The curtain slowly rises, the lights come up, and the audience is silent. It's showtime on Broadway. Broadway can do so many different things to a person. It can make one laugh, cry, want to yell, and then suddenly everyone is content. Similarly, the United States of America changes time and time again. America never stops evolving into something new. Broadway and musical theatre are no exception to that. Many out-of-this-world musical have made it on Broadway, but some of the greatest hits have been the ones based on the American society they lived in. A musical that is representative of society is something everyone can connect to because they live it every day. Musicals that can connect so deeply with the public are the ones that everyone …show more content…
Racism in 1927 was not uncommon, especially along the Mississippi river where the Cotton Blossom would have roamed. Jim Crow laws ruled over the land and life was very difficult for many principally african-americans. But, Show Boat challenged the perspectives of white people by creating “three-dimensional” black characters (“Bloom et. al. Show Boat”). For example, at the beginning of the show Julie, who has a sliver of African blood in her, is the star of the Cotton Blossom. Then, a jealous castmember calls her out as being mixed race and condemns her husband for marrying her. The racial discrimination against the couple forces them to leave the Cotton Blossom. In the second act of the show, Julie is found in a Chicago nightclub looking like a “lady of the streets” (Jones 75). This may sound like Julie is a representation of a grueling world for people of African descent, but Hammerstein saw it as society being condemned for ruining Julie’s life (Jones 76). This was very out of place in 1927, and many were opposed to that opinion. The public was used to stereotype driven black actors playing very minor roles, but Show Boat held blacks as equals both on the stage and off. Black actors had equal pay as whites, and the company of the show treated them equally (“Show Boat”). The public was a different story. The show was advertised as a “musical comedy” and many did not see the layer of symbolism under pure entertainment (Jones 74). Show Boat demonstrated racism and racial injustice, a prominent issue in the late 1920’s and
The general argument made by Peter Catapano in his work, “Performing Race on the Great Divide”, is that minstrelsy has been a significant topic that’s been examined upon by many intellectuals. More specifically, Catapano argues that minstrelsy has influenced the field of race and entertainment. He writes, “popular music, theater, and popular advertising images were particularly destructive to their notion of uplift and respectability of a race that was suffering under an assault of odious stereotypes.” In this passage, Catapano is suggesting that there were stereotypes about African-American culture in music and shows back in the older days. In conclusion, Catapano’s belief is that even though the great divide raised a challenge between the
Clashes between Mexican-Americans and military personnel continued in the days and weeks to come. The play Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez, underscores the Zoot Suit Riots that occurred historically in Los Angeles during the 1940’s following the infamous trial “The Sleepy Lagoon”. The play follows Henry Reyna, leader of the 38th Street Gang, along with with the gang’s members and Henry’s family, while seeking to combat the racial prejudice of the era. The play dramatizes injustice in order to educate and awaken responses towards acts of injustice that occur in today’s society such as racial profiling, bias judicial system, and bias media (yellow journalism) that are still present in society
Where do we draw the lines between adoration and mockery, influence and appropriation, and individuality and stereotyping? Accordingly, the racial subject has always been a touchy topic to discuss, but with the lasting effects that the black minstrelsy has left in the society, we most definitely need to deal with the racial subject. Only this way can the American society move forward both as a nation and as a species, and through such efforts, only then can we ensure that such history can never repeat
Minorities in sitcoms were less portrayed in contrast to an accurate representation of the time period. Ironically, minorities in sitcoms were not always represented by minority actors and actresses. Sometimes makeup was used on a white actor so he could portray an African man. It was not until the 1950’s when African Americans were shown on television. African Americans were often portrayed as crooked people with poor English and less education.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has become a household name throughout the entire world. Not only do people flock to see his shows, but the pure fact that people outside of the theatre world know the composer of certain musicals is an accomplishment in itself. He has changed the musical theatre world. Some call him a “Broadway master” because his musical Phantom of the Opera surpassed his own record for the musical Cats to now hold the record for the longest running musical on Broadway as well as London’s West End ( Snelson 1).
Racial confrontations were present in the 1950s, sometimes escalating into full-scale anti-black riots. Most of white Americans in 1950s ignored larger patterns of racial and political repression. because at the time, the media was not responding to any of them, creating the ignorant culture of the 1950s remembered as innocent. That decade was built on illusion perpetuated by the entertainment media. Coontz states the fact that these humorous television programs did not reflect the reality, but rather what, at the time, was the should be style of life for the white family.
In Marlon Riggs’ 1992 documentary film titled Color Adjustment, Riggs, the Emmy winning producer of Ethnic Notions, continues his studies of prejudice in television. The documentary film looks at the years between 1948 and 1988 to analyze how over a 40 year period, race relations are viewed through the lens of prime time entertainment. The film examined many of television’s stereotypes and mythes and how they changed over the years. The one hour and twenty-two minute documentary is narrated by Ruby Dee, the American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist.
One of these flaws is equal rights. African Americans are having difficulties obtaining their own spot. “[Hansberry brings] local, individual struggles of African Americans—against segregation, ghettoization, and capitalist exploitation—to the national stage. (Gordon, 121 and 122)” The play first points out segregation.
Hey everyone! The boat races in St.Clair are July 25-26. You are all invited to spend the night for a few days. I was thinking we could all play tennis in the morning for a few hours than go out at night to the concerts down town! I really miss all of you
Lena felt that her success was mainly due to her looks rather than her vocal abilities. During the 1940’s the atmosphere in show business, and everywhere else, had obvious tones of racism and the black performers were treated very poorly.
These areas have a long history of slavery and therefore of racial mixing. There is a color wheel showing a range of men from very dark to light skinned- the darkest man looks the saddest and the lightest looks the happiest. There is also a black woman who is in chains depicted in
What is the purpose of racism? In Theorizing Nationalism, Day and Thompson discuss how racism and nationalism are precisely the same. Racism has the ability to help build nationalism, especially in our young country. LeMay and Barkan in U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Laws & Issues talk about how this racism is used during a specific time period, 1880 to 1920, in the United States of America. Both of these articles argue that when the United States was in a time of peril, they used racism as a unifying factor to bring the country together and as a way to put a group of people lower than themselves to bring their status to a higher point in society.
In the late 19th and 20th century, prejudice and discrimination played a huge role in slowing the rate of development in America. Sexism and racial discrimination were the biggest issues, and sadly both still show up in our daily lives on media and news. Society today has branched out more and allows a more open mind concept. A long time ago women 's opinion and ideas were not taken seriously. They were not considered intelligent, and the only place for a female was in the house with no voice of opinion.
I enjoyed the comical and lighthearted dancing and singing approach the characters had to the somber situations around them. Watching this few years later and after taking a Text and Meaning course, I was struck at the sheer amount of things that stood out. The Negroes were declared “other”. In post colonialist theory, declaring one race “other” marginalizes them and stresses on how
The play takes place in the 1950s in New Orleans containing a diverse population. However, is race discriminated against, those who go against classifed gender roles are often discriminated and have trouble finding their way in society. Although gender equality has