Show Boat

E67331

Show Boat is a landmark American musical, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II, that broke new ground by integrating serious themes and complex characters into its storytelling.


Statements (52)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Broadway musical
book musical
stage musical
basedOn Show Boat (novel)
basedOnWorkBy Edna Ferber
bookWriter Oscar Hammerstein II NERFINISHED
character Cap'n Andy Hawks
Gaylord Ravenal
Joe
Julie LaVerne
Magnolia Hawks
Parthy Ann Hawks
Queenie
composer Jerome Kern NERFINISHED
countryOfOrigin United States
debutMedium Broadway
firstPerformanceDate 1927-11-15
genre integrated musical
musical theatre
romantic drama
hasFilmAdaptation Show Boat (1929 film)
Show Boat (1936 film)
Show Boat (1951 film)
historicalSignificance one of the first integrated book musicals
pioneered serious themes in American musical theatre
influenced development of the modern American musical
language English
lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II NERFINISHED
notableRevival 1946 Broadway revival of Show Boat
1983 Broadway revival of Show Boat
1994 Broadway revival of Show Boat
notableSong Bill
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
Make Believe
Ol' Man River
You Are Love
originalBroadwayRunLength 572 performances
premiereCity New York City
premiereLocation Ziegfeld Theatre
producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
setting Cotton Blossom show boat
Mississippi River
settingPeriod 1880s
1890s
early 20th century
subject interracial marriage
life on the Mississippi River
race relations in the United States
theme gambling addiction
marital breakdown
passing (racial identity)
racial prejudice

Referenced by (13)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Harold Prince ("Show Boat (1994 revival)")
Hattie McDaniel
Helen Westley ("Show Boat (1936 film)")
Jerome Kern
Jerome Kern ("Show Boat (1927 musical)")
Oscar Hammerstein II
Paul Robeson ("film "Show Boat" (1936)")
Robert Russell Bennett ("Show Boat (orchestration)")
notableWork
Show Boat ("Show Boat (1929 film)")
Show Boat ("Show Boat (1936 film)")
Show Boat ("Show Boat (1951 film)")
hasFilmAdaptation
Show Boat ("Show Boat (novel)")
basedOn
Mississippi River culture
documentedIn

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