Began as :
Risque Burlesque
Vaudeville
Later developed into more Family orientedentertainment
Gilbert & Sullivan
H.M.S. Pinfore
Pirates of Penzance
Iolanthe
The Sorcerer
The Princess Ida
The Mikado
Witty & Complex
Ziegfeld Follies
Specific Performers
Elaborate Costumes & Sets
Big dance routines
No Plot
Movies
Fred Astaire
Marilynn Miller
Composers
George Gershwin
Cole Porter
Jerome Kern
Showboat (1927)
Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein
Used an all black cast for the blackcharacters(1936)
Approached more Dramatic Themes
Although many musical were written tofocus on the black lifestyles they wereusually portrayed by white people.
People wanted to go back to thelighthearted, escapist entertainment.
Movies were gaining in popularity.
Musical Theater attendance suffered.
Vaudeville ended (1932)
Mid 1930’s political satire
I’d Rather Be Right
Knickerbocker Holiday
Many Social issues were brought up.
Spousal abuse (Carousel 1945)
Racial Prejudice (South Pacific 1949)
Suicide (Oklahoma 1943)
Hero Dies (The King and I 1951)
Murder (West Side Story 1957)
Stage Mother (Gypsy 1959)
Musicals still entertain on a large scaletoday.
Broadway is in New York, San Francisco,Las Vegas and even Salt Lake City
“Musical Theatre” Wikipedia, accessed 22 November 2010,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_theatre
“The guide to Musical Theatre”, accessed 22 November2010, http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/biographies
Lubbock, Mark, The Complete Book of Light Opera. New York:Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1962. pp. 753-756, “Americanmusical Theatre: An Introduction”,http://www.theatrehistory.com/american/musical030.html
Kenrick, John, The History of Musicals. Copyright 2000;Revised 2003, http://www.musicals101.com/history1.htm
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