The Music of Broadway Through Time
Zaina Moussa and Geuel Simiyu
Central Question
How does different Broadway music throughout time reflect the different events in American history?
- We thought the music of Broadway would be an interesting thing to research because its popularity with the American public reflects the evolution of culture in each time period.
History
- Broadway theatre was founded in the early 1900s as a center of music, drama, and art. It is located in New York’s Times Square.
- Broadway is made up of multiple theatres that are divided into three categories: Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway.
- Often times, Broadway plays remind the American people of past events and hardships.
If I Were A Rich Man
- From play "Fiddler on the roof"
- Set in the 1905 to portray the many hardships of immigrants
- (Start at 2:30)
Fiddler on the roof - If I were a rich man (with subtitles)
Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
- From the play "Americana"
- Focuses on the Great Depression of the 1930s
- Uses the minor key to portray the mood of American citizens during the depression
Bing Crosby - Brother Can You Spare A Dime? 1932
Sixteen Going On Seventeen
- (0:29-1:35)
- From the play "The Sound of Music"
- Set in Austria during the WWII era
- The song focuses on what society saw us women in general
Sixteen Going On Seventeen
I Know Where I've Been
- From the musical "Hairspray"
- Set in the 60s
- Reminds the audience of the fight for equality in all aspects of life, including entertainment.
I Know Were I've Been
Hakuna Matata
- (0-:25)
- From the play "The Lion King"
- Includes elements from Swahili culture
- reflects the increasing diversity of American culture
The Lion King - Hakuna Matata (HD)
No One Mourns the Wicked
- Play at 2:30
- From the play "Wicked"
- Contemporary Broadway musical
- This reinvention of another side of the story reflects the current demand for a new point of view.
- This is because of an emergence/reemergence of civil rights movements for those previously not acknowledged such as the gay community and the feminist movement
No one mourns the wicked