Episode 1
Light frothy entertainment is the definition of a musical. Not always true - it's dealt with race and social issues. Sharon D Clarke looks at the message behind the musical.
You only have to hear the opening bars of the overture and you're swept away with the light, frothy entertainment where people burst into song & break into their dance for no good reason at all鈥� the definition of a musical? Not always true, from its earliest days the popular art form has dealt with social issues within the confines of a lighter style. From the ground-breaking 鈥淪how Boat鈥� back in 1927 which dealt with race relations along The Mississippi, to the hottest ticket in town 鈥淗amilton鈥� about America鈥檚 founding fathers.
The Musical can cut through all areas of society & speak to different generations. It took just over a minute for Lieutenant Cable in 鈥淪outh Pacific鈥� to deliver the controversial 鈥淵ou鈥檝e Got To Be Carefully Taught鈥�, that number is preceded by a line saying racism is "not born in you! It happens after you鈥檙e born..." Composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein risked the entire film by insisting the number remain even if it meant the failure of the production! Think of 鈥淗airspray鈥� it鈥檚 not just a bunch of teenagers bopping around to insanely catchy tunes it deals with segregation at its most devastating.
With anecdotes and fascinating archives from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Paul Robeson, Sammy Davis Junior, Lena Horne, & Alice Walker, among others. We also hear from Warren Hoffman author of 鈥淭he Great White Way 鈥� Race And The Broadway Musical鈥�, Stacy Wolf Senior Theatre Studies Lecturer at Princeton University, Broadcaster Neil Brand and actors Marisha Wallace talking about her roles in 鈥淒reamgirls鈥� and upcoming role in 鈥淗airspray鈥� and Beverley Knight reliving her role in 鈥淢emphis The Musical鈥� plus looking forward to her starring West End role in 鈥淭he Drifter鈥檚 Girl鈥�,
So let's raise the curtain on the message behind the musical!
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Music Played
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Hairspray Original Broadway Company
You Can't Stop The Beat
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Orchestra World Premier Cast Recording of Show Boat
Overture Show Boat
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Howard Keel & Kathryn Grayson
Make Believe
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Paul Robeson
Ol' Man River
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Ethel Waters
Heatwave
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Ethel Waters
Suppertime
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Orchestra
Overture - Oklahoma
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Members of the Cast
Oklahoma!
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Lena Horne
The Eagle And Me
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Muriel Smith
Bali Hai
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Bill Lee
Carefully Taught
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Orchestra
Overture - South Pacific
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Shirley Jones & Chorus
You'll Never Walk Alone
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Cynthia Erivo
I'm Here
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Members of the Cast
Say A Prayer
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Members of the Cast
Colored Women
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Marissa Jaret Wiinkour & Harvey Fierstein
Welcome To The 60s
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The Drifters
On Broadway
- Very Best Of Ben E.King & The Drifters.
- Global Television.
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Brian Stokes & Audra McDonald
Wheels Of A Dream
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Jimmy Bryant
Something's Coming
Broadcasts
- Sat 6 Feb 2021 21:00蜜芽传媒 Radio 2
- Sun 24 Oct 2021 02:00蜜芽传媒 Radio 2
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Radio 2 Celebrates Musicals
Enjoy the music of stage and screen from the comfort of your own home.
