McCarter Theatre Center hosts a discussion with Stacy Wolf, author of ‘Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theatre in America’, and her key research collaborators Emma Watkins and Katie Welsh. Co-Sponsored by Labyrinth Books.
The idea of American musical theatre conjures up images of bright lights and big city, but its lifeblood is found in local and amateur productions. Wolf considers the widespread presence and persistence of musical theatre in U.S. culture, and examines it as a live, pleasurable, participatory experience. Why does local musical theatre flourish in America? Why do audiences flock to see musicals in their hometowns? How do corporations like Disney and Music Theatre International enable musical theatre’s energetic movement through American culture? Touring from Maine to California, Wolf visits schools, summer camps, outdoor and community theaters, conducting over 200 interviews with practitioners and spectators, licensors & Disney creatives. Beyond Broadway tells the story of musical theatre’s longevity as a thriving, joyful activity that touches millions of lives.
Lockwood Lobby next to the Matthews Theatre, doors open at 6:30 p.m.
This is a free event with a cash bar; RSVP is encouraged at https://www.mccarter.org/season/2019-2020/pdps/stacy-wolf/
