A History of the American Musical

Narrates the evolution of the film musical genre, discussing its influences and how it has come to be defined; the first text on this subject for over two decades, it employs the very latest concepts and research.

The most up-to-date text on the subject, with uniquely comprehensive coverage and employing the very latest concepts and research

Surveys centuries of music history from the music and dance of Native Americans to contemporary music performance in streaming media

Examines the different ways the film musical genre has been defined, what gets counted as a musical, why, and who gets to make that decision

The text is written in an accessible manner for general cinema and musical theatre buffs, whilst retaining theoretical rigour in research

Describes the contributions made to the genre by marginalized or subordinated identity groups who have helped invent and shape the musical