—Excellent
B—Above Average
C—Average
D—Below Average
F—Fail
P—Credit*
I—Incomplete
W—Withdraw
AU—Audit
IP—Thesis or Research in Progress

READINGS AND MATERIALS (REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS)

Books
James Leve, American Musical Theater (New York: Oxford University Press, 2016).
Kate Turabian, Student’s Guide to Writing College Papers, 5th edition (Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 2019).

Streaming Music Subscription

In order to access the listening assignments, you will need to subscribe to either Apple Music or
Spotify, both of which offer student subscriptions.
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COURSE OUTLINE (**subject to change, be sure to always check Bb Learn)

Unit 1: Fundamentals

1/14 Introduction: Contemporary Broadway Voices

Media: Listen to playlist “Contemporary Broadway Voices”

1/16 Integrated Musical

Reading: Textbook, Ch. 1

Media: Rodgers, Oklahoma!; Rodgers, Carousel

1/21 Theory of Adaptation, My Fair Lady

Media: Loewe, My Fair Lady, Shaw’s play Pygmalion

1/23 Song Analysis

Reading: Walter Frisch, Arlen and Harburg’s Over the Rainbow (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2017), 53-68.

Media: Listen to the playlist “The Wizard of Oz and Beyond”

1/24 Assignment 1 due (Declaration of case study musical)

Unit 2: Early History

1/28 George M. Cohan and Early 20th-Century Broadway

Reading: Textbook, Ch. 3

Media: Cohan, Little Johnny Jones; Berlin, Watch Your Step

1/30 Operetta in the United States

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 30-31

Listening: Lehar, The Merry Widow; Gilbert and Sullivan, Pirates of Penzance

1/31 Assignment 2 due (Plot synopsis)

2/4 Broadway and the Jazz Age

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 69-73 83-84

Media: Gershwin, Lady, Be Good; Youmans, No, No, Nanette
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2/6 Show Boat and Shuffle Along

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 74-83

Media: Kern, Showboat; Blake, Shuffle Along

2/11 Listening Test 1

Unit 3: Depression Years

2/13 Cole Porter, Escapism, and Satire

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 86-97, 100-103

Media: Porter, Anything Goes; Gershwin, Of Thee I Sing

2/18 Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and the Hollywood Musical

Reading: Beth Genné, Dance Me a Song: Astaire, Balanchine, Kelly, and the American
Film Musical (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018), 15-35.
Media: Top Hat (film); Singin’ in the Rain (film)

2/20 Kurt Weill and Marc Blitzstein

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 97-100, 118-120

Media: Kurt Weill (selections); Blitzstein, The Cradle Will Rock

2/21 Assignment 3 due (Adaptation of source material)

Unit 4: Golden Age

2/25 Cold War Musical

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 130-139

Media: Rodgers, South Pacific; Rodgers, The King and I

2/27 The Music Man and Guys and Dolls

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 139-146, 148

Media: Willson, The Music Man; Loesser, Guys and Dolls

3/3 Ethnic Musical

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 144-146, 150, 165-167, 186

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Media: Bernstein, West Side Story; Bock, Fiddler on the Roof

3/5 Listening Test 2

Unit 5: The Rock Musical and Beyond

3/10 Rock Musical

Reading: Textbook, Ch. 16

Media: MacDermot, Hair

3/12 Concept Musical

Reading Textbook, pgs. 175-187

Media: Kander, Cabaret

3/13 Assignment 4 due (Article critique)

3/17 No class (Spring break)

3/19 No class (Spring break)

3/24 Stephan Sondheim

Reading: Textbook, Ch. 10

Media: Sondheim, Company

3/26 Bob Fosse

Reading: Kevin Winkler, Big Deal: Bob Fosse and Dance in the American Musical (New
York: Oxford University Press, 2018), 190-209.
Media: Kander, Chicago

3/27 Assignment 5 due (Song analysis)

3/31 The “Black Musical”

Reading: Textbook, Ch. 15

Media: Smalls, The Wiz; Gershwin, Porgy and Bess

4/2 Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Megamusical

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 215-233

Media: Lloyd Webber, The Phantom of the Opera
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4/7 Listening Test 3

Unit 6: The New Millennium

4/9 The Art Musical

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 266-270, 286-296

Media: Guettel, The Light in the Piazza; Tesori, Caroline, or Change

4/14 Disney Musical

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 261-262, 263-264

Media: Sherman Brothers, Mary Poppins; Menken, Newsies

4/16 Student Presentations

4/17 Assignment 6 due (Case study issue)

4/21 Student Presentations

4/23 Student Presentations

4/28 Student Presentations

4/30 Last day of classes; Lin-Manuel Miranda and New Broadway Identities

Reading: Textbook, pgs. 296-299

Media: Miranda, In the Heights

5/2 Assignment 7 due (Playlist paper)

CLASS POLICIES AND FURTHER INFORMATION

I. Assignment and Grading Policies

Unless otherwise specified on the syllabus, late assignments will NOT be accepted. Begin work
on each assignment in a timely fashion in order to avoid lost credit.

All papers must be submitted online by midnight on the dates indicated, no exceptions. Papers
should use Times New Roman 12-point font and double-spacing. Be sure to proofread for
grammar, style, and spelling. Always carefully read the guidelines for each assignment in order
to receive full credit.
MUS 296 (Fall 2019) 9

Any paper that does not follow directions and/or reflects a lack of effort on the part of the student
will be returned with a marking of “not college level” (NCL), and your grade for the assignment
will be a zero.

For further writing assistance, you should consult the University Writing Commons well in
advance of the due date.

II. Suggestions for Case-Study Musicals in the Writing Assignments

Musical Source Material

Fiddler on the Roof Script: Bb Learn Tevye the Dairyman, short stories
Score: course reserve by Sholem Aleichem (Bb Learn)
(M1503.B668 F52 1965)

Hello, Dolly! Script: Bb Learn The Match Maker, play by

Score: course reserve (M1508 H4 Thornton Wilder (Bb Learn)
H4 19802)

The Most Happy Fella! Script: no separate script, refer They Knew What They Wanted,
to the musical score play by Sidney Howard (Bb
Score: course reserve Learn)
(M1503.L817 M7 1980)

Ragtime Script: Bb Learn Ragtime, novel by E.L.

Score: course reserve Doctorow (course reserve: PS
3554 O3R3)

Carousel Script: Bb Learn Liliom, play by Ferenc Molnár

Score: course reserve (Bb Learn)

If you prefer to work on another case study musical (CSM), you must select a musical based on
a preexisting literary source (play, novel, short story, etc.), movie, or independent work of art.
(Later in the semester, you will have to write an essay about the adaptation of the source
material.) You may only choose a different CSM if you can prove that you have access and/or
are in possession of the following three items by the time of the first assignment: the CSM’s
script, musical score or audio recording, and source material. If you cannot find these items, then
select one of the suggested CSMs above.

III. Attendance, Participation, and Makeup Tests

Attendance and participation are required, and your level of participation will be reflected in
your participation grade. After two absences, each subsequent absence will result in the
deduction of five points from your final grade. Should an absence from class be unavoidable,
you are responsible for reporting the reason to your instructor. (Be aware that Campus Health
MUS 296 (Fall 2019) 10

Services does not provide documentation of your health problems.) In addition, you are
responsible for making up any work you miss. Your instructor is under no obligation to make
special arrangements for you if you are absent. You should know that Arizona Board of Regents’
policy forbids discrimination because of your religious beliefs or practices or any absences
resulting from them. In addition, you cannot be discriminated against for seeking a religious
accommodation pursuant to this policy. The Office of Student Life and Campus Health Services
do not issue excuses for health or personal reasons. Only the instructor may excuse an absence
except for Institutional Excuses for activities such as athletic events or other university
sponsored activities which are approved by the Office of the Associate Provost-Undergraduate
Studies or the Office of Student Life or for official military orders as approved by Veteran and
Military Services. Please note that a student served through the office of Disability Resources
may qualify for an attendance policy modification.

If you are absent on the day of a listening test, you will receive a “0,” unless your absence is
excused. Late assignments will NOT be accepted. Begin work on each assignment in a timely
fashion in order to avoid lost credit.

IV. Policy Regarding Technology

The use of laptops and mobile devises is prohibited during class except when the instructor calls
for it (e.g., to refer to a digital text and/or look up a reference question). Notes and other in-class
writing must be done by hand. Exceptions due to medical issues or disability must be requested
through Disability Services.

V. Extra Credit

You can earn 3 extra-credit points toward your final grade by attending a musical theater
production (i.e., a Broadway production or touring production at Gammage Theater or a
comparable theater in the Phoenix area, Tucson, Las Vegas, or elsewhere) and writing a short
concert report. Notify the professor before you undertake this extra credit assignment.

VI. Emergency Textbook Loan Program

Northern Arizona University is pleased to announce the Emergency Textbook Loan program.
The purpose of this program is to assist students with unmet financial need in obtaining required
textbook(s) for schooling. Textbooks must be returned at the end of the term in which they were
loaned. Please review the information below and contact textbookloan@nau.edu with any
questions. More information can be found online at https://nau.edu/first-generation/textbook-
loan-program/.

SYLLABUS POLICY STATEMENTS

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
NAU expects every student to firmly adhere to a strong ethical code of academic integrity in all
their scholarly pursuits. The primary attributes of academic integrity are honesty, trustworthiness,
MUS 296 (Fall 2019) 11

fairness, and responsibility. As a student, you are expected to submit original work while giving
proper credit to other people’s ideas or contributions. Acting with academic integrity means
completing your assignments independently while truthfully acknowledging all sources of
information, or collaboration with others when appropriate. When you submit your work, you are
implicitly declaring that the work is your own. Academic integrity is expected not only during
formal coursework, but in all your relationships or interactions that are connected to the educational
enterprise. All forms of academic deceit such as plagiarism, cheating, collusion, falsification or
fabrication of results or records, permitting your work to be submitted by another, or inappropriately
recycling your own work from one class to another, constitute academic misconduct that may result
in serious disciplinary consequences. All students and faculty members are responsible for reporting
suspected instances of academic misconduct. All students are encouraged to complete NAU’s
online academic integrity workshop available in the E-Learning Center and should review the full
academic integrity policy available at https://policy.nau.edu/policy/policy.aspx?num=100601.

Note: Unless otherwise specified, assignments are not collaborative in nature. Students caught
plagiarizing and/or cheating will receive an automatic “F” in the course.

COURSE TIME COMMITMENT

Pursuant to Arizona Board of Regents guidance (Academic Credit Policy 2-224), for every unit of
credit, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of three hours of work per week,
including but not limited to class time, preparation, homework, and studying.

DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR
Membership in NAU’s academic community entails a special obligation to maintain class
environments that are conductive to learning, whether instruction is taking place in the classroom,
a laboratory or clinical setting, during course-related fieldwork, or online. Students have the
obligation to engage in the educational process in a manner that does not breach the peace, interfere
with normal class activities, or violate the rights of others. Instructors have the authority and
responsibility to address disruptive behavior that interferes with student learning, which can include
the involuntary withdrawal of a student from a course with a grade of “W”. For additional
information, see NAU’s disruptive behavior policy at https://nau.edu/university-policy-
library/disruptive-behavior.

NONDISCRIMINATION AND ANTI-HARASSMENT

NAU prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sex, gender, gender identity, race, color,
age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. Due to potentially
unethical consequences, certain consensual amorous or sexual relationships between faculty and
students are also prohibited. The Equity and Access Office (EAO) responds to complaints regarding
discrimination and harassment that fall under NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment
(SWALE) policy. EAO also assists with religious accommodations. For additional information
about SWALE or to file a complaint, contact EAO located in Old Main (building 10), Room 113,
PO Box 4083, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, or by phone at 928-523-3312 (TTY: 928-523-1006), fax at
928-523-9977, email at equityandaccess@nau.edu, or via the EAO website at
https://nau.edu/equity-and-access.

TITLE IX
MUS 296 (Fall 2019) 12

Title IX is the primary federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex or gender in
educational programs or activities. Sex discrimination for this purpose includes sexual harassment,
sexual assault or relationship violence, and stalking (including cyber-stalking). Title IX requires
that universities appoint a “Title IX Coordinator” to monitor the institution’s compliance with this
important civil rights law. NAU’s Title IX Coordinator is Pamela Heinonen, Director of the Equity
and Access Office located in Old Main (building 10), Room 113, PO Box 4083, Flagstaff, AZ
86011. The Title IX Coordinator is available to meet with any student to discuss any Title IX issue
or concern. You may contact the Title IX Coordinator by phone at 928-523-3312 (TTY: 928-523-
1006), by fax at 928-523-9977, or by email at pamela.heinonen@nau.edu. In furtherance of its Title
IX obligations, NAU will promptly investigate and equitably resolve all reports of sex or gender-
based discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct and will eliminate any hostile environment
as defined by law. Additional important information about Title IX and related student resources,
including how to request immediate help or confidential support following an act of sexual violence,
is available at http://nau.edu/equity-and-access/title-ix.

ACCESSIBILITY
Professional disability specialists are available at Disability Resources to facilitate a range of
academic support services and accommodations for students with disabilities. If you have a
documented disability, you can request assistance by contacting Disability Resources at 928-523-
8773 (voice), 928-523-6906 (TTY), 928-523-8747 (fax), or dr@nau.edu (e-mail). Once eligibility
has been determined, students register with Disability Resources every semester to activate their
approved accommodations. Although a student may request an accommodation at any time, it is
best to initiate the application process at least four weeks before a student wishes to receive an
accommodation. Students may begin the accommodation process by submitting a self-identification
form online at https://nau.edu/disability-resources/student-eligibility-process or by contacting
Disability Resources. The Director of Disability Resources, Jamie Axelrod, serves as NAU’s
Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator and Section 504 Compliance Officer. He can be
reached at jamie.axelrod@nau.edu.

RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH

Students who engage in research at NAU must receive appropriate Responsible Conduct of
Research (RCR) training. This instruction is designed to help ensure proper awareness and
application of well-established professional norms and ethical principles related to the performance
of all scientific research activities. More information regarding RCR training is available at
https://nau.edu/research/compliance/research-integrity.

MISCONDUCT IN RESEARCH
As noted, NAU expects every student to firmly adhere to a strong code of academic integrity in all
their scholarly pursuits. This includes avoiding fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism when
conducting research or reporting research results. Engaging in research misconduct may result in
serious disciplinary consequences. Students must also report any suspected or actual instances of
research misconduct of which they become aware. Allegations of research misconduct should be
reported to your instructor or the University’s Research Integrity Officer, Dr. David Faguy, who
can be reached at david.faguy@nau.edu or 928-523-6117. More information about Misconduct in
Research is available at https://nau.edu/university-policy-library/misconduct-in-research.
MUS 296 (Fall 2019) 13

SENSITIVE COURSE MATERIALS

University education aims to expand student understanding and awareness. Thus, it necessarily
involves engagement with a wide range of information, ideas, and creative representations. In
their college studies, students can expect to encounter and to critically appraise materials that may
differ from and perhaps challenge familiar understandings, ideas, and beliefs. Students are
encouraged to discuss these matters with faculty.