[ecrea] CFP: Contemporary Musicals on Film, Television and the Internet

CALL FOR PAPERS

Contemporary Musicals on Film, Television and the Internet (working title)

Editors: Kenneth Chan and Aviva Dove-Viebahn

In recent years, the musical genre has seen a revival on American screens, with
television shows like Glee (2009-present)and American Idol (2002-present) and a
litany of cinematic adaptations from Chicago (2002)and Dreamgirls (2006) to Fame
(2009)and Burlesque (2010). Even before the wild popularity of Glee, myriad
television shows, including Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Ally McBeal
(1997-2002), Even Stevens (2000-2003), Scrubs (2001-2010), and How I Met Your
Mother (2005-present), used musical interludes or aired special musical episodes
to garner ratings and entertain fans. Web series and one-off celebrity skits
like Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog and “Prop 8: The Musical,” respectively,
have also jumped on the musical bandwagon.


This anthology of collected essays aims to explore the revival of the musical on
film, television and new media in the last two decades. Essays can explore any
aspect of the musical genre in these media, from musical adaptations and
original musical episodes or shows to the impact of films, television and media
focused on music or musical performances.


Topics of potential essays include, but are not limited to,

§  Discussions about what drives this revival
§  Considerations of what makes these contemporary musicals different from older
screen-based musical adaptations
§  The impact of television musicals on film musicals, or vice versa
§  Incorporation of pop music in musical score; appropriation/reconfiguration
§  Pop stars turn actors; actors turn singers
§  Raw talent; rise-to-stardom narrative
§  From Broadway to screen
§  Musicals based on bio-pics of pop stars or composers
§  Musical elements in non-musical shows and films
§  Hybrid genres – e.g. horror musicals
§  Impact of Hollywood and American musicals on global cinema
§  Bollywood influences on Hollywood musicals
§  Queer deployment and analysis of contemporary musicals
§  Questions of gender and race in contemporary screen musicals
§  The internet and other new media applications of the musical genre (web
series, spoofs, etc.)
§  Critical readings of musicals from a range of contemporary theoretical
perspectives.

Please send 300-word abstracts and a brief C.V. (focusing on recent
publications, if any) by May 31, 2011, to both Kenneth Chan
((kenneth.chan /at/ unco.edu)) and Aviva Dove-Viebahn ((aviva.doveviebahn /at/ unco.edu)).
Complete essays will be due August 1, 2011.


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