Musical Dramaturgy in Musical Theatre

Musical Dramaturgy in Musical Theatre discusses the form from the perspective of its most common element: the song. Using a historical approach it surveys how the role of music within a musical theatre structure changed over time, which in turn pushed the function of the score to new dramaturgical levels.
After introducing the central idea of musical dramaturgy as one which has a pivotal effect on how musicals are constructed, it considers the principles of musical comedy throughout history and the interplay between the score and libretto. Using early European musicals as a case study it moves on to look at the integrated shows of Rogers and Hammerstein and other Golden Age composers who reframe the dramaturgical structures through the book. It continues to trace the history of the form through a chapter on Rock and concept musicals before finally considering how the Jukebox musical introduced the concept of non-narrative dramaturgy thanks to popular songs.
The volume critically reflects on the debates on integration and narration in musical theatre and explores new ways of understanding how musical numbers contribute to the impact and appeal of the stage show. Published in the Topics in Musical Theatre series, it unpacks musical theories in an accessible style that doesn't rely on specialised musicological knowledge, making it perfect for students, scholars, musical fans, and musical creatives.

Nils Grosch is Head of Department of Art History, Musicology and Dance Studies at PLUS. He has published widely on musical theatre, music and migration as well as on popular music, including The Routledge Handbook on Music and Migration (2023) and Stimme - Körper - Medien: Gesang im 20. und 21. Jahrhundert (Laaber 2021).