This book introduces readers to the widespread phenomenon of how social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok become an extension of long-standing aspects of musical theatre engagement. Although casual observers may dismiss social media's import, social media has revolutionized the field of musical theatre since the early days of Web 2.0 with spaces such as AOL, LiveJournal, and Myspace. Now, as social media continues to grow in relevance, the nuanced ways in which digital platforms influence musical culture remain ripe for study. Social Media in Musical Theatre moves beyond viewing social media merely as a passing fad or a space free from critical engagement. Rather, this volume takes a serious look at the critical role social media play in musicals, thus challenging how social media users and musical theatre-makers alike approach digital spaces. This book introduces the relationship between musical theatre and social media in the 21st century as well as methods to study social media's influence on musicals through three in-depth case studies organized around marketing on YouTube, fan engagement on Twitter, and new musical development on TikTok.

Provides a concise history of social media and musical theatre, including in-depth case studies which underscore how social media intersects with musicals from conception to reception.

About the Author
Trevor Boffone is Lecturer in the Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program at the University of Houston, USA. His work using Dubsmash and TikTok with his students has been featured on Good Morning America, ABC News, Inside Edition, and Access Hollywood, among numerous national and local media platforms. He is the author of Renegades: Digital Dance Cultures from Dubsmash to TikTok. He is the co-editor of Encuentro: Latinx Performance for the New American Theater; Nerds, Goths, Geeks, and Freaks: Outsiders in Chicanx and Latinx Young Adult Literature; and Shakespeare and Latinidad.


Book Information
ISBN 9781350358560
Author Trevor Boffone
Format Paperback
Page Count 128
Imprint Methuen Drama
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC