Chapter 8: Broadway and Musical Theater
In the early 20th century, American musical theater underwent a period of rapid transformation, evolving beyond its vaudeville and operetta origins into more unified and artistically ambitious forms of popular entertainment. Two major traditions emerged during this time: the revue and the book musical.
The revue, developed in part by producer George Lederer, became a widely popular format that blended original songs, dance routines, and comedic sketches into a single evening of entertainment. Unlike vaudeville, which assembled unrelated acts from various performers, revues featured cohesive productions built around newly written material. Among the most dazzling and prestigious of these were the Ziegfeld Follies, produced by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. From 1917 to 1931, the Follies captivated Broadway audiences with lavish costumes, elaborate sets, and spectacular musical numbers that showcased the height of theatrical glamour. Other influential revues of the era included George White’s Scandals, the Greenwich Village Follies, and the Music Box Revue, produced by Sam Harris and Irving Berlin.
Many of the most important Tin Pan Alley composers contributed to these revues, including Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, and George Gershwin, helping to blur the line between popular songwriting and musical theater. These collaborations allowed new songs to be introduced to audiences in theatrical contexts, often before being published or recorded for mass consumption.
While revues dominated Broadway during the 1910s and 1920s, a new and more narrative-driven form of musical theater was emerging: the book musical. Unlike revues and vaudeville shows, which featured loosely connected sketches and songs, book musicals offered a unified storyline in which music, lyrics, and dialogue worked together to advance the plot and deepen character development. In this evolving format, songs were no longer just interludes; they became essential storytelling devices.
The creation of a book musical required three distinct roles:
A composer, who wrote the music
A lyricist, who wrote the words to the songs
A librettist, who wrote the libretto, or the spoken text of the story
Sometimes the lyricist and librettist were the same person, but often they were separate. In many cases, the librettist was not the original author of the story but was responsible for adapting it into dialogue suitable for the stage.
Irving Berlin, who we covered during our discussion of Tin Pan Alley, became one of the most foundational figures in American musical theater and one of the most prolific songwriters in Broadway history. His early knack for parody—rewriting popular melodies with clever new lyrics—earned him modest success. While working at Pelham’s Cafe in Chinatown, sweeping floors and singing, Berlin was asked by the pianist to help write lyrics for a new tune. The result, "Marie from Sunny Italy," earned Berlin and his collaborator just thirty-seven cents each, while the publisher pocketed hundreds. The experience gave Berlin a lasting lesson about the music business: own your work. He soon adopted the professional name Irving Berlin and set out to build a career on his own terms.
Berlin's rise was swift. By age 22, he had placed songs in several major Broadway revues, including the prestigious Ziegfeld Follies. He quickly developed a reputation for crafting songs that balanced wit, sentiment, and broad appeal. Determined to maintain control over his work, Berlin founded his own publishing company, an uncommon move at the time that ensured he retained royalties and creative freedom. He went on to write scores for some of Broadway’s most beloved shows, including As Thousands Cheer (1933), which featured the poignant ballad "Supper Time," Annie Get Your Gun (1946), which included the rousing anthem "There's No Business Like Show Business" and the charming duet "Anything You Can Do," and Call Me Madam (1950), with hits like "You're Just in Love." These songs helped to define the sound of the Broadway stage and the musical stylings of American musicals.
Over time, the book musical became the most enduring and influential form of American musical theater. Today, the terms "Broadway show" and "book musical" are often used interchangeably. However, this format was not an instant success. During the 1920s and 1930s, many early book musicals were commercial failures and are the plots are now largely forgotten. However, the songs survived, many of which have become standards. These beloved and regularly performed pieces have remained central to the American musical canon.