Present and discuss the features of the Broadway Musical. You must refer to specific musical example in your answer.

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Present and discuss the features of the Broadway Musical. You must refer to specific musical example in your answer.

The Broadway Musical surfaced in 1919 and was widely received by audiences for many reasons. After taking inspiration from former entertainment styles such as operas, pantomimes, burlesques and vaudevilles, which were used purely for amusement purposes, with the addition of emerging themes such as integration and popular styles of the time such as jazz and ragtime, the Broadway Musical was born.

The use of contemporary popular song styles from the time period was a new feature which belonged to the Broadway Musical. This meant that songs influenced by styles of the time became more popular in the musicals. ‘Showboat’, perhaps the most successful Broadway Musical ever, made use of this feature by integrating the song ‘After the Ball’ into the play. Unlike all the other music in ‘Showboat’, ‘After the Ball’ was not written by Kern for the show, but by Charles K Harris and was a big hit at the turn of the century. This is why the use of this ‘prop song’ proved to be so successful among the audience of ‘Showboat’. In addition, Kern made use of the growing prominence of jazz-styles in music by integrating it into his songs for ‘Showboat’. For example; in ‘Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man’, the singer exploits the use of a vocal glissando alongside jazz style chords to emphasis the jazz theme of the piece. Which was again, received well by audiences as jazz was a growing acclaim of the time.

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It has been suggested that the most prominent feature of the Broadway Musical was the decision to integrate the music into the action of the shows. This meant that songs didn’t only provide entertainment, but also created mood, revealed characters and advanced the plot; effects that music in performances had previously not provided. Music that was associated with and represented a certain character is known as a ‘leitmotif’. Leitmotifs became a common theme in Broadway Musicals and accurately revealed a character’s personality and motives without the need for speech. In ‘Showboat’ the character of Parthy has a leitmotif which features ...

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