A Problem like Maria: Gender and Sexuality in the American Musical (Triangulations: Lesbian/Gay/Queer Theater/Drama/Performance)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.16 (610 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0472097725 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 312 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-01-21 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Her analysis of Martin's "tomboy" star persona (particularly as it is presented in South Pacific and Peter Pan) is shrewd, as is her discussion of Streisand's unconventional beauty and her explicit Jewishness. Wolf frequently insists she's not concerned with figuring out the actual sexual orientation of these actresses (though she often pauses to do so, decoding the Hollywood gossip surrounding Martin's marriage to gay actor Richard Halliday with obvious glee). Rather, she's interested in using the tools of feminist and queer theory to examine the women's performances and public images. Nor does she argue that they actually "played" lesbians on stage or in film. Unfortunately, Wolf only briefly considers why the genre of the musical itself might lend itself to such interpretive practice, and some readers may wish for a more general analysis of musical theater rather tha
A Customer said Interesting for hardcore musical fans. This isn't the most exciting book I've read but if you're a hardcore musical theatre fan, it's worth a read. Many of the author's arguments -- pretty much seeing lesbian overtones EVERYWHERE -- are a bit silly, but she also makes some good points. It's a point of view we rarely hear so that's worth something, and may get some people thinking about musicals di. Looking at the Theatre with a Different Lens I am reminded of the old story that a man who only has a hammer sees every problem as a nail. When you view the American musical theater through a lesbian lens you come up with some decidedly different views of Maria in the Sound of Music. Professor Wolf concentrates her study on four actresses of the 50's and early 60's: Mary Martin as Nellie in 'South Pacif. Musical Theatre Scholarship Grows Up Bruce Kirle With Stacy Wolf's A Problem Called Maria, musical theatre scholarship finally grows up. Wolf's study of four female icons of the musical stage (Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Julie Andrews, and Barbra Streisand) is rooted squarely in performance, something many musical theatre historians claim but seldom accomplish. Not only will the book fascinate musical theatr
A Problem Like Maria reexamines the roles, careers, and performances of four of musical theater's greatest stars-Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Julie Andrews, and Barbra Streisand-through a lesbian feminist lens. Focusing on both star persona and performance, Stacy Wolf argues that each of her subjects deftly crafted characters (both on and offstage) whose defiance of the norms of mid-twentiethcentury femininity had immediate appeal to spectators on the ideological and sexual margins, yet could still play in Peoria.Chapter by chapter, the book analyzes the stars' best-known and best-loved roles, including Martin as Ne
wolf is assistant professor of theater, university of texas, austin.