The 1910s shaped the future of the American musical. While many shows of the decade were imports of European operettas, and even original Broadway musicals were influenced by continental productions, the musicals of the 1910s found their own American voice. In The Complete Book of 1910s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz covers all 302 musicals that opened on Broadway during this decade. Among the shows discussed are The Balkan Princess, The Kiss Waltz, Naughty Marietta, The Firefly, Very Good Eddie, Leave It to Jane, Watch Your Step, See America First, and La-La-Lucille. Dietz places each musical in its historical context, including the women's suffrage movement and the decade's defining historical event, World War One. It was the war that truly changed Broadway musicals, with a shift from European-centric, waltz-flavored operettas to musical comedies set in the U.S. Suddenly new voices were heard on Broadway, including Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin, composers who would forever change the sound of the American musical. Each entry features the following: plot summary cast members the creative team, including writers, lyricists, composers, directors, choreographers, and producers opening and closing dates number of performances critical commentary musical numbers and the performers who introduced the songs Numerous appendices include a chronology, discography, filmography, Gilbert and Sullivan productions, Princess Theatre musicals, musicals with World War I themes, and published scripts, making this book a comprehensive and significant resource. The Complete Book of 1910s Broadway Musicals will captivate and inform scholars, historians, and casual fans about this influential decade in musical theater history.
