1. History of
Musical Theatre
1930s

2. Wall Street Crash of 1929 – Great Depression
Historical Events:
Wall Street Crash of 1929 – Great Depression

3. Wall Street Crash of 1929 – Great Depression
October of 1929, On “Black Monday” the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 38 points and on Black Tuesday, companies were forced to liquidate their stocks because of margin calls, overextended investors flooded the exchange with sell orders.
Crash was followed by the Great Depression, the worst economic crisis of modern times with thousands out of work and homeless.

4. Wall Street Crash of 1929 – Great Depression
Many talents headed to Hollywood, many of its biggest names, such as Ziegfeld, found themselves bankrupt, many of the theatres closed, and the large lavish musicals of the past where now few and far between.
Those left behind were now given the opportunity to explore different tacks and subject matter in their musicals

5. 1930s
Musicals of the Era fell into One of Two Categories

6. 1930s 1.
Lavish sets, a fun spirit and a decadent feel to help provide and escape from the harsh reality of the depression

7. 1930s 2.
Musicals that contained political commentary and dealt with real life issues

8. Ethel Merman

9. Ethel Merman
Born in 1908, however she would later clam to have been born in 1912.
Began singing in public as a child, and during WW1 she entertained at local military camps.
After graduating high school she become a secretary but moonlighted as a nightclub singer.
Got her first major role in the Gershwin’s musical “Girl Crazy” on October 14, 1930

10. Ethel Merman
Appeared in five Cole Porter shows, starting with “Anything Goes” in 1943
Star of both stage and screen, often bouncing back and forth between movies and Broadway.
Her primary achievement was the 13 roles she created on Broadway between 1930 and 1959, including her roles in “Girl Crazy (Kae Fothergill)”, “Anything Goes (Reno Sweeny)”, “Annie Get Your Gun (Annie Oakley)”, “Gypsy (Mamma Rose)”

11. Ethel Merman
Known for her powerful, belting mezzo-soprano voice, precise enunciation and pitch. Thus she had a great advantage singing without microphones.
Never took any singing lessons. Broadway lore holds George Gershwin advised her never to take a singing lesson after she opened “Girl Crazy”, claiming that it would ruin her.

12. Ethel Merman - Review Known for her loud, clear voice and excellent
enunciation.
Created 13 roles on Broadway between 1930 and 1959
Song some of their most popular songs, including
“I Got Rhythm”
“You’re the Top”
“I Get a Kick out of You”
“No Business Like Show Business.”

13. Cole Porter

14. Cole Porter Wrote music and lyrics
An American composer who wrote songs for over 30 stage and film musicals.
Wrote music and lyrics
Work is known for:
use of modern language
worldly, witty, occasionally risqué lyrics with unusual melodic lines

15. Cole Porter Born in Peru, Indiana on June 9, 1891.
Received considerable musical training as a child learning the violin at age 6, the piano at 8
By 1901, at age 10, he composed a one song operetta entitled “the Song of the Birds” and then he produced a piano piece, “the Bobolink Waltz”

16. Cole Porter
His first musical on Broadway was “See America First” which he wrote before leaving Harvard. It was a complete disaster.
In 1917 he was in France where he served for a time in the French Foreign Legion (at least according to some), and then studied composition with composer Vincent d’Indy. Returned to New York, and contributed songs to the Broadway production “Hitchy-Koo of 1919”, his first real success.

17. Cole Porter
Married wealthy socialite, Linda Lee, with her being fully aware that he was a homosexual. They were very devoted to each other, remaining married till Linda’s death.
First real hit was the show “Paris” in 1928
“Love for Sale,” a song he wrote for the 1930 show “the New Yorker”, was considered too explicate for radio. First song to be banned from the radio though it was recorded and aired as an instrumental and rapidly became a standard.

18. Cole Porter
Was seriously injured in a riding accident when his horse rolled on him and crushed his legs in 1937 that plagued his for the remainder of his life. A series of operations led, in 1958, to the amputation of his right leg.
Many of his songs are still well known, such as;
“Night and Day”
“I Get a Kick Out of You”
“Begin the Beguine”
“In the Still of the Night”

19. Cole Porter
In the 1930’s and 40s provided full scores for a number of bright Broadway and Hollywood Productions, among them “Anything Goes (1934)”

20. Cole Porter Review: Wrote music and lyrics Work is known for:
use of modern language
worldly, witty, occasionally risqué lyrics with unusual melodic lines
Songs:
“Love for Sale” - First song to be banned from the radio
I Get a Kick Out of You”
“Begin the Beguine”
Show - “Anything Goes

21. “Anything Goes”

22. “Anything Goes” Music and lyrics by Cole Porter
quintessential musical of the 1930’s, having lavish sets, a fun spirit and a decadent feel.
Show was written for Ethel Merman, the first of five Porter shows featuring her. He loved her loud, brassy voice and wrote many numbers that featured her strengths

23. “Anything Goes”
The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound for New York to London. Billy Crocker is a stowaway in love with heiress Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to a Lord. Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin aide Billy in his quest to win Hope.

24. “Anything Goes” Produced by Vinton Freedley,
came up with a new approach to producing musicals. Instead of commissioning book, music and lyrics, then casting the show, Freedley sought to create an ideal musical with stars and writers engaged from the outset.

25. “Anything Goes”
The original plot involved a bomb threat, a shipwreck, and hijinks on a desert island. But just a few weeks before the show was due to open, a fire on board the passenger ship SS Morro Castle caused the deaths of 138 passengers and crew members. According to one version of events, Freedley judged that to proceed with a show on a similar subject was in bad taste and thus decided to change the story. However, other sources say the show was as terrible mess.

26. “Anything Goes” Notable Songs: “Anything Goes” “Friendship”
“You’re the Top”

27. “Anything Goes” Review Music and lyrics by Cole Porter
Show was written for Ethel Merman, the first of five Porter shows
Notable Songs:
“Anything Goes”
“Friendship”
“You’re the Top”

28. “Of Thee I Sing”

29. “Of Thee I Sing” A musical that lampoons American politics
score by George Gershwin
lyrics by Ira Gershwin
A musical that lampoons American politics
the story concerns John P. Withergreen, who runs for President on the “love” platform. When he falls in love with the sensible Mary Turner instead of the beautiful pageant winner selected for him, he gets into political hot water.

30. “Of Thee I Sing” First musical to win the Pulitzer Prize
First American musical with a consistently satirical tone. Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Presidency, and the democratic process itself were all targets of this satire, prompting some originally stars to wonder if they would face government repercussions of their portrayals of the President and Vice President Throttlebottom.
First musical to win the Pulitzer Prize
Was the first show of is kind, letter spawning several political satires in the future

31. “Of Thee I Sing” - Review
score by George Gershwin
lyrics by Ira Gershwin
First American musical with a consistently satirical tone.
First musical to win the Pulitzer Prize

32. “As Thousands Cheer”

33. “As Thousands Cheer” A revue with book by Moss Hart
music and lyrics by Irving Berlin
Contained satirical sketches and with or poignant musical numbers all loosely based on the news and the lives and affaires of the rich and famous.
Each of the 21 scenes was preceded by related newspaper headline, and the sketched poked fun at a wide variety of subjects

34. “As Thousands Cheer” Two of the most memorable numbers were
performed by Ethel Waters
“Heat Wave” – a weather report was turned into the song
“Supper Time” - an African-American woman’s lament for her lynched husband.

35. “As Thousands Cheer” - Review
music and lyrics by Irving Berlin
Songs:
“Heat Wave”
“Supper Time”

36. “I’d Rather Be Right”

37. music by Richard Rogers
“I’d Rather Be Right”
lyrics by Lorenz Hart
music by Richard Rogers
The story is a Depression-era political satire set in New York City about Washington politics and political figures such as President Franklin Roosevelt. The plot centers on Peggy Jones and her boyfriend Phil, who needs a raise in order to get married. The president steps in and solves their dilemma.

38. First musical to satirize a factual president
“I’d Rather Be Right”
First musical to satirize a factual president
Starred George M. Cohan as Franklin Roosevelt. Where in Cohan danced, not possible in real life for the disabled President

39. “Porgy and Bess”
“Porgy and Bess is a folk tale. Its people naturally would sing folk music. When I first began work in the music I decided against the use of original folk music because I wanted the musical to be all of one piece. Therefore I wrote my own spirituals and folksongs. But they are still folk music – and therefore, being in operatic form, Porgy and Bess becomes a Folk Opera.”
- George Gershwin

40. “Porgy and Bess” music by George Gershwin
lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin.
Bases on the novel “Porgy” by DuBose Hayward
The action takes place in the fictional all-black neighborhood of Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina. It tells the story of Porgy, a disabled black beggar living in the slums and deals with his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her violent and possessive lover, and Sportin’ Life, the drug dealer

41. “Porgy and Bess”
With the exception of several minor speaking roles, all of the characters are black and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers.
Music combines elements of popular music of the day, with strong influence of Black music, with techniques typical of opera
For the project, George Gershwin went to South Carolina to Study the native Gullah culture and absorbed much of its idiom into his complex “folk opera”

42. The Federal Theatre Project

43. The Federal Theatre Project
A New Deal project to fund theatre and other live artistic performances in the United States during the Great Depression.
The FTP’s primary goal was employment of out-of-work artists, writers, and directors with secondary aim of entertaining poor families and creating relevant art.

44. The Federal Theatre Project
One of major staging grounds for a young Orson Wells, whose staging of “Voodoo MacBeth” and “Julius Caesar” where legendary.

45. Cradle will Rock

46. Cradle will Rock
Music and lyrics by Marc Blitzstein, directed by Orson Welles and produced by John Housemen.
Set in “Steeltown, USA” it follows the efforts of Larry Foreman to unionize the town’s workers and combat wicked, greedy, businessman, Mr. Mister, who controls the town’s factory, press, church and social organization.
The price is almost entirely sung through, giving it many operatic qualities

47. Cradle will Rock
Was originally a WPA project, the production was shut down four days before it’s opening by the WPA which stated that due to budget cuts the WPA was reorganizing its arts projects and all openings of WPA plays, musicals, concerts, and art galleries were to be delayed until after July 1. However, many asserted that the musical had been censored because the pro-union plot was too radical.
To avoid government and union restrictions, the show was performed with Blitzstein playing piano onstage and the cast members singing their parts from the audience.

48. Review Cradle will Rock
Music and lyrics by Marc Blitzstein
Directed by Orson Welles
Produced by John Housemen.
Federal Theatre Project performance shut down, so performed in the audience
Songs:
“Joe Worker”

49. Pal Joey

50. Pal Joey Music and Lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
The title character, Joey Evans, is a manipulative small-time nightclub performer whose ambitions lead him into an affair with the wealthy, middle-aged and married Vere Simpson.

51. Pal Joey
Joey Evans, and unsympathetic but charming antihero. A striking departure from the usual musical comedy formula. Joey was amoral, but he was not presented as a villain, nor did his character change for the better.
Rodgers and Hart maintained a cynical, dark tone throughout the work and employed two distinct musical styles. The deliberately tacky nightclub numbers contrasting with the more elegant songs the character sand to express their emotions, though these expressions were more ironic than sincere.

52. Pal Joey - Review Song: “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”
Music and Lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
Joey Evans, and unsympathetic but charming antihero.
not presented as a villain, nor did his character change for the better.
Song:
“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”