Evaluation: Social Media in Musical Theatre, by Trevor Boffone

Evaluation: Social Media in Musical Theatre, by Trevor Boffone

This brief educational essay examines the best way the expertise of musical theatre has been modified by social media. By case research for 3 key platforms, YouTube, Twitter (X) and TikTok, Trevor Boffone, a lecturer in Girls’s Gender and Sexuality Research on the College of Houston, illustrates a couple of intriguing, if not fully shocking, tendencies.

Firstly, he contends that social media virality has modified the which means of “liveness” and “reside efficiency” for musicals. For out-of-town followers, enjoyment of a reside musical efficiency is commonly a small fraction of the fan expertise: belonging to one of many social media communities which have adopted a musical gives the additional pleasure of making and sharing thematic digital artefacts, from home-made movies to completely orchestrated songs, or partaking in a two-way dialog with solid members. 

Secondly, he proves that social media has develop into not merely an area for fandom and criticism but additionally an area for innovation and co-creation. He examines the methods during which followers act as ambassadors of their favorite musical and the way social media platforms act as clearing homes for disseminating musical-related content material. He analyses methods during which followers interact by creating fully new musicals or spin offs collaboratively with different followers: YouTubesicals and Ratatouille: The TikTok Musicalbeing instances in level.

Thirdly, Boffone claims that social media has confirmed time and time once more it’s a pressure able to shaping the trajectory of musicals. He factors to examples the place actors’ skill to interact with their massive cohort of social media followers has influenced casting selections by casting administrators. He lists a number of musicals whose fortunes have been revived because of memes and clever engagement on YouTube by the solid and producers, regardless of having initially flatlined on the field workplace. He examines the unlikely success of the 2022 Grammy award for Greatest Musical Theatre Album, bestowed to not music composed by a musical theatre manufacturing workforce, however to an album produced by two TikTokers who created, after which posted on the platform, totally orchestrated songs for every of the characters within the Bridgerton Netflix sequence. Bridgerton the Musical may need develop into staged for actual, had a Netflix copyright infringement lawsuit not put a cease to it.

The essay is considerably missing perspective in a number of of its extra sweeping claims about social media’s energy to form musicals and common tradition and its skill to create an on the spot connection between followers and solid. Far more necessary social processes have been equally formed and disrupted: democratic illustration and political elections come to thoughts.

The e book is at its strongest, nonetheless, when working by means of examples of profitable social media campaigns for musicals. It’s exactly this wealthy portfolio of promoting templates that makes this slim booklet required studying for any viewers growth skilled within the musical theatre house.

Written by: Trevor Boffone
Revealed by: Methuen

Social Media in Musical Theatre is offered from all good e book retailers, together with Bloomsbury Publishing right here.