Carefully Taught: American History through Broadway Musicals

Carefully Taught explores American history through thirty Broadway musicals, examining how they portrayed historical events, eras, and personalities. It analyzes the stories, characters, and songs to understand how Broadway viewed these subjects and how dramatic license separated fact from fantasy. The musicals fall into various categories, including biographies, national conflicts, public events, and sociological studies. Cary Ginell, an award-winning theater critic and author, provides a unique perspective by combining the viewpoints of playwrights and composers with the context of how these events were perceived at the time of production and how they are seen today. His research of contemporary theater reviews and in-depth studies of productions' backstories complement his knowledge as a theater critic in Southern California, offering a comprehensive overview of American history on the stage.

Format: Hardback
Length: 284 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2022
Publisher: Globe Pequot Press

Carefully Taught delves into the captivating world of American history, as portrayed through the lens of thirty Broadway musicals. Presented chronologically, according to the musical's timeline, acclaimed theater critic and author Cary Ginell takes us on a profound exploration, dissecting the narratives, characters, and songs to unveil not only how Broadway interpreted historical events, epochs, and personalities, but also to capture the intricate interplay between fact and fantasy. The selected musicals span a diverse range of genres, including biographies of renowned Americans such as Andrew Jackson and Fiorello LaGuardia, stories that grapple with national conflicts like Hamilton and South Pacific, events that resonated with the American public, such as Floyd Collins and Newsies, and sociological studies or satires of specific eras, such as The Music Man and Hair. While numerous books have been dedicated to Broadway's rich tapestry, Carefully Taught offers a unique perspective, blending the viewpoints of playwrights and composers with the historical context in which these musicals were originally produced and the way they are perceived today. Ginell's extensive research into contemporary theater reviews and in-depth investigations of production backstories complement his quarter-century of experience as a theater critic in Southern California, resulting in a comprehensive and illuminating overview of American history on the theatrical stage, from the coveted balcony seat.

Weight: 604g
Dimension: 160 x 236 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781493065400