History

Throughout the book, the creation of the show is portrayed as having been profoundly, definitively influenced by at least three different levels of history: the history of America, the history of musical theater, and the personal histories of the creative artists involved in bringing the show to life. The relationship between the past (i.e. history) and the present is, in fact, one of the book's central themes, with the book also suggesting that while history (on all three levels) is an important source, it is also not an immutable one: that is, it can be changed, shaped, and reworked in order to strengthen story, character, and theme.

The Broadway Musical

The Broadway musical is a particular form of theatrical performance that, arguably, is America's primary contribution to theatrical presentation. It has its roots in other forms (i.e. European operetta), but its style; its integration of...