When most people think of American musicals during the 1920s and 1930s, they think of the sophisticated musical comedies of Cole Porter or of the dancing feet of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Operettas - if they’re thought of at all - tend to be viewed as dusty relics of the turn-of-the-century. Yet operetta actually remained a popular and vibrant form of musical storytelling throughout the Art Deco era.
Indeed, the modern musical theater form owes as much to operetta as it does to early musical comedy. In the United States especially, the 1920s and 30s were a period of rich experimentation in which the two styles were combined in countless ways on stage and in film until they finally emerged as what we recognize today as “musical theater.”
This entertaining virtual presentation will shine light on that wild and wonderful ride. Combining photos and video clips, we'll see and hear how operetta and operetta inspired musicals of the Art Deco era could be at turns over-the-top, intimate, silly and profound (and sometimes all four things at once). We'll also meet a who’s-who of theater and film history, including Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II, Rodgers and Hart, George and Ira Gershwin, Noel Coward, Kurt Weill, Florenz Ziegfeld, Walt Disney, Irene Dunne, Paul Robeson, Deanna Durbin, Maurice Chevalier, the Marx Brothers, John Gilbert, and of course, Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.
About the Speaker:
Mary Stanford is a familiar face to the ADSLA community. Many members will recognize her from her onstage appearances as a singer with Dean Mora’s Orchestra and at the Cicada Club. Mary is also a former member of ADSLA’s Events Committee. As a multi-talented performer, writer, and theater historian, she’s passionate about sharing not only the great songs of the past, but the stories behind them. Mary holds a BFA in Theater from Emerson College, and has worked in the dramaturgy departments at theater companies including The La Jolla Playhouse and The Williamstown Theater Festival. More at maryjstanford.com.
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