How does a feminist spectator navigate misogynist representations of women?Musicals have always appealed to women as audience members and fans, even as most artists and producers were (and are) men.Feminist Approaches to Musical Theatre untangles these contradictions that are woven into the very fabric of this beloved, unapologetically commercial art form. This book offers a concise history of feminism's encounter with musicals and outlines methods through which to interpret musicals from a feminist perspective. Through case studies of shows such as Guys and Dolls, Evita, A Strange Loop and Ragtime, Feminist Approaches outlines five techniques for analyzing musical theatre from a feminist perspective, modeling these methods.Published as part of the Topics in Musical Theatre series, this foundational book provides readers with an understanding of feminist approaches as well as offering a brief overview of how feminist theory informs the study of musicals themselves.

Stacy Wolf is a leading academic in the field of feminism and musical theatre, based at Princeton University

IntroductionChapter 1: What is a feminist approach to musical theatre?Part 1: A Feminist PerspectivePart 2: Musical Theatre as a Performance GenrePart 3: Keywords and MethodsChapter 2: Guys & DollsChapter 3: EvitaChapter 4: RagtimeChapter 5: Bella: An American Tall Tale and A Strange LoopConclusion