A history of the American musical theatre : no business like it / Nathan Hurwitz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hurwitz, Nathaniel, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Musicals--United States--History and criticism.

Musicals.

United States.

Physical Description:

vi, 260 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Routledge, 2014.

Summary:

From the diverse proto-musicals of the mid-1800s, through the revues of the 1920s, the "true musicals" of the 1940s, the politicization of the 1960s and the "mega-musicals" of the 1980s, every era in American musical theatre reflected a unique set of socio-cultural factors. Nathan Hurwitz uses these factors to explain the output of each decade in turn, showing how the most popular productions spoke directly to the audiences of the time. He explores the function of musical theatre as commerce, tying each big success to the social and economic realities in which it flourished. This study spans from the earliest spectacles and minstrel shows to contemporary musicals such as Avenue Q and Spider-Man. It traces the trends of this most commercial of art forms from the perspective of f its audiences, explaining how writers and producers strove to stay in touch with these changing moods. Each chapter deals with a specific decade, introducing the main players, the key productions and the major developments in musical theatre during that period. Book jacket.

Contents:

Early forms of musical theatre

1735-1865

1866-1902

1900-1907

1908-1920

1920-1929

1929-1939

1939-1945

1945-1964

1964-1970

1970-1982

1982-1993

1993-2001

2001-today.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780415715072

0415715075

9780415715089

0415715083

OCLC:

857288187