Gender and the Musicals Conference
Karen McNally, Bill Osgerby and Mike Chopra-Gant are organising a one day conference on this subject. The conference will take place at the university on 8th December 2007. Noted authority on masculinity in movies and leading figure in the study of the musical genre, Professor Steven Cohan, of Syracuse University will be the keynote speaker. Proposals for papers are still being accepted.
As a genre, the musical is an endlessly rich ground for discussions of gender. From its creation of a world of fantasy, free of traditional boundaries, to the elements of spectacle and performance that lie at the core of its framework, the musical provides an arena for expressions and representations of gender which stray distinctly from the norm. From Kelly and Garland to the Nicholas Brothers, the stars of the genre have consistently played with conventional notions of gender through performance and star imagery. Similarly, the musical transgresses stereotypical gender dynamics, while seemingly based in traditional boy meets girl narratives.
This one-day conference seeks to promote original scholarship on gender in all forms of the musical. While celebrating the central significance of the Hollywood musical, explorations of the genre will be extended to incorporate international cinema and other media forms such as television and stage. Proposals are welcome which examine issues of gender from a wide variety of original perspectives.
Mike Chopra-Gant leads the MA Mass Communications course.
Bill Osgerby is Professor in Media, Culture and Communications.
American popular culture and is a research specialisms within the department and enquiries for post-graduate study are invited in this area. Enquire here.
