why is showboat important

showboat, floating theatre that tied up at towns along the waterways of the southern and midwestern United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers

, to bring culture and entertainment to the inhabitants of river frontiers. The earliest of these entertainment boats were family-owned ventures into regions where theatres had not gone.

Full Answer

What was the purpose of a showboat?

A showboat, or show boat, was a floating theater that traveled along the waterways of the United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, to bring culture and entertainment to the inhabitants of river frontiers.

What is the plot of Show Boat?

Show Boat. Show Boat is a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, based on Edna Ferber's best-selling novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock workers on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River show boat, over 40 years from 1887 to 1927.

Why was Show Boat such a successful musical?

It was first and foremost the subject matter of Show Boat that was responsible for the outcome. By choosing to adapt a work of literature to the stage and turn it into a musical, Hammerstein and Kern had basically committed to creating a musical with a strong plot, realistic characters and important themes.

How many acts are in Showboat?

Show Boat is a 1927 musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

What is the theme of Show Boat?

It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock workers on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River show boat, over 40 years from 1887 to 1927. Its themes include racial prejudice and tragic, enduring love.

Why was Show Boat created?

By choosing to adapt a work of literature to the stage and turn it into a musical, Hammerstein and Kern had basically committed to creating a musical with a strong plot, realistic characters and important themes. There was no other reason to choose a literary work such as Edna Ferber's winding and long novel.

What is the meaning of Show Boat in 1927?

A showboat, or show boat, was a floating theater that traveled along the waterways of the United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, to bring culture and entertainment to the inhabitants of river frontiers.

When was Show Boat popular?

The showboat era lasted from 1831 to the 1940s, with a pause during the Civil War. Their heyday was the early twentieth century. The original showboats were family owned and ventured to small, isolated river frontier locations.

Why was Show Boat considered such an influential musical explain 3 reasons?

Show Boat changes the course of theater, redirecting the emphasis from the heavy operettas and the superficial music comedies which had dominated Broadway. As mentioned, the characters were far more three-dimensional and realistic, and the integration of music and plot was far more skillfully manuevered.

Why is Show Boat unique?

Show Boat was particularly revolutionary for its time, and serves as the jumpstart point for my exploration, because it became the first musical to combine seriousness with spectacle. Most plays of the time were unrealistic comedies meant to entertain the public.

What was perhaps the most controversial element of Showboat?

As a result of all of these factors, Show Boat was revised within a year of its Broadway bow before it moved to London's West End. Its most controversial element was undoubtedly its first lyric, which included the n-word, and it went through several replacements beginning in 1928 when it premiered on the West End.

Why is showboat 1927 considered to be the first modern musical quizlet?

Showboat was the first production to combine dancing, choruses, toe-tapping melodies, and huge spectacle with a strong plot and plausible characters.

When was Showboat first performed?

December 27, 1927Show Boat / First performance

Is Show boat The first musical?

Show Boat was the first great serious Broadway musical. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the songs, and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., who produced it, departed from typical musical comedy material, with its chorus lines and songs showcasing star performers.

What was the first musical?

The first musical film, The Jazz Singer (1927), starring Al Jolson, introduced the sound era of motion pictures. It was followed by a series of musicals hastily made to capitalize on the novelty of sound.

What is a showboat?

A showboat, or show boat, was a floating theater that traveled along the waterways of the United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, to bring culture and entertainment to the inhabitants of river frontiers.

What does "showboat" mean?

Based on the supposedly gaudy look of showboats, the term "showboat" also came to mean someone who wants his or her ostentatious behavior to be seen at all costs. This term is particularly applied in sports, where a showboat (or sometimes "showboater") will do something flashy before (or even instead of) actually achieving his or her goal. The word is also used as a verb. British television show Soccer AM has a section appropriately named Showboat, dedicated to flashy tricks from the past week's games.

Why did the popularity of showboats decline?

With the improvement of roads, the rise of the automobile, motion pictures, and the maturation of the river culture, the popularity of showboats again began to decline. In order to combat this development, they grew in size and became more colorful and elaborately designed in the 1900s. The Golden Rod seated 1,400 persons; the Cotton Blossom, the Sunny South, and the New Showboat were floating theatre palaces. With the burlesquing of these programs throughout the 1930s to attract sophisticated audiences, showboats ceased to perform their original function.

What was the name of the showboat that was built in 1851?

One popular showboat during this period was the Floating Circus Palace of Gilbert R. Spalding and Charles J. Rogers, built in 1851, that featured large-scale equestrian spectacles. By the middle of the nineteenth century, showboats could seat up to 3,400 and regularly featured wax museums and equestrian shows.

What is showboating in boxing?

In boxing, showboating often takes the form of taunting, dropping one's gloves and daring an opponent to throw a punch, or engaging in other risky behaviors while the match is ongoing. Notable boxers well known for their showboating style include Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr..

What are some examples of showboating?

Oft-cited examples of showboating include Leon Lett 's grocery-bag-carrying of a recovered football (which was then swatted out of his hand before the goal line) in Super Bowl XXVII; Bill Shoemaker 's standing in the saddle before the finish line of the 1957 Kentucky Derby, costing him the win (some sources say he merely misjudged the finish line, with the jockey ahead of him not standing up then); Lindsey Jacobellis ' grab of her snowboard which caused her to crash right before the finish of the Snowboard Cross final at the 2006 Winter Olympics, costing her a first-place finish and a gold medal (she got a silver medal instead); Usain Bolt pumping his chest before winning the 100m final at 2008 Summer Olympics, likely adding one or more tenths of a second to his world record time of 9.69 seconds; and Mario Balotelli missing a shot on (soccer) goal when he unnecessarily tried it backheel. Showboating is likely to get this sort of attention when, as a result, the contestant doing it encounters a problem in the still-in-progress competition.

What was the name of the boat that Noah Ludlow used to travel on?

Noah Ludlow, an early pioneer in travelling theater, purchased a keelboat in 1816 for $200 and named it Noah's Ark. Ludlow and 11 associates, together known as the American Theatrical Commonwealth Company, climbed aboard and traveled down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, stopping to perform whenever they could. It is not clear whether they ever performed on the boat, or just used the boat as a means of travel. If they did, in fact, perform on the boat (as is probable), then Ludlow's Noah's Ark would have been the first showboat.

What is a showboat?

Showboat, floating theatre that tied up at towns along the waterways of the southern and midwestern United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, to bring culture and entertainment to the inhabitants of river frontiers. The earliest of these entertainment boats were family-owned ventures into regions where theatres had not gone.

When were showboats revived?

When showboats were revived (1878) , they specialized in vaudeville and melodrama.

Who built the first showboat?

The British-born actor William Chapman built the first showboat, the “ Floating Theatre” (14 by 100 feet [4 by 32 m]), at Pittsburgh in 1831. He and his family floated from landing to landing, playing dramas such as The Stranger, by August von Kotzebue, and William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, with music and dance specialties added.

Why did the number of showboats decline in the 1900s?

With the disappearance of river frontier conditions in the 1900s and with the coming of better roads, automobiles, and motion pictures, the number of showboats declined. To compete with land entertainment, they became larger and more elaborate.

Why was Show Boat a musical?

It was first and foremost the subject matter of Show Boat that was responsible for the outcome. By choosing to adapt a work of literature to the stage and turn it into a musical, Hammerstein and Kern had basically committed to creating a musical with a strong plot, realistic characters and important themes. There was no other reason to choose a literary work such as Edna Ferber’s winding and long novel. Show Boat was a serious novel that dealt with large issues.

What genre is Show Boat?

It was in a genre of its own- the book musical.

What is Magnolia's dream in the show boat?

As an example, Magnolia wants to be actress and when she’s given the chance to pursue her ambition on the Show Boat two major things occur. First, she discovers she’s good at entertaining and second she falls in love with her new leading man, Gaylord Ravenal.

Why did Hammerstein's book end the show Boat?

One reason was because Hammerstein’s book reinforced the “Ol’ Man River” theme. The musical theme runs throughout the show and it is especially poignant when used in the final moments. Show Boat ends with Gaylord returning to Magnolia after having abandoned her 20 years earlier.

Why did Helen Morgan come down on Show Boat?

When the curtain came down on Show Boat audiences were not sure of what to do. One reason was because Hammerstein’s book reinforced the “Ol’ Man River” theme. The musical theme runs throughout ...

How many performances did Show Boat have?

Critics and audiences were enthusiastic about Show Boat and it was a major Broadway hit running for 572 performances. But it would not be until 1943 with the premiere of Oklahoma! that Broadway audiences, producers, reviewers and creators would commit to the book musical as the preferred musical theatre genre.

Did Hammerstein and Kern succeed in Show Boat?

Hammerstein and Kern succeeded with Show Boat. Despite the fact that Gaylord and Magnolia are back together, he has missed a large part of his daughter’s life and for reasons that are connected to his bad judgment and lack of responsibility.

What is the show boat based on?

Olivier Award for Best Revival. Show Boat is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber 's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name.

Why was Show Boat cancelled?

Since the musical's 1927 premiere, Show Boat has both been condemned as a prejudiced show based on racial caricatures and championed as a breakthrough work that opened the door for public discourse in the arts about racism in America. Some productions (including one planned for June 2002 in Connecticut) have been cancelled because of objections. Such cancellations have been criticized by supporters of the arts. After planned performances in 1999 by an amateur company in Middlesbrough, England, where "the show would entail white actors 'blacking up' " were "stopped because [they] would be 'distasteful' to ethnic minorities", the critic for a local newspaper declared that the cancellation was "surely taking political correctness too far. … [T]he kind of censorship we've been talking about – for censorship it is – actually militates against a truly integrated society, for it emphasizes differences. It puts a wall around groups within society, dividing people by creating metaphorical ghettos, and prevents mutual understanding".

Who wrote the show boat?

After being assured by Kern that he did not want to adapt it as the typical frivolous "girlie" show of the 1920s, she granted him and his collaborator Oscar Hammerstein II the rights to set her novel to music. After composing most of the first-act songs, Kern and Hammerstein auditioned their material for producer Florenz Ziegfeld, thinking that he was the person to create the elaborate production they felt necessary for Ferber's sprawling work. Ziegfeld was impressed with the show and agreed to produce it, writing the next day, "This is the best musical comedy I have ever been fortunate to get a hold of; I am thrilled to produce it, this show is the opportunity of my life..." Show Boat, with its serious and dramatic nature, was considered an unusual choice for Ziegfeld, who was best known for revues such as the Ziegfeld Follies .

How many times was Show Boat adapted for radio?

Show Boat was adapted for live radio at least seven times. Due to network censorship rules, many of the radio productions eliminated the miscegenation aspect of the plot. Notable exceptions were the 1940 Cavalcade of America broadcast and the 1952 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast.

Who wrote the song "Bill" for the show boat?

The score also includes four songs not originally written for Show Boat: " Bill " was originally written by Kern and P. G. Wodehouse in 1917 and was reworked by Hammerstein for Show Boat. Two other songs not by Kern and Hammerstein, "Goodbye, My Lady Love" by Joseph E. Howard and " After the Ball " by Charles K. Harris, were included by the authors for historical atmosphere and are included in revivals. The New Year's Eve scene features an instrumental version of " There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight ".

When was the show boat on Broadway first performed?

The musical contributed such classic songs as " Ol' Man River ", " Make Believe ", and " Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man ". The musical was first produced in 1927 by Florenz Ziegfeld. The premiere of Show Boat on Broadway was an important event in the history of American musical theatre.

Was the 1929 show boat a musical?

1929 Show Boat. Universal. Released in silent and partial sound versions. Not a film version of the musical; its plot is based on the original Edna Ferber novel. Immediately after the silent film was completed, a prologue with some music from the show was filmed and added to a part-talkie version of the same film, which was released with two sound sequences.

What is the show boat?

Premiering on Broadway in 1927, Show Boat became the newest image for musical theatre. And this too, now several decades later, is where I will start my personal journey through the evolvement of classical and contemporary Musical Theatre. The production was brought to the stage by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II as an adaptation of Midwestern writer Edna Ferber’s 1926 novel. The plot centers around the lives of the performers on a Mississippi show boat, the “Cotton Blossom.” Typical of the era, the style of song is both operatic and powerful, and it focuses around romance and tragedy. The soundtrack features classics of the time period such as “Make Believe,” “Ol’ Man River,” and “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.”

Why was the show boat so revolutionary?

Show Boat was particularly revolutionary for its time, and serves as the jumpstart point for my exploration, because it became the first musical to combine seriousness with spectacle. Most plays of the time were unrealistic comedies meant to entertain the public.

When was the show boat first performed?

But for me, these pieces of art serve as safe environments for creativity, challenge, and pure beauty. “Show Boat” original playbill. Premiering on Broadway in 1927 , Show Boat became the newest image for musical theatre.

Why is musical theatre important?

However, that by no means insists that the genre be bound by its history. One of the theatre’s most important attributes is that it is forever evolving. Each show developed possesses its own unique personality, and each either reflects or advances the art past the context of its time. To many show-goers, musicals are simply a form of light-hearted fun. But for me, these pieces of art serve as safe environments for creativity, challenge, and pure beauty.