Introduction

Abstract

Abstract Local musical theatre from high schools to community theatres, from summer camps to dinner theatres, is a thriving art form in the United States. Musical theatre provides a creative outlet, a way to make friends and build community, and a route to identity formation. Local musical theatre is a folk practice that is handed down from one generation to the next. The context of this book is the 2010s, a decade when musical theatre came into new visibility in the United States, building on the success of the television series Glee, reality performance competition shows, live televised musicals, and successful film musicals. Though Broadway is a global brand, musical theatre is a local phenomenon, embedded in its community and in conversation with local issues. Technology enables musical theatre through the proliferation of YouTube clips and online sites but is also anathema to it, as musical theatre is a face-to-face, live practice for both creators and audiences. Local musical theatre production both depends on and feeds the global licensing industry. Local musical theatre blurs the line between amateur and professional, as many people do musicals solely for fun and yet take their activity as seriously as work. The book relies on a feminist, empathetic ethnographic method, which incorporates participant-observation and interviews as well as an open exchange about how subjects are represented. The structure of the book is a journey across America to visit many sites and types of musical theatre production.