Our Musicals, Ourselves: A Social History of the American Musical Theatre

Came in good condition. This was the textbook for an American Musical Theater class I took.

I found that the author really stretched the point on the social relevance. In fact his discussion at times was almost forced. It is well written and had some insight but it was far too aggressive in shaping his argument. In many places one can agree but the musicals he often chose to make his point were hardly pieces of theater that made an impact. for example "Woman of the Year" as a "women's lib piece was a stretch. A mediocre musical is just that and social relevance did not help it. He talked about 'cabaret" and its revival as being socially more accurate in later versions but that is what good theater does it re- invents itself in new thinking all of the time. HIs thesis just was too forced to be true.

I've been teaching from this book for four years now. Rather than meandering around in the early days blathering about THE BLACK CROOK, Bush Jones immediately identifies the twin roots of today's American musical theatre: Gilbert & Sullivan (specifically PINAFORE) and Vaudeville. From there he's off and running. He gives us successors to those roots: Ziegfield - vaudeville, Cohan - G&S with an American twist and gives us sparkling details and cogent WHYS. He gives SHOWBOAT, OKLAHOMA!, WEST SIDE STORY and COMPANY their due as landmark, game-changing pieces, without fawning excessively over them, and credits The Princess Theatre Musicals (VERY GOOD EDDIE etc.) as a cauldron of experimentation, PAL JOEY, and URINETOWN as tinkerers that improved the form. I wish he'd update it, but it's VERY good as it is.

The author is very familiar with many, many shows. It was enjoyable and enlightening to read his take on the social and cultural conditions that are addressed via specific musicals. This is often my approach too, when teaching a class like this with non-music majors enrolled. The musicals are not only valuable and enjoyable works of art - one can learn about the cultural/social history of our nation at the same time.

great book for they who want to know about Musicals History

I was very excited when I found this book, subtitled "a social history of the American musical theatre”. Mr. Jones covers over a century of theatrical works, and his analysis doesn’t only include the major hits. He does a great job exploring the influence of African-American and Jewish theater on “mainstream” Broadway entertainment, and his analysis of the importance of the legal battles around “Hair” was very informative. While I don’t agree with every point he makes, I think it is an important addition to any theater-lover’s library.One complaint (more for his editor or publisher than for himself) is the inconsistent presentation of lyrics, which sometimes appear in all caps. The first time this happened (over halfway through the book, in a section about “Purlie”), I assumed it had some purpose. But it doesn’t seem to, and the rest of the book goes back and forth in style (sometimes on the same page!).

This book by a long-time professor of theatre arts at Brandeis University is a fascinating study of the social forces influencing the evolution of the Broadway music. Starting with the early part of the 20th-century and working his way slowly to the present day, John Bush Jones groups musicals according to their themes and intent, calling some simply 'diversionary' (the sort that is so often thought to be aimed at the 'tired businessman') and others 'issue-driven,' (those with a theme which somehow mirrors the society at large). Clearly his interest is primarily with the latter, although he does discuss some of the unconscious thematic issues of the former. He does sometimes tend to get a bit caught up in his own premises and oversell them, but by and large this is a scholarly, and entirely readable, history of an art form that was invented on our shores and brought to its peak here, although it has been imitated prolifically elsewhere. He makes the point that most of the creators were Jewish (as he is) but doesn't offer much of an explanation for why this might be so. He focuses repeatedly on such things as shows with African-American, Jewish, political, sociological and psychological themes. He offers a fine analysis of the so-called 'concept musical' (e.g., 'Company' or 'Chorus Line') which he prefers to call 'fragmented musicals,' a description which points out their lack of an ordinary linear plot line.One could argue with some of his emphases and analyses, but one has to respect the depth and breadth of his research and knowledge. He analyzes sociopolitical themes at length in such musicals as 'Show Boat,' 'The Cradle Will Rock,' 'Pal Joey,' 'Oklahoma,' 'South Pacific,' 'Carousel,' 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Fiddler on the Roof,' and others. Sometimes he finds hidden meanings that I had a hard time agreeing with, but I can only admire his imaginative look at some musicals that many of us tend to see as primarily 'diversionary.'The book includes appendices listing the most popular or important musicals grouped roughly by decade and the number of performances they achieved. And there is also an extensive bibliography. I've read many books about the musical theatre and this one is unique in its perspective; it brings an interesting slant to the subject. Thus, it is a worthy addition to the long list of important books about the art form.Scott Morrison

If you're interested in the social context of the Broadway musical then this is an essential resource but it's more suitable for students than for casual fans of musical theatre.