Curtain Call

Jamie Corter

Join Jamie Corter, a senior at Rutgers University and aspiring journalist, in her journey to analyze how gender is depicted on a Broadway stage. In each episode of Curtain Call, Corter will focus on a specific decade of Broadway musical theater, starting from 1949 to 1959, and talk about productions that have plots, characters, or themes that revolve around gender. New episodes will be available every Friday afternoon!

Episodes

  1. 04/21/2021

    Episode 7: 2001 - Present "Never Getting Rid of Me"

    In this episode, Curtain Call's host, Jamie Corter, explores musicals from 2001 to the present that have a strong connection with gender. Jamie introduces the Modern and Post-Modern age of Broadway discussing the 2005 production of The Color Purple and the 2016 production of Waitress. In today's podcast episode, she talks about the parallels in themes between the two shows; themes such as finding self-empowerment through female relationships and the harsh depiction of domestic abuse. Additionally, she talks about intersectionality and stalking.  Join us for the last official episode of Curtain Call! Music Credits: "Campfire" by Roa Music on Youtube Works Cited: Cherry, N. (2018, November 16). Internalized Misogyny: What does it look like? How do you stop it? UMKC Women's Center. https://info.umkc.edu/womenc/2018/11/16/internalized-misogyny-what-does-it-look-like-how-do-you-stop-it/. Colorado State University. (n.d.). Stalking Statistics [web log]. https://wgac.colostate.edu/support-2/stalking/stalking-statistics/. Feder, D. (2016, August 2). Feminism and Femininity in Broadway’s Waitress [web log]. https://howlround.com/feminism-and-femininity-broadways-waitress. Kimmes, A. (2003). Celie's process of finding a voice and self-fulfillment In Alice Walker's 'The Color Purple', München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/23488 Quick Guide to Stalking: 16 Important Statistics, and What You Can Do About It. (2017, January 30). [web log]. https://ncadv.org/blog/posts/quick-guide-to-stalking-16-important-statistics-and-what-you-can-do-about-it. Romano, A. (2016, May 13). Sara Bareilles's new musical Waitress is fun and bubbly. But it's not feminist. [web log]. https://www.vox.com/2016/5/13/11516780/waitress-color-purple-domestic-violence-musical-theater. Sedehi, K. T., Talif, R., Wan Yahya, W. R., & Kaur, H. (2014, November). The Color Purple and Women's Time. Journal of Language Teaching and Research.

    56 min
  2. 04/12/2021

    Episode 6: 1991 - 2000 "No Day But Today"

    In this episode, Curtain Call's host, Jamie Corter, explores musicals from the 1990s that have a strong connection with gender. Jamie wraps up her conversation on contemporary age musicals by discussing William Finn's 1992 production of Falsettos and Johnathan Larson's 1996 Tony Award-Winning show RENT. In today's podcast episode, Jamie discusses these musicals' depiction of the AIDS/HIV epidemic of the late 1980s and whether they are an accurate portrayal. Additionally, she talks about unconventional families, the commodification of homosexuality, and changing gender identities.  Join us for the second last official decade's episode of Curtain Call! Music Credits: "Campfire" by Roa Music on Youtube "The Color Purple (Reprise)" from the 2015 Broadway Cast of The Color Purple  "Soft Place to Land" from the 2016 Original Broadway Cast Recording of Waitress Works Cited:  Bendix, T. (2019, January 28). How "rent" straightwashed queer lives and aids activism. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.them.us/story/sarah-schulman-rent Incarnate, C. (2019, January 25). Angel's gender identity Is 'RENT's' most enduring mystery. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.out.com/news-opinion/2019/1/25/angels-gender-identity-rents-most-enduring-mystery Isherwood, C. (2016, October 27). Review: ‘Falsettos,’ a Perfect Musical, an Imperfect Family [Web log review]. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/28/theater/falsettos-review.html Kenrick, J. (1996). Our Love Is Here To Stay VIII AIDS and Beyond [Web log post]. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.musicals101.com/gay8.htm#:~:text=Musicals%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20AIDS,-Gay%20playwrights%20began&text=Larry%20Kramer%27s%20The%20Normal%20Heart,In%20America%20led%20the%20way Knox, D. (1980). Trends in Marriage and the Family: The 1980's. Family Relations, 29(2), 145-150. doi:10.2307/584064 Miller, S. (n.d.). Inside "March of the Falsettos" [Web log post]. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from http://www.newlinetheatre.com/falsettoschapter.html Smith, M. C. (1995, February 03). 'Falsettos' sings the praises of '90S families : THEATER: The Tony-winning play, which opens at UCI tonight, deals with gayness in an Unconventional HOUSEHOLD. but it's mostly about tolerance, the director says. Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-03-ca-27505-story.html

    54 min
  3. 03/29/2021

    Episode 5: 1981 - 1990 "Lovely Ladies"

    In this episode, Curtain Call's host, Jamie Corter, explores musicals from the 1980s that have a strong connection with gender. Jamie continues to talk about musicals from the contemporary age of Broadway, choosing two well-known shows for today's podcast: the 1987 production of Les Miserables and the 1988 production of The Phantom of the Opera. This episode debates whether these two shows should be considered "feminist musicals" with Jamie presenting comprehensive arguments for both sides. During her discussion of Les Mis, she analyzes the lovely leading ladies' roles in the musical, the evolution of the female characters, the show's poor depiction of single mothers, as well as the sex slavery industry. For The Phantom of the Opera, she addresses the toxic love triangle between the principal roles and the leading female characters' agency in the narrative. Join us for the fourth official decade's episode of Curtain Call! Music Credits: "Campfire" by Roa Music on Youtube "Falsettoland/About Time" from the 2016 Broadway Cast Recording of Falsettos "Seasons of Love" from the 1996 Original Broadway Cast Recording of RENT Works Cited: Drumright, P. (n.d.). The Phantom of the Opera: Spectacular Musical or Archetypal Story? Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1063&context=nepca&httpsredir=1&referer= Faucette, A. (2009, February 15). Re-Seeing The Phantom of the Opera from a Feminist Perspective [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://radicallyqueer.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/re-seeing-the-phantom-of-the-opera-from-a-feminist-perspective/ Isaacs, J. (2013, February 13). Character Changes in Les Misérables: From book to stage/screen [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://www.thebubble.org.uk/culture/literature/character-changes-in-les-miserables-from-book-to-stagescreen/ Kearns, M. (2013, January 12). ‘Les Miserables,’ Sex Work & Fantine as a Symbol for Women’s Oppression [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://opinionessoftheworld.com/2013/01/12/les-miserables-sex-trafficking-fantine-as-a-symbol-for-womens-oppression/ Livingston, G. (2018, April 25). Facts on Unmarried parents in the U.S. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/04/25/the-changing-profile-of-unmarried-parents/ Schwarz, L. (2015, March 18). The Feminist Dilemma Of My Burning Love For Phantom Of The Opera [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from Little Bear, S. (2015, March 18). The Feminist Dilemma Of My Burning Love For Phantom Of The Opera [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://ravishly.com/2015/03/18/feminist-dilemma-my-burning-love-phantom-opera-media Wee, S. (2019, November 29). Behind the Masquerade: Is Phantom of the Opera sexist?Steffi [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://www.hercampus.com/school/nanyang-tech/behind-masquerade-phantom-opera-sexist Wilson, N. (2012, December 27). Some Musicals Are More Feminist Than Others [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://msmagazine.com/2012/12/27/some-musicals-are-more-feminist-than-others/ Wolf, S. (2012, December 28). Why we love ‘Les Miserables,’ despite its miserable gender stereotypes [Web log post]. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-we-love-les-miserables-despite-its-miserable-gender-stereotypes/2012/12/28/bc8ef17e-4f84-11e2-839d-d54cc6e49b63_story.html?fbclid=IwAR31dCqtvfJDHwAtOazam06_wnGzcKDaLS0rhJEWOeVlAe4QeBgH6pmjbEg

    39 min
  4. 03/22/2021

    Episode 4: 1971 - 1980 "She should stare at the ceiling, not reach for the skies"

    In this episode, Curtain Call's host, Jamie Corter, explores musicals from the 1970s that have a strong connection with gender. The Contemporary Age of Broadway began in 1968 with the opening of Hair, and Jamie is extremely excited to start talking about musicals from this time period! For today's podcast, she talks about the 1971 Tony Award-Winning show Company, written by the infamous composer Stephen Sondheim and the 1980 Tony Award-Winning, Evita created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. This episode focuses on revivals, society's double standards when it comes to marriage, along with the hypersexualization of a historical female political figure! Join us for the third official decade's episode of Curtain Call! A quick correction: When talking about Webber and Rice's depiction of the upper classes' opinions on Eva Peron, I misspoke the title of the song. I said, "Peron's Last Flame" while the actual song title is "Peron's Latest Flame."  Music Credits: "Campfire" by Roa Music on Youtube "Castle on a Cloud" from the 1987 Original Broadway Cast Recording of Les Miserables "Phantom of the Opera" from the 1988 Original Broadway Cast Recording of The Phantom of the Opera Works Cited: Bullen, B. (2020, March 8). Thoughts on gender-swapped “Company” on Broadway [Web log review]. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://chitheatreaddict.com/2020/03/08/thoughts-on-gender-swapped-company-on-broadway/ Clearwood, M. (2017, September 20). The White Supremacy & Male Gaze of 'Evita' [Web log post]. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2017/9/20/the-white-supremacy-male-gaze-of-evita Courtney, Leigh (2010) "Goodnight and thank you, Evita: The Sexualization of Eva Peron in Popular Culture and its Implications," Articulāte: Vol. 15, Article 3 Dowd, V. (2018, October 18). Sondheim's Company is a gender-swap hit [Web log review]. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-45811759 Joy, R. (2020, December 22). What’s the Connection Between Your Biological Clock and Fertility? [Web log post]. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/biological-clock-women Loreck, J. (2016, January 5). Explainer: What does the ‘male gaze’ mean, and what about a female gaze? [Web log post]. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-the-male-gaze-mean-and-what-about-a-female-gaze-52486 Trueman, M. (2018, October 17). West End Review: ‘Company’ [Web log review]. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://variety.com/2018/legit/reviews/company-review-gender-swap-marianne-elliott-1202981961/ Varley, G. (2018, July 12). Complete cast announced for Company in the West End [Web log interview]. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/complete-cast-announced-for-company-in-the-west-end

    37 min
  5. 03/13/2021

    Episode 3: 1960 - 1970 "Love, It's The New Style"

    In this episode, Curtain Call's host, Jamie Corter, explores musicals from the 1960s that have a strong connection with gender. The Golden Age of Broadway continued well into the 1960s and Jamie picked two well-known musicals to analyze: the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The Sound of Music, and the crowd-favorite, Fiddler on the Roof. While last week Jamie talked about the serious topics of misogyny, feminine transformations, and gender dynamics within a relationship, this week she takes a more progressive look at these two 1960s productions. Join us for the second official decade's episode of Curtain Call! Music Credits: "Campfire" by Roa Music on Youtube "Tradition" from the 2016 Broadway Cast of Fiddler on the Roof "Getting Married Today" from the 1970 Original Broadway Cast Recording of Company "On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada/Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" from the 1979 Original Broadway Cast Recording of Evita Works Cited: Bennett, T., Grossberg, L., & Morris, M. (2005). Gender. In New keywords a Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Erskine, H. (1971). The Polls: Women's Role. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 35(2), 275-290. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2748030 Gindi, J. (2016, December 22). Transforming Tradition: Love, Marriage, and Autonomy—From Fiddler on the Roof to Modern-Day India [Web log post]. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://ajws.org/blog/transforming-tradition/ Jacobson, A. (2019, February 26). Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish!) and Feminism. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://lilith.org/2019/02/fiddler-on-the-roof-in-Yiddish-and-feminism/2/ Kearns, M. (2019, March 16). "Fiddler on the Roof": The Tradition, Revived, in Yiddish. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/03/fiddler-on-the-roof-new-production-tradition-compromise/ Phay, S. (2016, May 18). A “Problem Like Maria”? Maybe Just the Opposite [Web log post]. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://sites.williams.edu/engl117s16/uncategorized/a-problem-like-maria-maybe-just-the-opposite/?fbclid=IwAR1QKjEHvjbMyuy6pamXc8R65fe2sd6byPQtKe8KoyKUkCCAEhky9OQAKEI

    28 min
  6. 03/06/2021

    Episode 2: 1949 - 1959 "The Sun is the Moon"

    In this episode, Curtain Call's host, Jamie Corter, explores musicals from the 1950s that have a strong connection with gender. While many Broadway productions dealt with gender at the time, Jamie settled on the two Tony Award-Winning shows Kiss Me Kate and My Fair Lady. Both musicals have been analyzed through a feminist lens; however, Jamie adds to the conversation by discussing gender dynamics within couples, what it means to be feminine, and how heterosexual romantic relationships were a common trope in 1950s storylines. Join us for the first official decade's episode of Curtain Call!  A note to listeners: this episode is being uploaded slightly late because of technical difficulties while recording. If you hear inconsistencies, please just ignore them; I'm trying my best! :) Music Credits: "Campfire" by Roa Music on Youtube "The Sound of Music" from the 1965 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Recording of The Sound of Music "Matchmaker" from the 1971 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Recording of Fiddler on the Roof Works Cited: Detmer, E. (1997). Civilizing Subordination: Domestic Violence and The Taming of the Shrew. Shakespeare Quarterly, 48(3), 273-294. doi:10.2307/2871017 Ray, M. (2014). My Fair Lady: A Voice for Change. American Music, 32(3), 292-316.doi:10.5406/americanmusic.32.3.0292 Rosenberg, C. (2019, December 4). What the C.I.A.’s Torture Program Looked Like to the Tortured. New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/04/us/politics/cia-torture-drawings.html

    25 min

About

Join Jamie Corter, a senior at Rutgers University and aspiring journalist, in her journey to analyze how gender is depicted on a Broadway stage. In each episode of Curtain Call, Corter will focus on a specific decade of Broadway musical theater, starting from 1949 to 1959, and talk about productions that have plots, characters, or themes that revolve around gender. New episodes will be available every Friday afternoon!