Show Boat (1927) was immediately considered one of the best musicals ever. The production set a new standard for producers, composers and librettists. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein were the first to:- bright and cheerful scenes alternated with serious and dramatic scenes
- had a mixed cast of blacks and whites play together
- had an eye for character development
- used songs and dances only as… a functional and essential part of the story.The musical is based on Edna Ferber's novella Show Boat about a theater company that tours the Mississippi River in a show boat. A story featuring interracial marriages, alcohol and gambling addiction and unhappy romances. Usually opening with happy showgirls, this musical surprised audiences with cotton bales lugging African Americans singing "Niggers all work on the Mississippi".more
Show boat
, London Sinfonietta
Album
Sheet music
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Can't help lovin' dat man
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