The Birth of Old Broadway

January 25, 1893

Charles Frohman opens the Empire Theatre, 1430 Broadway at West 40th Street. The operation of this theatre and Frohman's producing activities are major factors in the northward shift of the theatre district from the Herald Square area to Longacre Square (now called Times Square).

The Music On Broadway

• The music used in the follies, and shows taking place in the world of musical theater, were the POPULAR SONGS OF THE DAY

• Jazz

• Patriotic

• Standards (tin pan alley)

• Folk and minstrel music

SHOWBOAT

Premiered on December 27th 1927

Music: Jerome KernBook/Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein

Themes: Mixed Marriage, gambling, infidelity, illegitimacy

**First Book Musical

Changed the concept of Musical Theater - All musicals are categorized before or after SHOWBOAT

Broadway and theGreat Depression

October 29, 1929

• The Stock Market Crashes in America having devastating economic effects on the entire world, especially the United States.

• Broadway and American Musical Theater was heavily affected in the years to follow

• Herbert Hoover was President and extremely unpopular and seen as someone who is unable to help the people—false promises--

Shows during the Great Depression

• The shows that were able to sustain on Broadway were either:

• Social Issue Shows – dealing with the controversy and issues of the day - “Brother Can You Spare A Dime”

• Escapist – distracting people from their problems (love songs) “Jazz, Big Band, Love songs

Movie Theaters Took Over

• Many Broadway theaters closed down – in NYC over 1,000 independent theaters went bankrupt

• Prices for one theater ticket in 1929 ranged from $3.85 to $6.60 whereas a movie ticket was $.60.

• Movie Theaters didn’t have to pay actors or all of the other many theater jobs – all of the people who were in such high demand not so long ago were now out of a job

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

• Were a popular dynamic dancing screen duo during the 1930’s

• Together they made 9 silver screen hits that showcased their amazing dance ability

• They revolutionized the Hollywood musical, introducing dance routines of unprecedented elegance and virtuosity, set to songs specially composed for them by the greatest popular song composers of the day.

Federal Theater Project

• was a “New Deal” project in 1935 to fund theater and other live artistic performances in the US during the Great Depression.

Important Composers

Cole Porter

• composed many jazz songs and standards

• wrote “Anything Goes” a smash hit that was quickly turned into a movie

Important Composers

• George Gershwin - (September 26,

1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist. Famous for Jazz & Musical Theater

Ira Gershwin - (December 6, 1896 –

August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, George, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th

Gershwin• Together the two brother wrote more than a

dozen shows before George’s untimely death.

• Some of their most famous hits include the following jazz standards :”I Got Rhythm", ”Embraceable You", ”The Man I Love" and

”Someone To Watch Over Me".