Jul

Musical Theatre Nerd Alert–Ep. 3

Hey, nerds!

Here is a bit of insight into the world of Musical Theatre History class for the MFAs: after spending weeks researching a composer or lyricist, crafting a beautiful PowerPoint, and lecturing on his or her life and work, we commonly develop a crush on our subject. It totally happened with me and George Gershwin and even more so with Jeanine Tesori. But no one became more infatuated than Courtney did with Oscar Hammerstein II.

Hammerstein served as an important bridge between the older style of operetta–think Kern, Herbert, and the like–and the newer style that would typify the Golden Age–think Loesser, Styne, and the like. His lyrics have paired with some of America’s best-loved melodies. Considering his mentorship of Stephen Sondheim, he is one of the most influential creators of the 20th century.

Now is a great time to tell you that if you’d like to subscribe to these videos directly, check out the SDSU Musical Theatre YouTube page. You can find past episodes there too. If you’re into social media, find and “like” our SDSU Facebook page. There are a lot of exciting things happening–including a soon-to-be season announcement–and this is the best place to learn all about it. There’s also some sweet content on Instagram @sdsumtmfa and on Twitter @MTMFASanDiego. Later, nerds!