From The Beggar's Opera to Avenue Q., musicals have commented on social issues for as long as there has been musical theater in America.

Words and Music: Musical Theater in America

Broadway and Social Commentary

This series is designed to introduce middle and high school audiences to the many aspects of musical theater. Using examples of the best that Broadway musicals have to offer, Heather Nathans, Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Maryland, talks about the history of musical theater in America; its structure and elements of a musical (do you know what an "I Want" song is?); musical theater's role in making social commentary, and its legacy.

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Words and Music: Musical Theater in America