American Musical Theater A Chronicle

by Bordman, Gerald

• ISBN13: 9780195130744
• ISBN10: 019513074X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Gerald Bordman's American Musical Theatre has become a landmark book since its original publication in 1978. In this third edition, he offers authoritative summaries on the general artistic trends and developments for each season on musical comedy, operetta, revues, and the one-man andone-woman shows from the first musical to the 1999/2000 season. With detailed show, song, and people indexes, Bordman provides a running commentary and assessment as well as providing the basic facts about each production.

Table of Contents

Prologue Origins to 1866	1	(18)
Act One Early Successes, 1866-1892	19	(116)
Opera Bouffe and Native Elements, 1866-1878	19	(26)
H. M. S. Pinafore and the Great Transformation, 1878-1892	45	(90)
Intermission Further British Influences and New Stirrings, 1892-1902	135	(76)
Act Two The Emergence of American Talent, 1902-1907	211	(58)
Intermission Viennese Operetta and the American Retreat, 1907-1914	269	(74)
Act Three The Birth of the Modern Musical, 1914-1921	343	(66)
Intermission The Cinderella Era, 1921-1924	409	(28)
Act Four The Golden Age of the American Musical, 1924-1937	437	(118)
Songwriters' Shows as Pure Entertainment, 1924-1929	437	(65)
Depression and ``Talkies''---Broadway's Answer, 1929-1937	502	(53)
Intermission Broadway's Response to the Swing Era, 1937-1942	555	(28)
Act Five The American Musical as a Conscious Art Form, 1942-1965	583	(116)
Americana Amid a New Seriousness, 1942-1951	584	(50)
Increasing Problems---Lowering Standards, 1951-1965	634	(65)
Intermission Exhaustion, 1965-1969	699	(22)
Act Six Full Circle?; or, Return of the Brits, 1969-1995	721	(82)
Startlingly New, Delightfully Old, 1969-1981	723	(42)
A Musical Trade Imbalance, 1981-1995	765	(38)
Epilogue Technological Spectacles, Retrospectives, and Revivals, 1995-?	803	(83)
Indexes
Shows and Sources	823	(38)
Songs	861	(25)
People	886