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| I reread both in June! (and more recommendations and resources) | |
| Posted by: GabbyGerard 03:54 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: Musical Theater and Gay Culture - broadwaybacker 10:02 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
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| I was writing an article about musical theatre and homosexuality and reread both Miller and Clum. I wouldn't really recommend Miller, which ends up being more personal essay than analysis. However, I adore Clum. His book mixes personal narrative with far more insightful analysis. I wish he would release an updated edition. I also highly recommend the writing of Stacy Wolf as a complement to Clum. Her area of focus is on queer female readings of the musical (i.e., lesbian interpretations). Her book A Problem Like Maria: Gender and Sexuality in the American Musical is FANTASTIC. It has individual sections dedicated to the queer followings, personae, and appeal of Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Julie Andres, and Barbra Streisand. There's a decent chapter on musical theatre and homosexuality in Raymond Knapp's highly academic The American Musical and the Performance of Personal Identity. You might also check out a 2016 dissertation from the University of Birmingham by James Michael Lovelock called "Not Just for Gays Anymore": Men, Masculinities and Musical Theatre. Dissertation." I found his research problematic, but there are some interesting ideas and findings. For a more accessible--both practically and intellectually--check out John Kenrick's Our Love Is Here To Stay: Gays and Musicals" on Musicals 101.com: http://www.musicals101.com/ourlove.htm |
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| re: I reread both in June! (and more recommendations and resources) | |
| Posted by: JohnDunlop 10:57 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: I reread both in June! (and more recommendations and resources) - GabbyGerard 03:54 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
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| I remember being slightly disappointed with A PROBLEM LIKE MARIA. It is understood that it would been unlikely to see any of the four ladies in person in a musical. But, she could have attended a Streisand concert. The book is available on Amazon. | |
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| Cum's Problematic Scholarship | |
| Posted by: BruceinIthaca 09:33 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: I reread both in June! (and more recommendations and resources) - GabbyGerard 03:54 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
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| You may adore Clum, but I am always irritated and surprised by the number of factual errors I find in his books (no, I can't cite them off the top of my head, as it's been some years since I've read any of them--never went back for a second read once I started spotting errors). Given that he was on the Duke faculty and that his scholarly books are from good university presses, I was both sad and angry to find I could not assume he or his editors had done a solid job of fact-checking. So, proceed with caution--if you find his theories and analyses useful, good (I didn't--they seemed very simplistic to me), but if you are thinking of citing any of his representations of factual information, I'd advise finding a back-up source to verify. I love the Miller book. It is sui generis, as others have suggested, a kind of early queer theory cum personal narrative about musical theatre and queer identity, but fascinating on its own terms. And I found his analysis of Gypsy's central place in queer musical fandom very intelligent and useful. |
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| re: CRum's Problematic Scholarship | |
| Posted by: BruceinIthaca 09:34 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: Cum's Problematic Scholarship - BruceinIthaca 09:33 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
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| Sorry, Crum--working with an ornery keyboard. Should have double-checked. No double entendre intended. | |
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| re: I reread both in June! (and more recommendations and resources) | |
| Posted by: WWriter 07:23 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: I reread both in June! (and more recommendations and resources) - GabbyGerard 03:54 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
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| Just went on my library's website to put A Problem Like Maria on hold (thanks for the recommendation!). And I got this message: "Did you mean: a prophet like moses?" No, actually, I didn't. |
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| I love Knapp's work | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 04:01 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: I reread both in June! (and more recommendations and resources) - GabbyGerard 03:54 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
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| Good suggestions, Gabby! Laura |
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