Join Dr. Nathan Stith, Associate Professor at Trinity University on a captivating four-part journey from the birth of the American Musical to today- exploring iconic pieces of musical theatre and the artists who created them. Together we will explore the role musical theatre has played in our shared history and the impact this most American of art forms has had on our culture.
Nathan Stith is an actor and director with over 20 years of professional experience in New York and regional theaters across the country. He is a member of Actors' Equity Association, SAG/AFTRA, and the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance. His extensive stage credits include appearing with Placido Domingo in Cyrano de Bergerac at the New York Metropolitan Opera, several years on the Broadway National Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, and playing Bobby on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live. Additionally, he has performed in productions such as Macbeth at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, White Christmas at the Arvada Center, and 1776 at Stage Door Theatre. He currently serves as an Artistic Associate at the Oldcastle Theatre Company in Bennington, Vermont, where he has recently directed productions of 39 Steps and Brighton Beach Memoirs.
Curtain Talks & Cocktails are an exclusive benefit for Tobin Center Members and Signature Series Subscribers, provided to you free of charge. The series is also open to the public for $10 per session or $35 for all four. Each lecture is a standalone presentation, so join us for one or all!
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL: THE BLACK CROOK TO SHOW BOAT
Monday, November 13, 2023
Follow the evolution of the American Musical from its origins in opera, melodrama, vaudeville, and minstrelsy to the early musical comedies of the late 1800s and early 1900s. This lecture will cover the musical many scholars point to as the first musical, The Black Crook, as well as the works of the fathers of the American Musical, George M. Cohan and Jerome Kern.
THE GOLDEN AGE: OKLAHOMA! TO FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Explore the birth of the fully integrated musicals of the Golden Age. This lecture will delve into the works of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Bock & Harnick, and more!
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER AND THE MEGA-MUSICALS OF THE 1980s
Monday, February 26, 2024
Engage in a discussion on the work of the great Andrew Lloyd Webber and his significant influence on the American Musical throughout the 1980s and beyond.
ROCK MUSICALS: HAIR TO HAMILTON
Monday, April 15, 2024
Dive into the evolution of the rock musical, from the early days of Hair to iconic pieces of musical theatre such as Rent, Spring Awakening, and the hip-hop musicals of Lin-Manuel Miranda, including In the Heights and Hamilton.
