Course Schedule and Catalog
Course Catalog - 2022-2023
COLL 103 - FROM STAGE TO SCREEN
Long Title: FROM STAGE TO SCREEN: THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF MOVIE MUSICALS (BROWN)
Department: College Courses
Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Language of Instruction: Taught in English
Course Type: Seminar
Credit Hours: 1
Restrictions:
Must be enrolled in one of the following Level(s):
Undergraduate Professional
Visiting Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Description: Even before the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic and the complete shut-down of Broadway, live, quality theatre was rarely accessible, especially at an affordable price. Film adaptations of musicals, however, allow people to witness that theatre for a fraction of a Broadway ticket price, with one essential trade-off: the shift in storytelling medium requires changes to the source material that can lessen its quality dramatically. While some film adaptations are able to preserve, even enhance, the artistry of the original production, others handle the challenge much less gracefully. In “From Stage to Screen,” students will watch and discuss an assortment of film adaptations of musicals, ranging in critical acclaim and film style, in order to answer the question: considering the many definitions of success, what factors influence the artistic success of a film adaptation of a musical? While there are no exams in the course, students demonstrate comprehension of course themes through periodic papers reacting to the films and a final synthetical presentation.