George Cohan's Influence On American Musical Theatre
Major Figure Research Paper: George M. Cohan Just like anything else in this world, American Musical Theatre did not just come out of nowhere; it was started by many different ideas and talents coming together. According to American musical theatre history, the first musical performance took place in Charleston, South Carolina on February 8, 1735. It was the production of Flora, a ballad opera from England. According to the same history timeline and google, The Black Crook was however the first American musical production- performed on September 12, 1866. Although it was based on European influences, it was produced in New York and written fully by Americans and it ignited the American people to create American musical theatre with an all
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He mixed together burlesque, operetta, and revue to make unique creations. His biggest concern was making sure his personality was vivid. He was known to be cogent, dynamic, and irresistible (“Musical Comedy is Born”). His personality shining through on stage was how he kept his audiences so entertained. To assure that every one of his productions was exactly how he wanted, Cohan wrote his own plays, lyrics, music, and was often the star performer and even producer. He might not have been the best at all the jobs, but he knew how to make sure everything he did was modern, American, and entertaining as …show more content…
After failed attempts in 1901 and 1903 at turning vaudeville sketches into full-length musicals, he decided to write original Broadways musicals. Cohan’s first successful Broadway show, Little Johnny Jones, was the stepping stone for musical comedy and his long career. Cohan had very many ups and downs during his life time: he was both acclaimed for several productions and performances, but also critiqued on his methods and material very often especially when the theatre began to develop, but the way he worked stayed the same. His most famous songs include: “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “Give my Regards to Broadway” and “Yankee Doodle Boy.” He was also awarded a medal of honor in 1940 for his World War I song “Over There” and in 1970 was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
He mixed together burlesque, operetta, and revue to make unique creations. His biggest concern was making sure his personality was vivid. He was known to be cogent, dynamic, and irresistible (“Musical Comedy is Born”). His personality shining through on stage was how he kept his audiences so entertained. To assure that every one of his productions was exactly how he wanted, Cohan wrote his own plays, lyrics, music, and was often the star performer and even producer. He might not have been the best at all the jobs, but he knew how to make sure everything he did was modern, American, and entertaining as …show more content…
After failed attempts in 1901 and 1903 at turning vaudeville sketches into full-length musicals, he decided to write original Broadways musicals. Cohan’s first successful Broadway show, Little Johnny Jones, was the stepping stone for musical comedy and his long career. Cohan had very many ups and downs during his life time: he was both acclaimed for several productions and performances, but also critiqued on his methods and material very often especially when the theatre began to develop, but the way he worked stayed the same. His most famous songs include: “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “Give my Regards to Broadway” and “Yankee Doodle Boy.” He was also awarded a medal of honor in 1940 for his World War I song “Over There” and in 1970 was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame