Stacy Wolf, professor of theater at the Lewis Center for the Arts, wrote the book 'Changed for Good.' This book observes the role of women on Broadway and how the history of musical theater has changed significantly between the 1950s and the 21st century by analyzing, inspecting and listening to what women have actually done on the Broadway stage throughout each chapter. He argues that “gender and genre are inseparable” (Wolf. S. 2011. P. 20), the representations and performances of women changed radically in musical theater from the 1950s; From Anita in West Side Story to Adalaide in Guys and Dolls, Wolf demonstrates a centrality to women in the form of "friends, girlfriends, and wives as journalists, students, and servants, but also as singers and dancers” (Wolf. S. 2011. P. 4) The book then goes on to ask: “How did Broadway musicals, generally considered too commercial and too mainstream, contribute to a history of feminist performance? (Wolf. S. 2011. P. 4) “Changed for Good” answers this question by exploring the difference between female characters, what the women who play these characters actually do on the Broadway musical stage, how their musicals describe the changing role of women. in society since 1950, and how they are breaking the boundaries of the presentation of the “musical” itself. Through each chapter, Wolf explores a few shows from each decade in relation to gender issues and what each woman means in the narrative. “A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical” is an argument as well as a story and there will be a story about musicals for as long as they are made. Dr Susan Smith is a lecturer in film studies at the University of Sunderland and she The book 'The Musical, Race, Gender and Performance' provides valuable context...... middle of article... ...a touching display of insecurity and of female performers' "own susceptibility to internalizing societies' assumptions about what constitutes the expected standards and ideals of female beauty" (Smith. S. 2005. P. 57). A modern look at this interpretation of Funny Girl can be found through the hit television show Glee. With guest stars like Broadway's Idina Menzel, it's more accessible to see modern "musicals" "We are raising a generation of Broadway babies" (Kamp. D in Wolf. S, 2011, P. 238) – the nerd musical theater is cool and acceptable and “Glee Generation” (2010) finally attracted new musical theater audiences; With strong female roles that young children aspire to, this TV show relates to the musical theater convention as Lea Michelle, who plays Rachel Berry (the diva from Glee), is seen as a threat by getting the lead role in Funny Girl at a young age. of nineteen.