A History of the American Musical Theatre

No Business Like It

Nathan Hurwitz

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9780415715072
• eBook ISBN: 9781317912040
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

From the diverse proto-theatres of the mid-1800s, though the revues of the '20s, the 'true musicals' of the '40s, the politicisation of the '60s and the 'mega-musicals' of the '80s, 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 Spiderman. It traces the trends of this most commercial of art forms from the perspective of its audiences, explaining how staying in touch with 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.

Index

Abbott, George 134–35, 151–52, 156, 157, 159, 161, 174, 196

Actors’ Equity 90, 133, 140, 209

Addams Family, The 243

Adams, Lee 162, 164, 173, 178

Adler, Richard 158–59

Ahrens, Lynn 214, 226, 227

Aida 227

Ain’t Misbehavin’ 223

Albee, Edward Franklin, II 57, 67

All Shook Up 240

Allegro 149–50, 175, 191, 195

American Idiot 243

Andrews, Julie 225

Annie 18, 199, 215

Annie Get Your Gun 79, 127, 150, 153

Anyone Can Whistle 191

Anything Goes 128–29

Applause 153, 192

Apple Tree, The 162

Aronson, Boris 172, 175, 191–92

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) 63, 81, 245

Aspects of Love 210

Astaire, Fred 73, 122, 127, 128

At Home Abroad 124

Avenue Q 238–39, 243–44

Babes in Arms 120, 134, 140

Babes in Toyland 62–63

Baby 207

Bacharach, Burt 176

Balanchine, George 134, 140, 157, 174, 195

Ballroom 199

Band Wagon, The 124

Barnum, P.T. 18, 27, 29

Barras, Charles M. 35–37

Beauty and the Beast 215–16, 225, 226, 235, 236, 242

Beggar’s Opera, The 9–12, 14–15

Bells Are Ringing 153, 196

Ben...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of figures
• Acknowledgements
• Setting the stage
• Prologue
• The first act
• Intermission
• The second act
• Second intermission
• The third act
• Epilogue
• Appendix
• Bibliography
• Index