cover of episode 163: The Show (Boat) Must Go On: Broadway and the American Musical

163: The Show (Boat) Must Go On: Broadway and the American Musical

2024/8/26
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E
Edna Ferber
F
Flo Ziegfeld
G
Greg Jackson
I
Ira Gershwin
I
Irving Berlin
K
Kitty Carlyle Hart
N
Noble Sissle
U
UB Blake
旁
旁白
知名游戏《文明VII》的开场动画预告片旁白。
Topics
旁白: 本集讲述了美国音乐剧和现代百老汇的起源故事，从早期歌舞表演到《Show Boat》的诞生，以及其对百老汇音乐剧的深远影响。 《Show Boat》大胆地触及了美国种族问题，并以其深刻的社会评论和戏剧性冲突，展现了美国社会复杂的面貌。它不同于以往的华丽的齐格菲尔德歌舞剧或欧洲风格的喜歌剧，更像是一部严肃的戏剧，配以丰富的音乐，刻画了真实的美国人物和社会问题，并最终获得了巨大的成功，永久地改变了百老汇的格局。 Greg Jackson: 《Show Boat》的成功是百老汇发展史上的一个关键时刻，它对后世音乐剧产生了深远的影响。要理解《Show Boat》在1927年的意义，需要了解其背后的历史背景，包括20世纪初美国几种主要的现场戏剧形式以及百老汇的演变过程。 Irving Berlin: 他认为，美国音乐应该基于美国的标准，而不是欧洲的标准，并创作了大量反映美国独特风格的音乐作品。 UB Blake & Noble Sissle: 他们创作的《Shuffle Along》是百老汇历史上第一部全黑人演员阵容的音乐剧，克服了诸多困难，最终取得了巨大成功，为其他黑人艺术家在百老汇的发展铺平了道路。 Edna Ferber: 她的小说《Show Boat》被改编成音乐剧，她对音乐剧的成功做出了重要贡献，并对杰罗姆·科恩的音乐赞赏有加。 Flo Ziegfeld: 他是著名的百老汇制作人，他慧眼识珠，投资制作了《Show Boat》，并对音乐剧的成功起到了关键作用。 Ira Gershwin: 他评价了其弟弟乔治·格什温的音乐才华和对百老汇音乐剧的贡献。 Kitty Carlyle Hart: 她高度评价了乔治·格什温的音乐才华，认为他的音乐完美地体现了20年代的节奏、活力和时尚感。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The 1927 premiere of "Show Boat" was a groundbreaking moment in Broadway history. It challenged traditional musical theater conventions by incorporating serious themes and social commentary into a musical format. This episode explores the evolution of Broadway leading up to "Show Boat," highlighting the influence of minstrel shows, vaudeville, burlesque, and revues.
  • "Show Boat's" innovative approach blended serious themes with musical entertainment, marking a turning point for Broadway.
  • The success of "Show Boat" paved the way for future musicals that tackled complex social issues.
  • The episode traces the development of Broadway from its early forms to the emergence of "Show Boat."

Shownotes Transcript

“Miller, Lyles, and I were standing near the exit door . . . Blake stuck out there in front, leading the orchestra—his bald head would get the brunt of the tomatoes and rotten eggs.”

This is the story of American musical theater and the dawn of modern Broadway. 

Popular entertainment is evolving fast in the early twentieth century. Minstrel shows just aren’t drawing the same numbers anymore (for good reason), and burlesque and variety shows abound. The earliest “official” musical, The Black Crook takes several notes from these sometimes scandalous shows, as do Flo Ziegfeld’s new “revues.” By the 1920s, composers, writers, and choreographers are experimenting with what a musical production can do: using songs to advance the plot (thanks Hammerstein!), and incorporating new music genres like jazz. 

Big players including George Gershwin, Noble Sissle, and Irving Berlin all play a role in crafting the perfect environment for the American musical to emerge, but the production Show Boat really gives a glimpse of the future of musical theater. It entertains even as it tackles heavy topics, and the score is seriously moving. It’s difficult to anticipate how audiences will receive this new form—less pompous than a European operetta, but definitely more substantial than one of Ziegfeld’s musical revues. So, without further ado . . . take your seat, the show’s about to begin. 

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