‘Look at Me’, I’m femininity: The female persona in 1970s musical theatre

Abstract

As the Women’s Liberation Movement developed in the 1970s, women challenged society’s limited female representation as either the Madonna or the whore. Musicals in the 1970s, including Grease (1972), Chicago (1975) and Evita (1979), complicated the female image through the juxtaposition of feminine stereotypes in the heroine’s persona. With each of the shows centralizing the plot around analysing the contradictory feminine image, the women perform in both public and private settings, along with other characters critiquing their personas. From feminist protesters to the writings of Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Friedan, Sandy, Roxie and Eva reflect the requests of contemporary women to display their gender as something beyond the perceived dichotomy of Madonna or whore in their music performances.