Musical Theater entertains, enthralls, uplifts – and shapes the world we live in. This course examines musicals as a powerful cultural form that reflects, reinforces, and challenges social values. Through story, music, and spectacle, musicals invite audiences into shared emotional experiences that can subtly—and sometimes overtly—shape attitudes, identities, and political consciousness. We will explore musical theater as a medium of popular appeal and political expression, considering how it functions as entertainment, social commentary, and transformative art. The course will engage works from the past and present, on stage and screen, alongside critical writings, recordings, and historical context, to understand how musicals brilliantly deliver both personal enjoyment and cultural influence.