Narrators in Musical Theatre

"Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?"

What do Burr in Hamilton, Che in Evita, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Hermes in Hadestown and the Emcee in Cabaret all have in common? They all act as narrators in each musical in which they appear, employed to speak directly to the audience, comment on the action and offer an important external reflection.

From classic Broadway musicals to the 'British invasion' megamusicals and the biggest contemporary hits, the role of the narrator figure in musical theatre is varied, important and necessary to critically unpack.

Narrators in Musical Theatre provides scholarly insight into how to approach musicals that include narrator characters and/or have instances of character narration of events. Tracking the process historically these edited chapters offer an overview of the practice, considering the musical's connection with both classical theatre and the opera, as well as a comprehensive overview of the development of the form of the musical as we know it.

Individual chapters analyse specific types of narrator roles through key case studies drawn from both major canonical musical theatre works and lesser-known compositions. From investigating individual examples of the narrator/narration phenomenon and showing how specific theoretical and critical lenses can be vital for informing interpretation of musicals, readers will walk away with an understanding of the prevalence of narrators in musicals, along with tools for how to unpack meaning in shows that use the element of narration to present their story.

Published in Methuen Drama's Musical Theatre Critical Companions series this offers an accessible yet thorough study of key formal concept that is perfect for students, dramaturgs, writers and musical theatre fans alike.