A study and reconstruction of "The Passing Show of 1914": The American musical revue and its development in the early twentieth century
Item
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Title
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A study and reconstruction of "The Passing Show of 1914": The American musical revue and its development in the early twentieth century
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:626a6461d726:10815
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identifier
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10696
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Creator
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Westover, Jonas,
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Contributor
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Allan Atlas
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Date
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2010
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Music | American history | Theater history | Musical Theater | Revue | Shuberts | Ziegfeld
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Abstract
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A Study and Reconstruction of The Passing Show of 1914: The American Musical Revue and its Development in the Early Twentieth Century examines a subject that has been neglected in many fields, including those of music, film, and theater: the revue. Specifically, this dissertation offers a complete restoration of one of the earliest examples of the American revue, with a full score, the script in its incarnations, costumes, photographs, contracts, and a vast array of other pertinent information. This study stands as the earliest example of any musical comedy reconstructed with its original orchestrations, which in this case are by Frank Saddler, a legend in the business for whom no original work has been examined in depth. This revue is important for many reasons: it is the first musical comedy written by Sigmund Romberg, it is one of the most important starring roles for the female impersonator George W. Monroe, and it presents the Broadway debut of Marilyn Miller, one of the biggest stage stars of the 1920s. Significantly, the show uses a script with recurring characters who act out a plot, challenging the very notion of what constitutes the genre of the revue. Biographies of the creators and actors in the show are explored, as is the reception history of the show and its relationship with its major competitor, Ziegfeld's Follies. Issues of orchestration, musical form, melodic and harmonic analysis, and the formulation of a musical "hit" are also examined. The result of this research indicates that The Passing Show was a series that relied on its audience's knowledge of the complete Broadway experience---from operettas and "straight" plays to musicals and vaudeville---for references and for a sense of cohesion that the modern revue purposefully eschews. This study provides a unique window into the world of early American musical theater.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Music
