The Complete Book of 1930s Broadway Musicals

Dan Dietz

Rowman & Littlefield, Mar 29, 2018 - Performing Arts - 712 pages

Despite the stock market crash of October 1929, thousands of theatregoers still flocked to the Great White Way throughout the country’s darkest years. In keeping with the Depression and the events leading up to World War II, 1930s Broadway was distinguished by numerous political revues and musicals, including three by George Gershwin (Strike Up the Band, Of Thee I Sing, and Let ’Em Eat Cake). The decade also saw the last musicals by Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Vincent Youmans; found Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in full flower; and introduced both Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen’s music to Broadway.

In The Complete Book of 1930s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz examines in detail every musical that opened on Broadway from 1930 through 1939. This book discusses the era’s major successes, notorious failures, and musicals that closed during their pre-Broadway tryouts. It includes such shows as Anything Goes, As Thousands Cheer, Babes in Arms, The Boys from Syracuse, The Cradle Will Rock, The Green Pastures, Hellzapoppin, Hot Mikado, Porgy and Bess, Roberta, and various editions of Ziegfeld Follies.
Each entry contains the following information:

• Plot summary
• Cast members
• Names of all important personnel, including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directors
• Opening and closing dates
• Number of performances
• Critical commentary
• Musical numbers and the performers who introduced the songs
• Production data, including information about tryouts
• Source material
• Details about London and other foreign productions

Besides separate entries for each production, the book offers numerous appendixes, including a discography, filmography, and list of published scripts, as well as lists of black-themed and Jewish-themed productions. This comprehensive book contains a wealth of information and provides a comprehensive view of each show. The Complete Book of 1930s Broadway Musicals will be of use to scholars, historians, and casual fans of one of the greatest decades in musical theatre history.

Contents

• 1930 Season: 1
• 19301931 Season: 39
• 19311932 Season: 129
• 19321933 Season: 207
• 19331934 Season: 277
• 19341935 Season: 327
• 19351936 Season: 377
• 19361937 Season: 423
• 19371938 Season: 461
• 19381939 Season: 503
• 1939 Season: 579
• Chronology by Season: 615
• Chronology by Classification: 619
• Discography: 625
• Filmography: 627
• BlackThemed Shows: 629
• JewishThemed Shows: 631
• Published Scripts: 633
• Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas: 635
• Theatres: 641
• Bibliography: 647
• Index: 649
• About the Author: 695

About the author

Dan Dietz taught composition, world literature, and modern drama at Western Carolina University. He is the author of The Complete Book of 1940s Broadway Musicals (2015), The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals (2014), The Complete Book of 1960s Broadway Musicals (2014), The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals (2015), The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals (2016), The Complete Book of 1990s Broadway Musicals (2016), and The Complete Book of 2000s Broadway Musicals (2017), all published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Complete Book of 1930s Broadway Musicals
• Author: Dan Dietz
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018
• ISBN: 1538102773, 9781538102770
• Length: 712 pages
• Subjects: Music / Genres & Styles / Musicals; Performing Arts / Reference; Performing Arts / Theater / Broadway & Musicals