This series delves into the core of musical theatre by examining its essential elements and themes. Each volume focuses either on a character's literal or metaphorical 'journey' and the resulting dialogue, or tackles a current theoretical issue within the field. It explores how quest narratives, prevalent in musicals, manifest through geographic, temporal, generic, or personal transformations. The collection offers insightful analyses of the social, cultural, and aesthetic dimensions of musical theatre from a global viewpoint.
In the early twentieth century, South America became the most important market for European opera and musical theatre and this Element explores Walter Mocchi's transoceanic role in this revolution. He staged world premieres of works by Italian superstars in Argentina, offering an early example of what Stephen Greenblatt calls 'cultural mobility'.