Our musicals, ourselves : a social history of the American musical theater John Bush Jones

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jones, John Bush.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Musicals--United States--History and criticism.

Musical theater--Social aspects--United States.

Physical Description:

xiii, 411 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Hanover : Brandeis University Press, published by University Press of New England, ©2003.

Summary:

"Our Musicals, Ourselves is the first full-scale social history of the American musical theatre from the imported Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas of the late nineteenth century to such recent musicals as The Producers and Urinetown. While many aficionados of the Broadway musical associate the genre only with diversionary shows like The Music Man or My Fair Lady, John Bush Jones singles out musicals for their social relevance. He is interested in how they engage, directly or metaphorically, contemporary politics and culture."--Jacket.

Contents:

Patriotism, xenophobia, and World War I

The musicals of the roaring twenties

Coping with Depression

World War II and the Rodgers and Hammerstein years

From isolationism to idealism in the Cold War years

Black and Jewish musicals since the 1960s

Issue-driven musicals of the turbulent years

Fragmented society, fragmented musicals

A recycled culture, nostalgia, and spectacle

New voices, new perspectives.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 375-390) and index.

Local Notes:

Forrest Performing Arts Complimentary Collection

Other Format:

Online version: Jones, John Bush. Our musicals, ourselves.

ISBN:

1584653116

9781584653110

0874519047

9780874519044

OCLC:

51342643