Allison Atkenson
Kevin Long
Musical Theatre History
December 16, 2015 Issues confronted At the start of the year my classmates and I were asked to define the true purpose of theatre. Our responses ranged from “a combination of song and spectacle” to “emotions communicated through spoken word, music, and movement.” But overall, we concluded it was an art form that was meant to both teach and entertain. Musical theatre has and will likely forever remain a vehicle to discuss societal issues and controversial topics. Furthermore, musical theatre has evolved a long way from some of its earliest beginnings, Minstrel shows: a form in which burnt cork was applied to the face in mock of African Americans. This “black face” was an attempt to conform …show more content…
The show seems to make great commentary on the intermingling of races: exhibited between Julie and Steve and Magnolia with Julie/Queenie. The theme of miscegenation is featured prominently in the action of the first few scenes of the show. Julie, the leading lady of the showboat troupe, is a mulatto, or woman of mixed race, “passing” as white in the segregated South. She is married to Steve, the leading man of the troupe, who is white, and their marriage violates a law in Mississippi at the time that forbids miscegenation. In the show, they are persecuted for this reason and are forced to leave. Magnolia is introduced as to having grown up with an appreciation of African American music. This is exhibited through her relationship between Queenie the cook. Queenie’s kitchen constitutes as a safe haven where Magnolia hides from her mother and learns to sing and dance the “black folks‘ music” (Hammerstein). Lastly, Magnolia and Julie’s special relationship is exhibited in Act II. After Magnolia has lost everything, she goes to seek work as a singer at the Trocadero nightclub in Chicago. Magnolia auditions for the Trocadero nightclub by singing “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man,” a song she learned from Julie. Unbeknown to Magnolia, Julie sees her singing the song, and decides she will quit at the nightclub so the management will have to hire Julie as a last minute replacement. She sacrifices herself out of fond love for
Kevin Long
Musical Theatre History
December 16, 2015 Issues confronted At the start of the year my classmates and I were asked to define the true purpose of theatre. Our responses ranged from “a combination of song and spectacle” to “emotions communicated through spoken word, music, and movement.” But overall, we concluded it was an art form that was meant to both teach and entertain. Musical theatre has and will likely forever remain a vehicle to discuss societal issues and controversial topics. Furthermore, musical theatre has evolved a long way from some of its earliest beginnings, Minstrel shows: a form in which burnt cork was applied to the face in mock of African Americans. This “black face” was an attempt to conform …show more content…
The show seems to make great commentary on the intermingling of races: exhibited between Julie and Steve and Magnolia with Julie/Queenie. The theme of miscegenation is featured prominently in the action of the first few scenes of the show. Julie, the leading lady of the showboat troupe, is a mulatto, or woman of mixed race, “passing” as white in the segregated South. She is married to Steve, the leading man of the troupe, who is white, and their marriage violates a law in Mississippi at the time that forbids miscegenation. In the show, they are persecuted for this reason and are forced to leave. Magnolia is introduced as to having grown up with an appreciation of African American music. This is exhibited through her relationship between Queenie the cook. Queenie’s kitchen constitutes as a safe haven where Magnolia hides from her mother and learns to sing and dance the “black folks‘ music” (Hammerstein). Lastly, Magnolia and Julie’s special relationship is exhibited in Act II. After Magnolia has lost everything, she goes to seek work as a singer at the Trocadero nightclub in Chicago. Magnolia auditions for the Trocadero nightclub by singing “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man,” a song she learned from Julie. Unbeknown to Magnolia, Julie sees her singing the song, and decides she will quit at the nightclub so the management will have to hire Julie as a last minute replacement. She sacrifices herself out of fond love for