Broadway:
A Mirror of American Life
A
timeline of major events in the history of American musical
theater
As Broadway:
The American Musical demonstrates, American
musical theater defines our society and is, in turn, defined
by it. Music, lyrics, dialogue, and performance are potent
cultural indicators on their own; when combined, they provide
a colorful portrait of our country. This timeline (compiled
by Laurence Maslon, co-author of the companion book Broadway:
The American Musical) shows how landmark social and political
developments throughout the 20th century have been reflected
back to us from the Broadway stage.
1893:
Immigration
Five-year-old
Israel Baline arrives at Ellis Island from the steppes of
Russia, one of nearly six million European immigrants to come
to New York from 1880 to 1919. He will change his name to
Irving Berlin (pictured).
1900s
1904:
Technology
New
York City builds the Interborough Rapid Transit line. The
Times Square subway stop is created at 42nd and Broadway;
a month later, George M. Cohan makes his solo Broadway debut,
singing "Give My Regards to Broadway."
1907:
European culture
Franz
Lehar's Viennese operetta The Merry Widow creates
a sensation for imported musicals. Ziegfeld produces the first
of his Follies.
1910s
1910:
Assimilation
Jewish
comedienne Fanny Brice (pictured) and African-American performer
Bert Williams make their Follies debuts on Broadway.
1914:
Isolationism
War
begins in Europe; imported operettas are spurned by American
audiences.
1917
to 1918: World War I
Irving
Berlin produces and writes all-Army revue, Yip, Yip, Yaphank.
George M. Cohan writes "Over There."
1919:
"Red Summer of 1919"
As unions
form all over the country, Broadway actors, musicians and
stagehands go on strike; Actors' Equity is formed.
1920s
1920:
Prohibition enacted
Ziegfeld
Follies of 1919 offers several spoofs of Prohibition,
including Bert Williams' number, "You Cannot Make Your
Shimmy Shake on Tea."
1920:
Women’s right to vote
Sally
begins vogue for musicals featuring emancipated women.
1920
to 1932: Harlem Renaissance
George
Gershwin champions jazz as a vital expression of American
life; Sissle and Blake's Shuffle Along (1921) brings
jazz melodies downtown in an all-black musical; Hot Chocolates
(1929), another Harlem revue, brings the music of Fats
Waller and the performance of Louis Armstrong to Broadway.
1927:
Radio
Five
of radio's Top Ten are from Broadway shows; Eddie Cantor interpolates
hit radio tune "My Blue Heaven" into Ziegfeld
Follies of 1927.
1927:
Social awareness and the birth of the talkies
Show
Boat (pictured) by Kern and Hammerstein breaks new ground,
putting black and white leading characters on stage together;
Hollywood’s The Jazz Singer, starring Broadway superstar
Al Jolson, opens at the Warners' Theatre.
1929: Stock Market crash
Broadway
productions dwindle from 264 in 1927-28 to 187 in 1930-31.
1930s
1930:
Hollywood
Composers
such as the Gershwins (pictured, George Gershwin), Jerome
Kern, Irving Berlin, and Rodgers and Hart go to Hollywood;
talent such as Fred Astaire and the Marx Brothers follow.
Walter Winchell begins his coast-to-coast radio broadcasts
"Your Broadway and Mine."
1930
to 1941: The Depression years
Of
Thee I Sing (1931), which spoofs the presidency, is first
musical to win Pulitzer Prize. "Brother, Can You Spare
a Dime?" from New Americana (1932) becomes unofficial
anthem of the Depression. Cole Porter’s "Love for Sale"
(1930) is banned from the radio for its risqué lyrics.
1933:
Race relations
With
40 reported cases of lynching that year in the South, Irving
Berlin writes the lament "Supper Time" for As
Thousands Cheer.
1933
to 1938: New Deal
WPA
creates the Federal Theatre Project (1935-39) to bring theater
and entertainment to the masses on the government’s nickel.
FDR's administration is spoofed in Rodgers and Hart’s I’d
Rather Be Right (1937).
1937:
Labor movement
The
Ladies' Garment Workers Union produces its own political revue,
Pins and Needles, performed by members of the union.
The pro-labor musical, The Cradle Will Rock, is shut
down by Federal Theatre Project producers for its incendiary
tone.
1933
to 1941: War in Europe
German
composer Kurt Weill emigrates to NYC; the Gershwins' Let
‘Em Eat Cake (1933) satirizes fascism in Europe.
1940s
1941
to 1945: World War II
Irving
Berlin creates This is the Army (1942), a revue
featuring 300 enlisted men; it plays Broadway and tours internationally
for three years. Oklahoma! (1943) reaffirms American
values. On the Town (1944) portrays three sailors
on 24-hour leave in New York City.
1946:
Veterans return; African-Americans achieve greater status
in the workforce
Call
Me Mister portrays returning vets. Shows like Carmen
Jones, St. Louis Woman and Lost in the
Stars give new presence to African-American performers
on Broadway.
1948:
Television
First
guests on Broadway columnist Ed Sullivan's TV show The
Talk of the Town : Rodgers and Hammerstein. Phil Silvers
spoofs "Mr. Television," Milton Berle, in Top
Banana (1951). TV broadcasts of Peter Pan (1955)
and (pictured) Cinderella
(1957),
created by Broadway talent, receive epic ratings.
1950s
1948
to 1954: Red Scare
The
Pajama Game (1954) is a genteel look at labor relations;
Jerome Robbins testifies in front of HUAC (1953); Cole Porter's
Silk Stockings (1955) makes fun of Cold War politics.
1954:
Rock 'n' roll
Two
days after the release of Rosemary Clooney’s version of "Hey
There" from Pajama Game , Elvis Presley releases
his first hit single, " That’s Alright ." Bye
Bye Birdie (1960), a spoof of Elvis, is the first musical
to incorporate rock 'n' roll.
1956:
Urban decline
Gang
warfare in Los Angeles and Spanish Harlem inspire creators
of West Side Story (pictured) to set their story
among Puerto Rican gangs in white neighborhoods.
Continued
1900s
to 1950s | 1960s to today
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