Show Boat

Thank you Magruder. What a great topic!

SHOW BOAT is indeed phenomenal piece of theatre book-writing, music and lyrics. I too am a big fan of what was accomplished by its creators and its impact on the musical art form.

Its true that over the years political correctness has changed musical moments of the original piece. I don't however subscribe to editing art for political correctness, or history for that matter. If one is to totally eliminate "In Da Homey" one would then eliminate whole sections of PORGY AND BESS. Miles Krueger wrote a terrific book on SHOW BOAT, the most authoritive in my humble opinion.

McGlinn's recording is the most complete to date, I believe. The 1936 Universal film version, directed no less than by James Whale of "Frankenstein" fame ["Gods and Monsters"], is superb.

I didn't see the fairly recent Broadway revival. I too would like to hear from others on SHOW BOAT. Anyone?

Bulldog.

Updated On: 12/28/03 at 04:04 PM

I forgot. There was also a very strange version of "Til Good Luck Comes My Way" in the Prince revival, sung at an almost double time rapid fire tempo, with a kind of carnival barker delivery from Mark Jacoby that I still don't quite understand.

---

Taken in the context of when it was written, "Showboat" was a landmark show that ranks even now as a masterpiece of musical theatre - hard hitting, controversial and at the same time highly entertaining - and with a Jerome Kern score to die for.

It is not perhaps the watershed that has sometimes been suggested - as most musicals for many years afterwards continued to be "fluffy" and trite. But it announced Oscar Hammerstein as the founder of the "modern" musical, a mantle he took up again 16 years later when he and Rodgers launched the "new age" of musical theatre.

I saw the Hal Prince production in London - a very satisfying recreation of the clasic, which had two GREAT performances by Hugh Panaro as Ravenal and Michel Bell as Joe.

---

James Whate directed the 1936 film (which has "Galivantin Around", as you say). It starred Allan Jones, Helen Morgan, Irene Dunn, Hattie MacDaniel (the oscar winning actress from "Gone With The Wind") and the legendary "honorary Welshman" from New Jersey, Paul Robeson.

---

Many on the board know that Show Boat and its score are real loves of mine, and I have ten different recordings of the show. So....I'll throw in my two cents:

The credit or blame for excising the "n" word does not go to Prince. A change to "darkies" was made as early as the 1936 film version and the 1946 revival substituted "colored folks."

The 1951 film version is enjoyable in that lavish, MGM spectacular style and it stars my beloved Howare Keel, but I will agree that the 1936 film is truer emotionally to the core of the work (as I understand it) and is generally a more moving experience. It can't be denied that the film is dated, however (you'll roll your eyes at the over-literal interpretation of "Ol' Man River"), and the stereotypes of the day are clear in the sometimes squirm-inducing scenes between Joe and Queenie (Paul Robeson and Hattie McDaniel). Don't forget that "I Still Suits Me" is also almost always left out of modern productions.

"Mis'ry's Comin' Around" is an achingly beautiful song and is wonderfully realized by Gretha Boston in the Prince revival. There was not a "Broadway" recording of the revival, but the same cast (Boston, Mark Jacoby, Lonette McKee, Rebecca Luker, Elaine Stritch) was recorded in Toronto and, though out-of-print, used copies of the CD are easily found on the internet.

The 1929 movie was made as a silent film, but music and songs from Kern's score were inserted later. It was briefly available on video years ago and Turner Classic Movies has broadcast a "restored" version. I have never had a chance to see it, HEAVEN HELP ME! SOBBING, SOBBING.... There is an informative user review of the 1929 film on the internet movie database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020402/.

Does ANYONE remember a video collection called "The Complete Show Boat" featuring all three film versions being sold about 10 years ago? I could kill myself for not buying it at the time. I cannot even find a reference to it anymore on Amazon or other online stores. Did I imagine this???

---

Updated On: 12/28/03 at 06:58 PM

I'm just so excited about there being a Show Boat thread that I had to bump it. Don't let it die, please, please, don't let it die. Please, IN GOD'S NAME, don't LET IT DIE!!!

---

I held that Ultimate Show Boat in my hands (I think it was just on laser disc), but regrettably, didn't buy it. I could kill myself now. But maybe we'll have luck and it will come out on DVD.

---

I was looking around again on the internet last night. It looks like the only time the 1929 silent/talkie hybrid film was commercially avaiable was with the MGM/UA laserdisc box set of all three films, "The Complete Showboat." The only other broadcast I know of was on Turner Classic Movies. For an interesting discussion about the 1929 film version, check out this page: http://home.earthlink.net/~davidp_hayes/Articles/m02.html

What a wonderful DVD package the three films would make!

---

Maybe more people will respond to this thread if we try to cast a Show Boat revival. Naturally, with Kristin Chenoweth as Magnolia and Sutton Foster as Ellie.

---

Magruder, I am hanging on every word here. I was just never informed before of how important show boat really was. So I am silently reading and absorbing every little tid bit posted. I like these threads much better than the "list every possible musical you can possibly remember in alphabetical order of thelyricists middle name!" OY! That makes my head hurt. Keep plowing away I'm sitting here absorbing like a sponge. My theatre teachers in high school told us nothing of anything theatre, it was always learn your lines and that was it, nothing more and I know for a fact that they know all this stuff...oooh I'm off topic ummm how to get it back on topic.....hmmmmm and because they didn't teach anything like that I want to know all you know about showboat. (whew that was easier than I thought) (and please don't take this as me being a suck-up, its jst really interests me.)

---

Updated On: 12/29/03 at 06:02 PM

Son, check out the Amazon.com listing for the John McGlinn complete recording of Show Boat (EMI), which explains how the score was reassembled to the 1927 version. There are also some user reviews that are helpful.
Show Boat - Amazon.com

---

Sadly the library only has the simplified version with Ava Gardner so I'm gonna have to settle for that for now. I called up a bunch of my theatre friends and we're having an improptu Showboat party at 8:30! We're gonna look stuff up online about the show and I may show then these posts since there is a lot of information in them. Yay for random friends who decide to have a party at the last minute! I am gonna find that earlier version if it kills me!

---