Musical Comedy in America

Cecil Michener Smith, Glenn Litton

Psychology Press, 1981 - Music - 367 pages

First Published in 1987. This is the second edition with an additional foreword. The purpose of this book--the first to recount the history of the popular musical stage on Broadway and its intersecting streets--is to tell what the various entertainments were like, how they looked and sounded, who was in them, and why they made people laugh or cry. The values employed in the book are changeable and inconsistent. Sometimes an affable smile is bestowed upon a musical comedy, burlesque, or revue that was really very bad. Sometimes a harsh verdict is brought in against an entertainment that received widespread approval and praise.

Contents

• Before The Black Crook: 2
• The Black Crook: 7
• The Death of Pantomime: 13
• The Bleached Blondes: 16
• Evangeline and Edward E Rice: 19
• The Kiralfys: 28
• FarceComedy: 31
• The First Decade: 39
• The Second Decade: 55
• 190825: 63
• The Gaiety Girls The Passing Show and Weber and Fields គីគីភីឌឌូផន 87: 64
• The Turn of the Century: 73
• The Merry Widow and the Ziegfield Follies: 87
• Before and During the First World: 93
• A New Era: 102
• New Art and Old Formulas: 114
• The Postwar Revue: 125
• Musical Comedy from 1919 to 1925: 136
• The Revue Becomes Civilized: 144
• The Past The Present and The Future: 201
• THE 1950s: 207
• THE 1960s: 251
• THE 1970s: 299
• INDEX: 351

Bibliographic information

• Title: Musical Comedy in America
• Authors: Cecil Michener Smith, Glenn Litton
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Psychology Press, 1981
• ISBN: 0878305645, 9780878305643
• Length: 367 pages
• Subjects: Music / Genres & Styles / Musicals; Performing Arts / General; Performing Arts / Theater / Broadway & Musicals; Performing Arts / Theater / General; Performing Arts / Theater / History & Criticism; Performing Arts / Theater / Stagecraft & Scenography