Broadway Theatre
Thesis: Broadway Theatre in the 1920s had a positive impact by providing entertaining experiences, productions incorporated different racial groups by integrating cultural plays, and theatres appealed to people of all types by giving everyone a chance to watch a production.
Broadway theatres had a positive impact by providing entertaining experiences, bringing more crowds to the theatres.
A. Theatre Crowds and Seats
B. Theatres built in the 1920s and their locations
C. Performance run amounts
II. Broadway productions incorporated different racial groups by integrating cultural plays with African Americans and other immigrants.
A. An American in Paris (1928)
B. Show Boat (1927)
C. Ziegfeld Follies (1920s version)
III.
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In the 1920s Broadway Theatre had been "the most important force in the United States" (Wilmeth 244). Most theatres during the 1920s, could be described as, “ [a] well designed auditorium that allows every person in the audience to see and hear without strain”, while most theatres included balconies and box seats for upper class citizens (Wilmeth 233). Gaining the Broadway century name “ The Great White Way”, Broadway produced 264 productions were shown to 20 million people in just the 1928 season alone (Mandell 59). Theatre seat prices for the average 700,000 people a day (Introduction: Broadway and American Culture 657-658). While there were many productions going on, theatres were being built at a fast pace. Some theatres that were built in the 1920s include the Ambassador Theatre, Imperial Theatre, Biltmore Theatre, and the Nederlander Theatre, and many more. Many of these theatres were located on 41st, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, and 52nd street during the time (Introduction 1). In the 1920s theatres became more popular and so did their productions. Most productions during the 1920s ran for about two or more years like The Ziegfeld Follies, except a few like Appearances in 1925, It only ran for a few weeks until it was discontinued, due to its sensational production “ [d]epicting the trial of a morally upright bellhop unjustly accused of attacking …show more content…
The prices they paid ranged from $1.50 to $2.00 for the middle class citizens, and $5.00 for the upper class citizens, who wanted the upper balcony seats with catering" (Introduction 657). Even though the prices probably seemed expensive during that time, it was worth the price to see many of the Broadway productions. Many of the productions included Sally 1920 and The Ziegfeld Follies 1920-1927, which were performed at the Ziegfeld Theatre. Some other productions include Beyond the Horizon, The Three Musketeers, The Adding Machine, The Dream Girl, and Oh, Kay! Finally, some classics that finished out the 1920s were The New Moon 1928, Strange Interlude 1928, The Blackbirds of 1928, and Street Scene of
Concluding the Federal Theatre Project, it has accomplished the goal of introducing theatre to millions who had never seen theatre before. It employed thousands of people, initiated European epic theatre and Living Newspaper theatre techniques to the United States, and for this reason could be seen as a vast achievement.
When people say “Theatre in Chicago” they are talking about the very best of Broadway. It is affordable, convenient, and very diverse; it is way more than just Broadway productions, Broadway in Chicago also shows local and original productions, as well as the Broadway hits everyone knows and loves. It is also known as the home for improvisational comedy. It is the source for terrific seats to the most exciting shows and events in all of Downtown Chicago (themaginificentmile.com). The historic venues are all located in the very exciting downtown theatre district and can easily be accessed anywhere from the metropolitan area (broadwayinchicago.com).
“You know some guys just can’t hold their arsenic” (Chicago). Theater in the 1920’s was greatly influenced by prohibition, mobsters and large murder cases as shown in the musical Chicago. Prohibition fueled many of the social issues of the day and also influenced theater. 1920’s theater was in turmoil as American society struggled to establish a new moral code. The musical Chicago gives examples of corruption in the legal system and the changing roles of women in society.
Kislan, Richard. The Musical: A Look at the American Musical Theater. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1980. 84, 110, 116-121, 125-127, 128, 134, 163, 195, 201, 209. Print.
As in all genres, the musicals have had its share of failures. Some worthy dramas have been pressed into service and musicalized and sometimes butchered in the process, and audiences have had to watch a fine play diluted into a mediocre musical. But the successes have been many and spectacular and they have left a long lasting effect on the American art and culture.
...ts have been brought to millions of American citizens of the economic system generally described as underprivileged'" (Burg, 296). Though it was very short-lived, the Federal Theatre Project was helpful to thousands of Americans during the 1930s. To those involved in theatre, it was able to give the unemployed jobs and for those who were not involved in theatre, it was a wonderful form of public entertainment that helped boost American morale during the Great Depression. The Negro Theatre Project gave black Americans an equal opportunity in theatre as well. Though Living Newspapers caused conflicts, they were still a good way to combine the powers of entertainment and enlightenment for the public. Even if it was a very controversial project, the Federal Theatre Project had a large impact on society in the 1930s and was the most important of the Federal Arts Projects.
Motion pictures from Hollywood had taken Broadway’s place as the king of entertainment. The main reason behind this was that because it was culturally relevant and coming out with new flashy techniques such as Todd-AO and Cinerama.
First of all, Broadway is the heart of the American theater. The only other theatre district in the world that compares to Broadway is the theater district in West End of London, England. Just how big is Broadway? “Located in and around Times Square, the roughly thirty-five legitimate Broadway theaters form the backbone of one of the most highly concentrated entertainment districts in the world along with London’s West End” (Simonoff). The city of New York has had a professional theatre district since the eighteenth century. As time went on, the district slowly moved uptown to Broadway. In the early 1900s, the Time Square theatre district had a total of seventy theaters. These theaters were “scattered roughly in the area between Thirty-ninth Street, Fifty-ninth Street, Sixth Avenue, and Eighth Avenue” (McNamara). Today, there are approximately thirty-five theaters in the Time Square area. It’s true that today, the number of present day Broadway theaters has been cut in half from the number of theaters there once were. However, this decrease in the number of theaters does not mean that Broadway is extinct.
This fearlessness was something that Broadway idealized, ultimately opening the doors for playwrights and composers to speak their mind by means of the shows they produced. A few leading shows in this field were the musicals Chicago, Pacific Overtures, and A Chorus Line. Each of the three plays tackled their own social injustices all while also embedding individualized views of the glorified American Dream inside their works. Chicago and A Chorus Line take you behind the scenes in the world of Broadway, one tackling the injustices of the media and glorification of crime, and the other puts a light on the “small people” often forgotten in
...t could be done based on ethnicity. The history of America has an important effect as to why such limitations for African-Americans existed. With slavery and segregation African-Americans have been through a lot and being accepted was not always easy. It did not stop African-Americans from trying, but only made them work that much harder to gain their acceptance within the theatre. The establishments of various groups and movements inspired African-Americans to fight for what they wanted and they continue to do so today! The involvement of African-Americans within the theatre has changed overtime but has always existed. Their works became more publicized as the acceptance and African-Americans changed overtime throughout America. No matter the race or color of our skin all humans are capable of producing their own unique style of theatre and will continue to do so.
Shortly after Rachel was written in 1916, the New Negro Movement began to gain traction in the African American community. This broad cultural movement focused on promoting a public image of African Americans as industrious, urban, independent, and distinct from the subservient and illiterate “Old Negro” of the rural South. Unlike his predecessor, the New Negro was self-sufficient, intellectually sophisticated, creative, knowledgeable and proud of his racial heritage (Krasner, Beautiful Pageant 140). While these concepts had been promoted since the turn of the century, it was not until 1917-1918 that they began to crystalize as a concerted effort among African American intellectuals. These men actively supported the creation of black drama because they recognized that “At a time when African Americans had virtually no political recourse, their voice could best be heard through…a creative and humanistic effort to achieve the goal of civil rights by producing positive images of African Americans and promoting activism through art” (“New Negro Movement” 926). The New Negros therefore shared the same overall goal as black intellectuals such as DuBois, but believed that black artists should focus on presenting the reality and beauty of the “black human experience” instead of an idealized vision of what life should be. Ultimately, the transition from “political” art to that which held creativity in high esteem was complex and divisive. Fortunately, just as Dubois emerged as the primary advocate of the former Political Theatre, so too would Alain Locke help guide the New Negros to support the idea of Art Theatre.
Miller, D. A. Place for Us: Essay on the Broadway Musical. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998. Print.
Lawrence, W.J. Old Theatre Days and Ways. London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1935. Annotated
Theatres and How We Had Fun." Little, Brown, and Company. (Boston, Toronto, London); 1991. P. 139, 144.
The 2000s/ 2010s brought in a wave of movie musicals- adapted from the stage shows. These brought new audiences into the theatre world, and for the first time in 20 years, brought a love to some of the timeless musicals. With slightly altered songs to appeal to a newer audience, these films brought in much needed money into the industry, with films including: Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Fame- and many more. Together with this, musicals began to push the concept of the songs in them, with a wave of new styles being written. Rap musicals such as ‘Hamilton’ and ‘In The Heights’, Pop musicals including ‘Waitress’ and ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ and Rock musicals of ‘American Idiot’ and ‘Spring Awakening’. Together they pushed boundaries of a ‘traditional’ musical theatre sound, and brought in something never before seen. Due to the influence of ‘Rent’, controversial issues and themes began to be explored more, such as Teen suicide, Murder, Ethnic barriers and everything else, which brought with them, a world of opportunities. It was clear that musical theatre was once again showing for a promising