Backstage by Pierre-Olivier Toulza
The Sound of Music
After Glee in 2009, a wave of TV shows exploring the backstage of music entertainment has taken over American television. French academic Pierre-Olivier Toulza discusses the aesthetics and politics of this joyful trend in a book, Backstage. For us, he comments a selection of his favorite musical scenes on TV.
Interview : Juliette Cordesse
Temps de lecture 5 min
Glee, Pose, Smash, Nashville, High School Musical… These TV shows all appeared in the 2010’s, bringing up to date a typical genre of the American culture : the backstage of the music entertainment. From Busby Berkeley’s movies in the 30’s or Bob Fosse’s in the 70’s, to Fame, the movie then the TV series in the 80’s, there’s a rich and long tradition of stories about the dreams, relentless work and disillusionments of aspiring singers heading to Broadway. Short after talent shows like American Idol or The Voice started becoming cultural phenomenon at the turn of the 21st century, TV fictions focusing on the backstage secrets of music industry joined the movement. This new generation of musical series come with new values of inclusivity, individual empowerment, solidarity, and a critic of the industry. Academic Pierre-Olivier Toulza discusses the phenomenon in a book, Backstage, Scènes et coulisses des séries musicales. To get us into the mood, he shares a few of his favorite sequences.
Backstage, Scènes et coulisses des séries musicales, by Pierre-Olivier Toulza is available in the Presses Universitaires François-Rabelais.
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