HELP: Research Paper Topics for Broadway/Theatre

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 1:53pm

My employer's son is working on his big Research Paper this semester. Has to come up with a topic, for the paper, that interests him and is fairly relevant in today's age.

The boy can't think of anything good but knows he wants to do something about Broadway or "the arts" or theatre. His dad asked me if I could help come up with a list (since he knows I'm involved in the arts).

I've come up with a few but I'm not a huge fan of those few. Could someone please throw out some good topics??

I would appreciate it!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 2:56pm

Details...what kind of class is the paper for? (That would vary greatly what the topic could be) What are his interests? Why did he choose the arts? Is this a HS class? College course?

And...isn't coming up with his topic rather HIS responsibility?

[jasonf]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 2:59pm

A couple of ideas off the top of my head:

--The cultural impact of musical theater over the course of the past hundred years.

--Study of relationship between music and character development

-- Discussion of good and evil in Sondheim's shows (I did a paper on this in college - there's a LOT out there)

-- Comparison of dramatic structure of musicals to modern movies (example how a romantic comedy is formed in theater vs. film)

-- A study on the economics of theater -- how inflated prices are affecting what is being produced and where the trends are heading.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 3:17pm

The effect on employee morale when the boss is a pain in the *ss. Compare and contrast "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", "Promises, Promises" "9 to 5" "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "Working".

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 3:25pm

What movies have been successful/unsuccessful when adapted for Broadway/Why.

What plays have been successful/unsuccessful when adapted for Hollywood/Why.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 7:44pm

A study of a specific theater building from its inception to what it is today

The Broadway theater has a very storied history including the first showing of Steamboat Willie , Fantasia & Cinerama.

Updated On: 1/23/09 at 07:44 PM

[gcal]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 7:46pm

Broadway during America's Bicentennial: How shows like Chicago, Pacific Overtures, and A Chorus Line each reflected a different view of the American Dream.

[Square Peg2]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 8:10pm

You might want to check out the thread, "Nothing really important on Broadway these past 35 years?" There are some interesting comments on theatre developments in recent history that could lead to a research topic.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 8:36pm

SHOW CURTAINS!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 8:57pm

I always thought that it would be fun to contrast American musical theatre (or musical movies, if it's a more relevant comparison) with Bollywood, see the similarities and differences.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 9:02pm

Or the decline of audience etiquette?

[dg22894]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 9:47pm

Why movies get made into Musicals?
Why Hollywood stars are on Broadway which roles and how stunt casting works

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 10:31pm

Or why musicals get made into movies. Why Hollywood has to steal all the good Broadway Stars...

[LansburyLuPone]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 10:38pm

The WPA Theater during the Great Depression interests me these days, ever since I bought a copy of the movie "Cradle Will Rock" last week and just can't stop watching it. It's all about how a play was censored by the government in the 1930's, among quite a few subplots.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 1:12am

The revolution of a certain race portrayed in musicals from the early days to modern times.

[Timmer]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 10:10am

The point was made before that it would help to know what kind of class, what leve, what subject.

For a music class, for example, it might be interesting to compare and contrast the musical structure of classic Broadway musicals with contemporary ones. But that might not work as a topic if it's an English class or a drama class or a business class.

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 5:40am

I mentioned in another thread about how Andrew LLoyd Webber has influenced bringing musical Theatre into the mainstream of modern culture.
Also, it might be interesting to compare the pulse, so to speak, of Broadway in the last century (OK, maybe "half" century, to make it shorter, or even the last 30 years). In other words, trace the financial success, audience attendance numbers, and actual amount of shows (number of shows through the years). It might prove for very interesting research.

[the.hard.part]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 10:14am

I did a paper in HS on the curse of Macbeth and other theatre superstitions, was really fun to research

[LaRue]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 10:17am

I did a paper on Jerry Herman and how he is considered not as good as Sondheim because his shows are hits and more popular than Sondheims shows so he is not considered as good.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 10:56am

the.hard.part. -- that DOES sound like a fun paper. What other superstitions did you cover?

Likewise: a paper on theatrical traditions would be likewise fun.

Still....OP...you never responded to either the level of the class/student or the specific class the paper is for. That makes a HUGE difference.

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 12:50pm

The course is College Writing 2. Not a theatre-related class but they are allowed to write their paper on anything they want!

The student is intelligent and a very good writer. He loves theatre.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 1:26pm

How I answer your question with an unfunny, bitchy and unconstructive remark like you always do?

[the.hard.part]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 1:52pm

Wishing Good Luck, touched on the Belasco ghost in the blue dress and the appeasing of her by having someone in the cast in a blue dress, giving opening night gifts before the show as opposed to after, whistling backstage, a bad dress rehearsal is a sign of a good opening night and several other superstitions

[me2]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 7:18pm

Research Paper is such a broad topic--it could be expository, persuasive, etc. Some ideas . . .

The history and future of Disney on Broadway
The work of Stephen Sondheim (expository)
The work of Frank Loesser
The work of Loerner and Lowe
The work of Jason Robert Brown (catch a trend here?)
The success of film adaptations on Broadway
The career of Ethel Merman (again, pick any big star here--Mary Martin, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth)
Broadway 1998 vs 2008 (a big change)


Broadway Mouth: Autographed Luba Mason Krazy Love CD Giveaway

[Hiloha]

Posted: 1/26/09 at 7:39pm

I once had to do a paper on the similarities between the writing of Tennessee Williams and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was especially easy seeing as how Williams wrote the play "Clothes for a Summer Hotel" about Zelda and F. Scott. Also, many of the themes in their writing were the same. Almost everyone has read/seen a Williams play and read the Great Gatsby. It also compares two artistic mediums (novels vs theatre) which I find professors love.