Musicals101.com

History of Musicals
What is a musical?
Stage
Film
TV
Bibliography

Sub-Histories:
A Chorus Line 101
Cabaret 101
George M Cohan 101
Noel Coward 101
G&S 101
Historic NYC Theatres
Making Musicals 101
Theatre in NYC: History
Variety 101
Ziegfeld 101

Site Index
Site Search
Find a Musical

Musicals101 Shop

Blog:
The Showtune Chauvinist

Reference Resources
Stage Chronology
Film Chronology

Musicals as History
Sample Lyrics
Sample Scenes
Photo Galleries
Show Rights Index
Who's Who in Musicals

Musicals Calendar
Links

Reviews & Essays
Stage/Screen Reviews
Book Reviews
CD Reviews
Flops on CD
DVD Reviews
Dance in Musicals
Gays and Musicals
Making Bway Musicals
How to Put On A Musical
A Life in Vaudeville
Musicals101 Blog

Guest Sites
LOOM Homepage
Miller/Seldin Homepage
NYC Restaurants

About the Author

Contact Musicals101

History of The Musical Stage
1900-1910: "Skipping a Beat, Singing a Dream"
by John Kenrick

(Copyright 1996 & 2003)

 

(The images below are thumbnails – click on them to see larger versions.)

British Imports: Florodora
The Florodora SextetBroadway's original Florodora sextet and their male co-stars performing "Tell Me Pretty Maiden," which made this musical comedy a sensation.

At the start of the 20th Century, America was in the full glory of its cultural adolescence, bursting with energy and optimism. London was still the theatrical capital of the world, but New York was gaining fast in clout, sophistication and size. As of 1900, there were thirty-three legitimate Broadway theatres, and many more would be built within the next decade to meet growing audience demand.

New York's exploding population was also enjoying increased mobility. In 1904, the city opened its first underground commuter railroad lines. Thanks to these "subways," tens of thousands living far from the theatre district could catch a Broadway show and still sleep in their own beds. Add in the ever-increasing numbers of tourists who came into the city by rail and steamship, and Broadway had an expanded audience base that could support more productions and longer runs than ever before. 

The first theatrical sensation of the new century was the British musical comedy Florodora (1899 - London 455 /1900 - NY 553), the story of a young woman seeking romance and the restoration of a stolen inheritance. When it opened to rave reviews in London a year earlier, various producers in New York rejected the show as "too British" -- but a team of newcomers took a chance, earning millions of dollars.