What Effect Did Nazism Have On Broadway Musicals

Introduction
A various amount of musicals were created to portray the effects that Nazism had on the world. Hitler and the Nazi’s actions affected people so strongly that society felt the need to use many different forms to portray their impact, including musicals. Which leads to the query in this composition asking what effect did Nazism have on Broadway musicals? A prime example, Cabaret is a very influential musical that tells of the Nazis taking over Germany. The characters in the story go through many struggles and dangerous situations because of the treacherous acts that the Nazis execute. The main character of the musical, the Emcee, who is a symbol for Hitler, has a way of persuading people to follow him by using his engaging tactics. Another musical, The Sound of Music, tells of the

Originally in the show the swastikas on the Nazi members’ arms were not worn during the Broadway performances, and the Nazis were mostly mentioned in the dialogue. Their presence was not displayed on the stage because these aspects were felt to be too offensive (Roman, The Sound of Music). During the revival in 1998, though, these important symbols and figures began to actually be portrayed on the stage. The Nazi characters appeared and interacted directly with the other actors on the stage. Swastikas were seen on the Nazi’s uniforms, and during the last scene of the show, three humongous swastika banners were hung up in the background. This initial reluctance to actually reveal such symbols emphasizes the impact that these Nazis truly had. Even after such a long time had passed after their rule, just the symbol being exhibited in pubic may have seemed too realistic for the audience to handle. The Nazi party, especially in the show, made many people turn on those who were near and dear to them out of fear and ignorance of what the Nazi’s true intentions