A course on the Musical theater genre's attempt to define itself and reflect on its own conventions through musicals about musicals - works that are self referential, satirical or parodic. The course will investigate the effect of this self-awareness on theatrical conventions and explore devices that blur fiction/reality or make commentary through deliberate imitation. Students will engage with the text, music and performance elements of musical theater and documentary works alongside critical writings on meta-art and meta-fiction.