Contribution to Musical Theatre
Showboat revolutionized the depth of themes that were explored and displayed to audiences by including themes of alcoholism, gender stereotypes, and racial injustice. The show spans 40 years and tells a story of a group of performers traveling on a traveling showboat in the South following the Civil War. The achievement of being able to tackle tougher social issues on a public stage in a musical theater setting during this time was trailblazing for more shows to tackle similar issues while also being able to seamlessly blend song and music with scene. With the musical being inspired by Edna Ferber's novel, the ability to maintain thematic elements while cohesively incorporating relevant musical numbers allowed for a pioneering show to be brought to life. The themes explored in the show were shocking for the time, but as it is shown today, these issues are amplified with a generally more progressive and culturally aware population. As opposed to more lighthearted, sing-song musicals that are more frequently represented,
Showboat doesn't fear or shy away from exploring more uncomfortable themes for the audience to wrestle with throughout and after viewing.
Thematic Analysis
The theme of racial prejudice or racial injustice is prevalent throughout the show. In a post-civil war and into Jim Crow era, the theme of racial prejudice is shown through character relationship dynamics. These character dynamics include romantic as well as platonic. For example, in the beginning of the show, Julie is found to have black blood in her, so the legitimacy of her marriage with a white man, Steve, is questioned and causes them both to leave the Cotton Blossom showboat. In other instances of characters living on the showboat interacting, there were derogatory words being said about and to other characters of color displaying the prevalent discrimination among the black population during this time. However, the majority of characters on the Cotton Blossom treat the characters of color as if they are no different. Magnolia and Julie interact and go to Queenie for advice on different occasions. The first dance number of
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man shows Julie and Queenie talking about their relationships and Magnolia eventually sings the same song later in the show as well. The song itself, however, can be problematic in that the song was written for black characters to sing, so the language used makes them seem less intelligent or well-spoken. The song shows coexistence of black and white characters, but has an underlying discriminatory and demeaning element.
Hi Allison! I found it interesting in the musical and your post about how there other characters/members of the show boat treated Julie and other black characters. Especially after Julie was outed by Pete and the Sheriff as being of mixed race, Magnolia stated how Julie and her were still best friends and practically was a younger sister to Julie. The characters on the show boat didn't have a problem with her being black. In the scene where Steve drank some of Julie's blood so he could say that he had a single drop of black blood in him to go against the sheriff, no one said anything disputing that fact even though they all saw him do that. I found it interesting that all these characters didn't treat the black characters differently, although when they were in trouble they didn't stand up for them or go out of their way to help in any way.
ReplyDeleteHey Allison! I really like that you brought up the platonic relations in the show, even with much of the plot being driven by romantic relations (Steve and Julie, Magnolia and Ravenal, Ellie and Frank). The familial bonds shown between Magnolia's family, as well as the family-like relations between those on the showboat, were definitely powerful support systems in times of hardship for the characters.
ReplyDeleteEspecially with musical reference to African American spirituals, the theme of racial prejudice is extended with the concept of falling back on one's community for support. As those outside of the showboat maintained racism and coldness to their problems (e.g. the expectations of Julie's manager), this community was even more vital for the characters.
Hey Allison, I agree that Show Boat, while revolutionary for its time, still has apparent problems. The character of Julia sheds light on this more than others when her mixed race heritage comes up. The song "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" serves as a pivotal moment in showcasing the coexistence of black and white characters, yet it is crucial to recognize the problematic nature of the language used in the song. This brings to light the complexity of portraying racial dynamics in a historical context while also being mindful of the potential perpetuation of stereotypes. I think we have to take the revolutionary status of Show Boat with a grain of salt as it aims to be progressive in an imperfect world.
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