The essence of the musical
The minstrel era (1828 to c. 1900)
Evolution of the verse/chorus song
The ragtime years (c. 1890-1917)
The vaudeville era (1881 to c. 1935)
The revue versus the book musical
Superstars on the horizon
Transition into the Jazz Age (1916-20)
Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern, contrasts
George Gershwin's legacy (1919 to c. 1935)
Rogers and Hammerstein era (1940s)
Golden age of musical theater (1950s)
Rock 'n' roll reaches Broadway (1960s)
Big bucks and long runs (1970s-present).
