Sample Solution

This can be seen in the multiple shows that came out at the time consisting of an all black cast or an integrated cast, such as the shows Carmen Jones (1943) which was ‘a spectacular hit’. This show lead the way for ‘new prominence to black performers, sometimes in all-black shows,’ (Maslon, 2018, para.3). This is exemplified by musicals such as The Wiz (1974), it ‘opted for racial pride… creating socially significant art’ (Wolf, 2011, n/a). This quote tells us the importance of black people being giving a platform during this time.

An important point to be considered is how the representation of relationships changed in musical theatre before and after 1943. To briefly refer back to my previous point on ‘Cinderella stories’, before 1943 there was a certain way that men and women were written to interact with each other in these storylines. That being that the women would meet the man and her life would become improved in various ways dependent on his presence, (The New York Public Library, 2018, para.19). Ultimately the relationships shown were lighthearted and what was considered romantic at the time.

However, after the war, storylines in musicals changed in that darker subjects were able to be broached more openly. For example, in Carousel (1945) which reaffirmed the success of the Rodgers and Hammerstein partnership. This musical brought about a different representation of relationships in that it showed a doomed love consisting of toxicity and domestic violence, “it is possible, dear, for someone to hit you — hit you hard — and not hurt at all,”. This quote from the musical shows how the violence is represented as a normality in this particular storyline. This is a prime example of how relationships were now being shown in different ways. It could be argued that this was a good thing because it allowed the audiences to be exposed to these darker themes that no doubt reflected real life experiences.