ENWR 1510 is a writing seminar designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of academic
prose. We cover a number of writing topics in class, including the crafting of arguments,
methods of brainstorming and revision, approaches to research, and the principles of good style.
Like other classes in academic writing at the University of Virginia, this course has a specific
theme. Ours is “The Musical: Then and Now,” which will help us develop paper topics and focus
class discussion. We will pair classic musicals with more recent works and articles that speak to
them in ways that open up discussions of race, sexuality, violence, and audience, among others.
The broad historical scope of the pairings will allow us to broach larger questions about the
changing relationships among the musical, the marketplace, and current events.
We will examine several musicals: Singin’ in the Rain, The Muppets, West Side Story, Rocky
Horror Picture Show, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, and a few other short pieces. That said, I
encourage you in later papers to look to other musicals and related topics that may serve as
relevant points of comparison or interesting grounds for argument. No prior experience with
music, theatre, or film is required.