History of the American Musical Theatre - No Business Like It

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.

List of contents

1. An Overview of the Musical Theatre: Prehistory to the 18th Century 2. Setting the Stage: Early Musical Theatre in America (1735-1865) 3. First Stirrings 1866-1902 4. New American Voices Begin to Emerge, 1900-1907 5. The Great Revuers and the Princess Theatre, 1907-1920 6. The Jazz Age, 1920-1929 7. The 1930’s 8. The 1940’s 9. The 1950’s 10. The 1960’s 11. The 1970’s 12. The 1980’s 13. The 1990’s 14. The 2000’s

Product details

• Authors: Nathan Hurwitz, Hurwitz Nathan
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 26.06.2014
• EAN: 9780415715072
• ISBN: 978-0-415-71507-2
• No. of pages: 260
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Miscellaneous; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Individual composers & musicians, specific bands & groups, Musicals, HISTORY / United States / 20th Century, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / General, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / Direction & Production, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / Broadway & Musicals, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / Stagecraft & Scenography, Theatre Studies, History of the Americas, Performance Art, Musicians, singers, bands and groups, Composers and songwriters, 20th Century & Contemporary Classical Music, Art music, orchestral and formal music, Music of film and stage