Notes on Tin Pan Alley and Broadway Music

Tin Pan Alley and Broadway Music

Origin of the Review

  • Definition of Review: A type of popular entertainment developed by George Letterer.
  • Characteristics:
    • Combined singing, dancing, and skits.
    • Each review featured its own unique numbers, in contrast to Vaudeville.
  • Difference from Vaudeville: Vaudeville incorporated music, dances, and skits from various sources, whereas reviews had distinct compositions.

Contributions of Tin Pan Alley Composers

  • Role of Composers: Tin Pan Alley composers created new songs specifically for each review.
  • Notable Reviews of the Period:
    • Florence Ziegfield's Follies: Most respected and acclaimed reviews, captivating audiences from 1917 to 1931 with imagination and pageantry.
    • Other prominent reviews included:
    • George White's Scandals
    • Greenwich Village Follies
    • The Music Box Review, created by Sam Harris and Irving Berlin.

Influential Songwriters

  • Notable Songwriters of the Era: Major composers who contributed songs for reviews include:
    • Jerome Kern
    • Irving Berlin
    • George Gershwin

Emergence of the Book Musical

  • Definition of Book Musical: A theatrical production combining spoken theatre with singing and dancing.
  • Storytelling Structure:
    • Unlike Vaudeville and reviews, book musicals present a cohesive story throughout the performance.
    • Incorporates spoken dialogue augmented by songs that enhance the narrative.
Roles in Book Musicals
  • Key Contributors:
    • Besides the composer and lyricist, a book musical requires a librettist.
    • Role of the Librettist: Responsible for writing the libretto, which contains the spoken text of the story.
  • Lyricist vs. Librettist:
    • Generally, the librettist focuses on dialogue and does not write song lyrics, which are written by a separate lyricist.
    • The original story's author may or may not collaborate on the libretto.

Enduring Legacy of the Book Musical

  • Cultural Significance: The book musical has established itself as the most enduring form of popular theater in the United States.
  • Interchangeability of Terms: The terms "Broadway show" and "book musical" are often used interchangeably.
  • Historical Context: Despite its current prominence, the book musical was not an immediate success.
  • Longevity of Songs: Many book musicals from the 1920s and 1930s have been largely forgotten, though some of their memorable songs remain popular, continually being performed and recorded.