Sample Solution

To expand on the topic of relationships in musical theatre we should consider the representation in On The Town (1944). One form of freedom women achieved in the 40s was the sense of sexual liberation giving a new dynamic to work with in relationships within musicals. In the number ‘Come Up to My Place’ where the character Hildy uses suggestive lyrics, this shows a woman being outspoken about sex which wouldn’t be typical for female characters before the 40s, (Wolf, 2011, n/a). When we look at this quote ‘The only power women have (we are told) is the sexual power of their body’, (Taylor and Symonds, 2014, p.140) it makes sense why sexual power is one of the first forms of power shown from female characters after 1943. However, it is dubious whether this was really a show of power or simply a way of reducing women to sexualised characters? It is most likely that this was in fact a form of progression, perhaps just in the only way they knew how to present women at the time.

Finally, it may be concluded that 1943 was a turning point for musical theatre regarding the representation of women, the opportunities and the platform provided for women working within the industry. The second world war was a big factor in this as it kickstarted the way for women, being represented as working members of society and opening doors for women of colour. Musicals such as Oklahoma and Carousel, both combined with the revolutionary work of Agnes de Mille, imparted many new concepts which changed musical theatre from then onwards. The final reason for 1943 being a watershed for musical theatre is the exposure granted to audiences with the darker storylines and themes interlaced into the media, changing the way women were seen and treated, and how they treated each other.