That’s a Wrap

by admin - December 3rd, 2013

Throughout this course, we have learned about many topics involved in the 1950s. Those topics include McCarthyism, living conditions, Rock and Roll, consumerism, entertainment, and much more. Unfortunately there are many other topics we did not cover during this course. One topic that we did not go over, and my personal favorite, is musicals.

American musicals date back as early as the 18th century. They typically included performances with song, dance, and dialogue that correlated with public interest. Because of this direct correlation, musicals became popular with much of America’s population during the 18th, 19th and most of the 20th century. It was not until the 1960s that America’s interest in musicals declined.

During the early 20th century, musicals remained popular with most of America’s population. Due to this popularity, Broadway, unlike many other industries, was not harmed financially during the Great Depression. Although fewer plays were produced, much of this success continued into the fifties.

In America in the Fifties, by Andrew Dunar, it was estimated that Broadway was producing an average less than 70 plays a year in the 1950s. This was a dramatic decrease from 224 average plays produced yearly earlier in the century. Popular shows like South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, The King and I, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and Gypsy kept a constant audience returning to the theater, but it was apparent Broadway’s popularity was decreasing.

One can assume that much of Broadway’s decreasing popularity was the result of movies and television. Movies and television could provide viewers with elements that musical theater could not. For instance, movies and television shows were filmed in different locations while musicals were set on one stage. Movies and television shows allowed viewers to physically visualize locations while musical viewers had to mentally visualize locations. Not to mention TVs were also much more accessible than traveling distances to see a show.

Since the 1950s, the popularity of musical theater has not changed much. As technology advances it just becomes harder for Broadway to keep up with popular demand. Because of this plateau in musical popularity, Dunar describes the fifties as “the last decade in which the musical was at center stage in American popular culture” (Dunar 267).

In my eyes, musicals are the epitome of hard work and dedication. For a musical to succeed the actors, tech workers, director, and any other workers involved must come together as one. Similarly, this hard work and dedication can also be seen when learning about the 1950s. During this simple decade our country went through many positive and negative defining moments. As Americans, our ancestors came together and created a decade that will forever be remembered. In comparison to musicals, I guess you can think of America during the 1950s as West Side Story. Just as West Side Story did, America interpreted old ideas and modernized them.

Bad situations occur and things do not always end up how we would like, but like the famous musical saying, “the show must go on”.

— Kate M.

2 Responses to “That’s a Wrap”

  1. Julia D says:

    I agree with Kate about how much hard work it takes to run a musical. I think a lot of people see broadway shows as something magical, and that is because they are. While movies also take a lot of work, they are shot once and then done. Unlike a broadway show which must be performed night after night with extreme energy and precision. 🙂

  2. Hannah Massoud says:

    I also agree with Kate, musicals are impressive. Musicals are all or nothing. Performers are expected to reach an audience and make no errors. They are called professionals for a reason.