Call for Writers: Women and Gender in Musicals

Here at Bitch Flicks, we love watching all types of movies. And that includes musicals. Hell, some of us even call ourselves musical geeks, that’s how much we love them! So this month we’re hosting a Women and Gender in Musicals Theme Week. 
Sure it might seem strange (or awesome!) that characters spontaneously belt out a song or break into a choreographed dance routine. But music transcends boundaries. Evoking nostalgia, they remind many of us of the animated films from our childhoods. Sometimes songs convey a more impactful message lyrically than mere prose ever could. They illicit and express a spectrum of emotions: searing pain, indomitable hope, budding love, roaring anger, jovial humor, the disillusion of dreams, unrequited passion, burning desire, driving ambition, sheer joy. 
Musicals also tackle social issues such as race, class, war, HIV/AIDS, poverty, teen angst and sexuality. And yes, feminist themes emerge too. So how do musical films depict women and gender? How are female characters portrayed? Does it promote gender equality or purport sexism? What about female friendship?
Here are some ideas of musicals to write about but please feel free to propose your own ideas too: 
West Side Story
Dreamgirls
Rent 
Funny Girl
Mamma Mia 
My Fair Lady 
Grease 
The Sound of Music 
Singing in the Rain 
Hairspray 
Meet Me in St. Louis 
Hedwig and the Angry Inch 
The Wiz 
Once
Chicago
Evita 
Pocahontas 
Moulin Rouge 
Rock of Ages 
Dancer in the Dark
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog 
Oklahoma
As a reminder, these are a few basic guidelines for guest writers on our site: 
>–We like most of our pieces to be 1,000 – 2,000 words, preferably with some images and links.
>–Please send your piece in the text of an email, including links to all images, no later than Friday, September 21st.
>–Include a 2-3 sentence bio for placement at the end of your piece.
Email us at btchflcks(at)gmail(dot)com if you’d like to contribute a review. We accept original pieces or cross-posts.
Submit away!