Began as :  Risque Burlesque  Vaudeville Later developed into more Family oriented entertainment

 Gilbert & Sullivan  H.M.S. Pinfore  Pirates of Penzance  Iolanthe  The Sorcerer  The Princess Ida  The Mikado  Witty & Complex  _HSgw&feature=related _HSgw&feature=related

 Ziegfeld Follies  Specific Performers  Elaborate Costumes & Sets  Big dance routines  No Plot

 Movies  Fred Astaire  Marilynn Miller  Composers  George Gershwin  Cole Porter  Jerome Kern  ure=related ure=related

 Showboat (1927)  N7R-s&NR=1 N7R-s&NR=1  Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein  Used an all black cast for the black characters(1936)  Approached more Dramatic Themes  Although many musical were written to focus on the black lifestyles they were usually portrayed by white people.

 People wanted to go back to the lighthearted, 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 scale today.  Broadway is in New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas and even Salt Lake City

 “Musical Theatre” Wikipedia, accessed 22 November 2010,  “The guide to Musical Theatre”, accessed 22 November 2010,  Lubbock, Mark, The Complete Book of Light Opera. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, pp , “American musical Theatre: An Introduction”,  Kenrick, John, The History of Musicals. Copyright 2000; Revised 2003,  Youtube