[Commlist] CFP: Stagestruck! 5: Nostalgia and the Hollywood Musical

*CALL FOR PAPERS:*
*STAGESTRUCK! 5: NOSTALGIA AND THE HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL*
(With apologies for cross-posting)

Dates: 15-17 May 2024
Great American Songbook Foundation, Carmel, Indiana in collaboration 
with The University of Sheffield

*Convenor:* Dominic Broomfield-McHugh (University of Sheffield)

*Keynote speakers:*

Maya Cantu (Bennington College)

Desirée Garcia (Dartmouth College)

Hannah Lewis (University of Texas at Austin)

Julianne Lindberg (University of Nevada, Reno)

*
*

*Respondent:* Mia Mask (Vassar College)

*Abstract:*

Key Hollywood musicals from the 1930s, '40s and '50s have become staples 
of family life in America, with each generation introducing the next to 
Singin' in the Rain, White Christmas, Swing Time, and so on. These and 
other movies are referenced in more recent movies such as Moulin Rouge! 
and particularly La La Land, drawing on a strong feeling of American 
nostalgia that keeps the artistry and creativity of these films alive in 
the twenty-first century. Yet these older films also reflect the times 
in which they were made, foregrounding the representation of race, 
gender, disability and sexuality in ways that are sometimes 
significantly at odds with contemporary values. What are the 
implications of new films paying homage uncritically to an earlier 
period of film that excludes or stigmatises certain communities? Is 
nostalgia positive or pejorative?

Possible lines of enquiry might include:

  * Nostalgia as a creative force in the Hollywood musical
  * The politics of nostalgia in the Hollywood musical
  * Nostalgia as a commercial tool in the Hollywood musical
  * Conflicts of past and present in individual movies
  * What are the benefits and pitfalls of nostalgia in Hollywood musicals?
  * Is the Hollywood musical ever not nostalgic?
  * How can we strengthen relationships between scholars of different
    disciplines (e.g. musicology and film studies) in addressing these
    questions?
  * What are the major archival holdings that might help address this 
topic?
  * Stars and directors who are particularly implicated in narratives of
    nostalgia and the musical
  * Aspects of the genre that particularly exploit or rework ideas of
    nostalgia in the musical

Proposals for individual papers (20 minutes + 10 minutes of discussion) 
or for a 90-minute panel (three papers + discussion) should be submitted 
through the form on the conference website by 30 April 2023: 
_https://thesongbook.org/stagestruck2024 
<https://thesongbook.org/stagestruck2024>_


Although this will focus around a large in-person event, hybrid 
participation is also welcomed for those for whom in-person events are a 
barrier for any reason. The organisers are also committed to supporting 
attendance for those for whom costs are prohibitive. We especially 
encourage and support participation from students and those from 
minoritised communities; we welcome comments and questions, in 
confidence, to do all we can to make participation comfortable for all. 
Please email (d.broomfield-mchugh /at/ sheffield.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(d.broomfield-mchugh /at/ sheffield.ac.uk)> with any questions, 
suggestions or concerns.


Additional details:

The conference will include a showcase of the Great American Songbook 
Foundation’s holdings on musicals, which include the collections of 
Meredith Willson, Liza Minnelli and Gus Kahn.It will take place 
alongside a mini festival of the Hollywood musical at the Songbook 
Foundation, including several screenings, a book signing, and a special 
concert by Michael Feinstein at the Center for the Performing Arts.

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