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A Fine Romance: Jews and The Broadway Musical
For more than a hundred years, Jewish composers, lyricists, choreographers and performers have been among the dominant creative forces on Broadway. How can we explain this extraordinary domination of a major branch of American popular culture and entertainment by artists of a particular ethnicity over such a long period of time? Perhaps this phenomenon should not surprise us. Ever since Emma Lazarus wrote that famous poem affixed to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, American Jews have been among the most eloquent and insightful commentators on what it means to be an American and to belong to American society, a question which has been at the core of many great musicals. This talk will examine half a dozen of the greatest Broadway musicals, showing how the energy, talent, and wit that went into their creation came from the heart of the Jewish experience in twentieth-century America.

Please RSVP to Charmaine clw@tilb.org