Musicals101.com's Press Materials
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Musicals101's mission?
Musicals101 promotes awareness of and participation in musical theater, film
and television, creating information resources designed to assist students,
show business professionals and fans of the genre. Aside from maintaining and
expanding our educational website, and lecturing to groups interested in learning
about musical theatre and film, our goal is to create and promote exhibits,
publications, archival projects, and other activities than can bring the
legacy of the musical to a widespread audience.
When was Musicals101.com posted on the web?
The first version went online in September 1996.
What inspired the creation of the website?
In 1996, John Kenrick found no comprehensive non-commercial web resources
covering musical theatre, television or film. As a former schoolteacher and
longtime theatre professional, he set out to fill the void.
What qualifies Kenrick as an expert on musicals?
John has extensive experience as an educator and theatrical
professional. You can learn more about him in our
author bio.
How has the site grown?
We started with about 40 pages of text – a basic history of
musical theatre and film. We have continually added new features,
usually in direct response to user requests. As of 2003, the site
includes over 700 pages, and is still growing.
What kind of traffic does Musicals101.com get?
By the end of our first year, we averaged about 300 visitors per month.
Musicals101.com currently attracts approximately 15,000 visitors per
month.
Who uses Musicals101.com?
Our e-mail indicates that our audience encompasses a wise range of age
groups, including students, theatre fans, and show business professionals.
Journalists preparing articles, retirees, grade school children, actors researching roles, masters
candidates researching a thesis – all stop by. Some come to learn, some to
reawaken treasured memories. We are happy to assist them all.
What is a musical?
A musical is a stage, film or television production utilizing popular-style
songs and possibly dialogue to either tell a story (book musicals) and/or showcase
the talents of varied performers (revues). We believe that a great musical
is a great musical, no matter what its point of origin. Those created for
film or television are just as deserving of attention as those written for the stage.
What makes a musical great?
At Musicals101,we think that the best musicals share three qualities:
- Brains - they have intelligence & style
- Heart - they evoke genuine, believable emotion
- Courage - they have the guts to be creative and exciting.
(And you thought MGM's The Wizard of Oz was just a children's flick?)
Do you respond to e-mailed questions?
Absolutely! We try to get back to inquiries within 24-48 hours, depending
on the volume of messages. (We welcome questions, so don't
be shy.) If you have a question that relates directly to musicals,
please contact us.