Schedule

In this course, we explore topics in contemporary musical theatre from an international perspective with musicals from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Germany and elsewhere. Students learn about the stories, musical genres and performance styles that are shaping the experience of musical theatre for audience today. This course is taught in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI). Students are expected to watch performances and undertake homework between classes; this includes attending a current production of musical theatre selected for study.

Week 1 – Introduction to Topics in Contemporary Musical Theatre

Week 2 –  International Centres of Musical Production – Beyond Broadway

Musical Theatre around Asia – Diversity in Form

Week 3 – Takarazuka, Toho and 2.5D Musicals – Japan

Week 4 – 빨래 Laundry (2006–2024), 렛미플라이 Let Me Fly (2023) – South Korea

Week 5 – Innovations with musical theatre in Hong Kong and Taiwan – M向左走 向右走 Turn Left, Turn Right (Taiwan, 2008–2018, 2022)– 梁祝的繼承者們 Art School Musical (Hong Kong, 2014–2024)

Week 6 – No classes – National Day

Musical Theatre in Contemporary Taiwan – Memories and Cultures

Week 7 – 1624 大型戶外歌仔音樂劇 (2024) – 半島風聲相放伴 The Chants of Motherland Sagas (2019-2023) – Taiwan

Week 8 – 勸世三姊妹 Don’t Cry, Dancing Girls the Musical (2021–2024) – Taiwan – Presentation 1

Week 9 – Experiencing a current production of musical theatre in Taiwan

Musical Theatre around Europe – History and Experience

Week 10 – Heidi (Italy, 2010), Heidi (Austria, 2018) and Mozart! (Austria, 1999–2024), Mozart: L’Opera Rock (France, 2009–2019)

Week 11 – Linie 1 (Germany, 1986/2006) – Presentation 2

Musical theatre from Australia – Place and Belonging

Week 12  –  Muriel’s Wedding (1994/2017) and Songs from the Middle (Eddie Perfect, Australia, 2010)

Week 13  – Bran Nue Dae (1990/2009) – Presentation 3

International Co-Productions – Mediating Musicals

Week 14 – Marie Antoinette from Japan to Germany to Korea to Japan (2006–2018) – Presentation 4

Week 15  – Hedwig and the Angry Inch in translation: Korea, Japan and Taiwan (2005–2024) – Presentation 5

Week 16  – Prospects and Reflections – Final Exam

Attendance and participation

Students are expected to attend all classes on time and to participate in learning activities. Students are particularly encouraged to draw on their own experience of reading plays and watching performance, including current theatre productions. Students are encouraged to focus on learning during class. Using mobile phones and laptops for purposes other than learning is discouraged. Any absence should be explained in advance. It is the student's responsibilty to inform the teacher if they are absent prior to the class. Unexplained absences will reduce a student's grade for participation. Late attendence for more than twenty minutes on two occasions will be recorded as one unexecused absence. 

Assignments

Assignments are to be written in English. Please prepare a PDF file for A4 size paper, double line-spacing with a serif font (such as Baskerville, Cambria, Georgia, and Times New Roman) in size 12. Spell-checking and grammar tools are acceptable ways to improve the quality of your writing. Extensive use of automated translation (such as Google Translate) or text generated using artificial intelligence (such as ChatGP) are unacceptable as evidence of your learning. Be prepared to answer questions in interview about your assignments, if required, as part of the assessment process.  

Consultation

This course encourages independent study and you are welcome to discuss your learning with me. My regular office hours for student consultation are Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 and Fridays 13:00-15:00. Other times may be possible; please email jonathan.bollen@ntnu.edu.tw for appointment. Usually I will reply to your emails within 2 working days, and you are advised to do the same. A follow-up reply will be much appreciated, so that I know you've received my message. 

The course materials include selected videos of musical theatre, audio cast-recordings, and excerpts from scholarly books and journal articles from the library.

Reference books

Laura MacDonald, Ryan Donovan, William A. Everett, eds. The Routledge Companion to Musical Theater (London & New York: Routledge, 2023) – includes chapters on contemporary musicals from Austria, Germany, France, Brazil, Philippines, Korea and ‘the Broadway-style musical in/and Global Asias’

David Savran, Tell it to the World: The Broadway Musical Abroad (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024) – focuses on the production of musicals in South Korea and Germany.

Jessica Sternfeld and Elizabeth L. Wollman, The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical (New York and London: Routledge, 2020).

Stacy Wolf, Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theater across America (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019)