The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical (Routledge Music Companions) - by Jessica Sternfeld
The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical is dedicated to the musical?s evolving relationship to American culture in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In the past decade-and-a-half, international scholars from an ever-widening number of disciplines and specializations have been actively contributing to the interdisciplinary field of musical theater studies. Musicals have served not only to mirror the sociopolitical, economic, and cultural tenor of the times, but have helped shape and influence it, in America and across the globe: a genre that may seem, at first glance, light-hearted and escapist serves also as a bold commentary on society. Forty-four essays examine the contemporary musical as an ever-shifting product of an ever-changing culture. This volume sheds new light on the American musical as a thriving, contemporary performing arts genre, one that could have died out in the post-Tin Pan Alley era but instead has managed to remain culturally viable and influential, in part by newly embracing a series of complex contradictions. At present, the American musical is a live, localized, old-fashioned genre that has simultaneously developed into an increasingly globalized, tech-savvy, intensely mediated mass entertainment form. Similarly, as it has become increasingly international in its scope and appeal, the stage musical has also become more firmly rooted to Broadway?the idea, if not the place?and thus branded as a quintessentially American entertainment.
Whirligig Records will release LADYSHIP THE MUSICAL (ORIGINAL CONCEPT RECORDING) with music by Laura Good and Linda Good, featuring Broadway stars Maddie Shea Baldwin, Lisa Karlin, and Savannah Frazier.
Serge Clivio will release his new album, SERGE AND FRIENDS (Vol. 1-3): The Recording Sessions, featuring 14 tracks recorded live with guest artists at The Bunker Studio A in Brooklyn.
Danny Wright, international composer and pianist, has released his 58th album, BOTH SIDES NOW, featuring Broadway show tunes, Great American Songbook classics, and original compositions.
Physical media collectors can now get their hands on My Favorite Things, the 80th-anniversary concert celebrating the partnership of renowned composer and lyricist Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. Directed for the screen by five-time BAFTA® winner Julia Knowles, the event included iconic songs from The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Oklahoma!, and more, performed by stars of the stage and screen.
Steven Lutvak's final composition, 'Topeka!,' celebrates individuality and leaves a lasting legacy. Discover the story behind the Tony Award-winning composer's heartfelt new song.
Trapeze Music & Entertainment Limited/Acrobat Music has announced the release on July 5, 2024 of the 3-CD 73 track album Judy Garland: A Celebration, selections of which are included on the first volume of an LP of the same name. C
Dr. Valarian Couch's new book, CYBER HEROES: KIDS DEFENDING THE DIGITAL REALM, empowers children to navigate the internet safely through interactive stories, engaging activities, and essential cybersecurity knowledge.
PS CLASSICS will release Parting Gift: The Songs of Gerald Ginsburg, featuring stars from Broadway and opera with a 17-piece orchestra. Learn when you can download the album!
Jennifer Ashley Tepper, writer of BroadwayWorld's Broadway Deep Dive series, has revealed that her next book is in the works. Titled 'Women Writing Musicals: The Legacy That the History Books Left Out', the book will be published by Applause on November 19, 2024.
CLUB44 RECORDS' The Colors of My Life: A Cy Coleman Songbook – the new album from ten-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Janis Siegel and internationally recognized pianist, arranger, and composer Yaron Gershovsky – will be released on CD and streaming and digital formats on Friday, June 7.
Cellist John-Henry Crawford has released a new album featuring works by Dvořák and Tchaikovsky, performed with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra under the direction of Martin West.
International stage director Nancy Rhodes brings Mary’s Story to life, exploring the poignant narrative with depth and creativity. Discover the compelling journey of Mary through this captivating production.
Award-winning Turkish-American writer, composer, and producer T.J. Armand - who recently produced the critically acclaimed albums for Tony award nominee Mary Bridget Davies and Windsor Castle’s resident sextet The Queen’s Six - will release his debut poetry collection, 'Self-Imposed Exile – Poems of Queer Beginnings.'
Discover the latest release from TCG Books, CLYDE’S by Lynn Nottage, exploring themes of redemption and resilience in a gripping new narrative. Learn how to purchase.
Visiting Mr. Green, one of the most produced plays in the world in the past 25 years, is now available in its 2nd revised version from leading play publisher and licensor Dramatists Play Service, a division of Broadway Licensing.
Algos Music has announced that vintage vocalist extraordinaire ALLYSON BRIGGS will release her new album Promises, Prayers, and Raindrops: Allyson Briggs Sings Burt Bacharach on Friday, July 12. It will be available on CD and in digital and streaming platforms.
Concord Theatricals Recordings has released the original cast recording of Here We Are, David Ives and Stephen Sondheim’s new musical, on CD and digital platforms worldwide.
Award-winning jazz musician and educator, HAYES GREENFIELD, released a new book, CREATIVE SOUND PLAY FOR YOUNG LEARNERS, offering innovative techniques for enhancing classroom communities and supporting children's social-emotional learning.
Experience the 1970s New York rock scene with the album release of BLISS STREET MUSICAL. This Off-Broadway show recording celebrates the legacy of legendary bands like KISS, The Ramones, and Blondie, and the iconic Coventry rock club.
Discover the new book, UNLIKELY JAPAN AND OTHER PLAYS, a collection of ten one-act plays from a decade of the LaBute New Theater Festival, published by St. Louis Actors' Studio and renowned playwright Neil LaBute.
The Original Broadway Cast Album of Gutenberg! The Musical! featuring GRAMMY® Award winners and Tony Award® nominees Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells has been released digitally on Friday, May 3. Listen to the album here!
Dan Landon was a Broadway theatre manager for nearly 40 years, working on more than 9000 performances of 50 shows. He has written his memoir, From the Back of the House, which will be published by Ibis Books on June 13, 2024.