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A MUSICAL TOUR OF REMAKES, RETELLINGS, AND ADAPTATIONS

Instructor: Lettie Switzer. Adjunct College Music Instructor,
Former Director of Gems in Bucks County
The original is always best, right? Or does a modern spin on a classic give fresh life to an old and outdated tale? In this class we will compare various versions of stage and film musicals: originals, remakes, retellings, and adaptations. We will watch, side by side, scenes of multiple versions of musicals such as West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, Annie, and Cinderella, as well as compare shows that are adaptations of the same story such as Miss Saigon and Madam Butterfly. We will listen to original Broadway and London casts perform, and see how revival casts measure up in their interpretations of shows such as Les Miserables and Spring Awakening. We will focus on the different voices, the acting, the costumes, the sometimes subtle and sometimes drastic changes to the script and storyline. What takes one version better or worse than another? You will be the judge!