Music: Showtime!

From the sweeping drama of Show Boat to the global phenomenon of The Sound of Music, and the modern sensation of Hamilton, stage musicals have thrilled audiences for more than a century. Combining music, storytelling, dance, comedy, and spectacle, these shows have become some of the most popular and influential forms of entertainment in modern culture.

Join Dr Bruno Bower each week online to explore the history of the stage musical and discover how this vibrant form of theatre developed. We will travel from nineteenth-century operetta and burlesque to the cabaret and musical comedy of the early twentieth century, before arriving at the great “book musicals” of Broadway and the modern global hits that continue to reshape the genre.

Along the way we will look at the extraordinary variety of musical entertainment that has appeared on stage and screen: glittering revues, Broadway spectaculars, film adaptations, and contemporary jukebox musicals built around familiar pop songs.

We will also explore some of the bigger questions raised by these shows. Why have musicals proved so commercially successful? How have they reflected changing social values and national identities? And why have these supposedly “light” entertainments produced some of the most memorable stories and songs in modern culture?

This course offers a lively introduction to the history of stage musicals and the enduring appeal of the genre.

No previous knowledge is required. All are welcome.

This course is taught online.

Term dates

•  Autumn/Michaelmas Term: week beginning 12 October 2026 until week ending 11 December 2026

For course content and language level enquiries: Contact the course tutor, Dr Bruno Bower at b.bower@imperial.ac.uk 

For enrolment and booking enquiries: Contact Christian Jacobi at c.jacobi@imperial.ac.uk

Class recordings

These classes are not recorded.

Imperial certificates

This course has no exams or assessments, so you can focus on enjoying your learning. If you attend regularly, you may also receive an Imperial attendance certificate. (T&Cs apply).