A Historical Perspective of the Progression of Racial Issues in Musical Theatre In this essay I will address racial issues in Musical theatre, specifically the black and white divide. I have chosen this subject because I find it interesting how racism used to be so accepted in society, and although it’s decreasing presence it is still an issue today. I will be looking at two similar yet contrasting musicals written at different times. Both these musicals have racial issues through their storyline. I will look at the similarities and differences between these two musicals and how racial issues are expressed. Additionally I will consider when the shows were written; what impact these musicals had on society and vice versa. The shows being investigated are Show Boat and Hairspray. I have chosen these shows because of their similar issues. In my opinion Show Boat has been one of the biggest influences on musical theatre and Hairspray made the biggest statement connecting to racism, in modern times. An Original Advertisement in 1927 Show Boat was presented by Florenz Ziegfeld (1867-1932) in 1927. Ziegfeld was an American Broadway impresario. Show Boat was unlike anything he had ever produced before. Jerome Kern (1885-1945), one of the most important American Composers in the 20th century, came up with the idea of adapting Edna Ferber’s novel “Show Boat” into a musical with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein (1895-1960). When he approached Ziegfeld to produce Show Boat, Ziegfeld agreed to work on the show. This was unexpected since it was nothing like his legendary Follies, which were vaudeville shows. In the first part of the 20th century, musical theatre consisted of vaudeville and minstrel shows.... ... middle of paper ... ... an act of injustice whereas in Hairspray they make a statement about it. This was because of the different times they were written in. Furthermore, it can be concluded that society majorly influenced these two shows. Both are a reflection of the society. Show Boat has influenced society by being the first show with racial issues that shocked the audience and gave the entertainment business an opportunity to make shows about it. Hairspray hasn’t influenced society as much because it wasn’t as shocking for the audience anymore. Racism was already known as a social issue. Yet racism will always be an issue in our society and I think it will always be important to have this matter in the entertainment business to raise awareness. Notwithstanding the different way racism is practiced these days, I hope we will never stop striving towards a more integrated society.
Kenrick, John. Musical Theatre A History. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008. Print.
“Leave it to Beaver” was a popular sitcom about a traditional nuclear family played out through the perspective of an adolescent boy whose curiosity and antics often got him into trouble (TV.com). Despite the show promoting positive family values, it also inadvertently shed light on a historically dark period of time in American history. One such instance was the lack of diversity on the show. Nearly 100% of the show’s characters were white throughout the six-season, 234 episode series. In the single episode that depicted an African-American, the character was a servant, further a reflection of the times when African-Americans where predominantly seen and treated as second-class citizens (Leaveittobeaver.org). However, this 1950’s ideal serves as a reference point to what typical families looked like and how vastly different they look now.
The Impact of African-American Sitcoms on America's Culture Since its start, the television industry has been criticized for perpetuating myths and stereotypes about African-Americans through characterizations, story lines, and plots. The situation comedy has been the area that has seemed to draw the most criticism, analysis, and disapproval for stereotyping. From Sanford and Son and The Jefferson’s in the 1970s to The Cosby Show (1984) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 1990s, sitcoms featuring black casts and characters have always been controversial. However, their significance upon our American culture cannot be disregarded.
Since television came into existence, it has evolved into a useful tool to spread ideas, both social and political, and has had a great effect on the generations growing up with these heavily influential shows. To these younger generations, television has taken the role of a teacher, with the task of creating a social construction by which many of us base our personal beliefs and judgments on. This power allows television shows take the opportunity to address problems in a manner that many audiences can take to heart. Many television shows present controversial topics in a comical matter, in some ways to soften the blow of hard-hitting reality at the same time bringing attention to the issue being addressed. In the television show, Everybody Hates Chris, season one, episode four entitled “Everybody Hates Sausage”, the stereotypes that continue to fuel racism are examined in a satirical motif, and class is presented in a comical way, but carries serious undertones which present a somewhat realistic view of the different social strata within the United States.
Marlon T. Riggs’ video, Color Adjustment, offers the viewer an exciting trip though the history of television, focusing on the representation, or lack thereof, of African-Americans. A perfectly chosen combination of television producers, actors, sociologists, and cultural critics join forces to offer insight and professional opinion about the status of African-Americans in television since the inception of television itself. As Color Adjustment traces the history of television shows from Amos n’ Andy and Julia to "ghetto sitcoms" and The Cosby Show, the cast of television professionals and cultural critics discuss the impacts those representations have on both the African-American community and our society as a whole. Color Adjustment continually asks the question: "Are these images positive?" This video raises the viewer’s awareness about issues of positive images for African-Americans on television.
... John, Fred Ebb, and Greg Lawrence. "Chicago on Broadway." Colored Lights: Forty Years of Words and Music, Show Biz, Collaboration, and All That Jazz. New York: Faber and Faber, 2003. 119-40. Google Books. Web. 1 May 2014.
Shusterman, Richard. "Moving Truth: Affect and Authenticity in Country Musicals." Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 57.2 (1999): 221-33. EBSCO Host. Web. 12 May 2014.
"Race and Ethnicity in Entertainment." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies.
thesis of how the musical brought our inner child out to realize our true struggles in life.
Racism and discrimination continue to be a prevalent problem in American society. Although minorities have made significant strides toward autonomy and equality, the images in media, specifically television, continue to misrepresent and manipulate the public opinion of blacks. It is no longer a blatant practice upheld by the law and celebrated with hangings and beatings, but instead it is a subtle practice that is perceived in the entertainment and media industries. Whether it’s appearing in disparaging roles or being negatively portrayed in newscasts, blacks continue to be the victims of an industry that relies on old ideas to appeal to the majority. The viscous cycle that is the unconscious racism of the media continues to not only be detrimental to the white consumers, who base what they know about blacks by what is represented in television, but also the black consumers, who grow up with a false sense of identity.
Over the course of approximately one-hundred years there has been a discernible metamorphosis within the realm of African-American cinema. African-Americans have overcome the heavy weight of oppression in forms such as of politics, citizenship and most importantly equal human rights. One of the most evident forms that were withheld from African-Americans came in the structure of the performing arts; specifically film. The common population did not allow blacks to drink from the same water fountain let alone share the same television waves or stage. But over time the strength of the expectant black actors and actresses overwhelmed the majority force to stop blacks from appearing on film. For the longest time the performing arts were the only way for African-Americans to express the deep pain that the white population placed in front of them. Singing, dancing and acting took many African-Americans to a place that no oppressor could reach; considering the exploitation of their character during the 1930's-1960's acting' was an essential technique to African American survival.
In Herman Grey’s, The Politics of Representation in Network Television he examines the history and portrayal of African Americans in television. Grey concludes there are three identifies in which African Americans are represented in television, multiculturalist pluralist and assimilationist. In his writing he mostly reflects on television shows from the mid 1920’s to the 1990’s. However many of these ideas still hold relative to modern day shows featuring minorities. ABC’s Fresh off the Boat is a comedy which centered around an Taiwanese American family trying to chase the American. The show follows the family as they try to adapt from living in a predominantly Chinese community to moving to all white community in Orlando Florida. The
By making it a point to cast minority groups and those who are racially "other", Miranda actually resists changing the way we see race as a society, as visual culture is sensory and therefore, "seeing" race is making race. The main concern of this paper is how does this musical specifically reflect who we are as an American society, something that scholar Raymond Knapp serves to answer in a broader sense in The American Musical and the Formation of National Identity, written almost ten years before the premiere of Hamilton. In his thematic approach, questioning what do musicals do within a culture, he questions whether a musical reflects "Whose America?" or "Who is
Musical theatre is a type of theatrical performance combining music, dance, acting and spoken dialogue. Written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, ‘West Side Story’ is a classic American musical based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The through-composed score and lyrics are used to portray different characters and their cultures, the rivalry between the Jets and Sharks, and the emotions felt as the story progresses. This essay will be exploring the music and how effective the score is in realising the world and characters of the musical. Furthermore, it will discuss how Bernstein and Sondheim relate characters’ diverse ethnicities to particular musical ideas and motifs.
When you look up the definition of a musical it states that it is a “stage, television, or film production utilizing popular-style songs- dialogue optional- to either tell a story or showcase the talents of the writers and or performers”(Kenrick). Just like the Opera you can trace musicals all the way back to Ancient Greece; at this time there was no separation between the Opera and Musicals. As we fast forward to the Middle ages we start to see the development of slapstick comedy and popular songs. In fact it is said that Opera was a descendent of classical theatre. When they started adding music Opera was then created and then there was a fine separation between the