Dr. Ben Francis

Stephen Sondheim is one of the best-known and most-loved musical theatre composers, but also one of the most misunderstood, often being labelled as 'distant' or 'cynical'. Careful the Spell You Cast instead argues that Sondheim firmly belongs to the Broadway aspirational tradition, in that many of his characters are defined by their dreams: to abandon one's dream (as Ben does...

Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick formed one of the most significant musical partnerships of the 1960s, creating some of the most beloved and enduring works in musical theatre. The work of American musical theatre writing team Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick has been oddly overlooked by scholars, despite the fact that their most famous show Fiddler on the Roof is...

Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick formed one of the most significant musical partnerships of the 1960s, creating some of the most beloved and enduring works in musical theatre. The work of the American musical theatre writing team Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick has been oddly overlooked by scholars, despite the fact that their most famous show, Fiddler on the Roof,...