History of Broadway

You're Dead to Me

BBC

Comedy, History

4.7 • 10.9K Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2024

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Greg Jenner is joined in 20th-Century New York by Dr Hannah Thuraisingam Robbins and comedian Desiree Burch to learn about the history of Broadway. Most of us are familiar with at least one Broadway musical, from classics like My Fair Lady and the Sound of Music to new favourites Hamilton and Wicked. In the last couple of decades, high-profile film adaptations of shows like Chicago, Cats and Les Misérables have brought musical theatre to a bigger audience than ever before. But whether or not you know your Rodgers & Hammerstein from your Lloyd Webber, the history of Broadway is perhaps more of a mystery. This episode explores all aspects of musical theatre, from its origins in the early years of the 20th Century, to the ‘Golden Age’ in the 50s and the rise of the megamusical in the 80s. Along the way, Greg and his guests learn about the racial and class dynamics of Broadway, uncover musical flops and triumphs, and find out exactly what ‘cheating out’ is.

You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Hannah Campbell Hewson, Annabel Storr and Anna McCully Stewart Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: James Cook

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before this BBC podcast kicks off, I'd like to tell you about some others you might enjoy.
0:05.0	My name's Will Wilkin and I Commission Music Podcast for the BBC.
0:08.0	It's a really cool job, but every day we get to tell the incredible stories behind songs, moments and movements,
0:14.7	stories of struggle and success, rises and falls, the funny, the ridiculous.
0:19.1	And the BBC's position at the heart of British music means we can tell those stories like no one else.
0:24.6	We were, are and always will be right there at the center of the narrative.
0:28.6	So whether you want an insightful take on music right now or a nostalgic deep dive into some of the most famous and
0:34.4	infamous moments in music check out the music podcasts on BBC Sounds.
0:38.6	BBC Sounds music radio podcasts.
0:45.6	Hello and welcome to Yondet to me, the Radio 4 comedy podcast that takes history seriously.
0:50.0	My name is Greg Jana, I'm a public historian author and broadcaster.
0:53.4	And today we are collecting our costumes and can canning into the chorus line
0:57.3	as we learn all about the history of Broadway.
1:00.8	And to help us, we have two very special theatrical stars.
1:04.0	In History Corner, they are an associate professor in popular music and the director of the Black
1:08.6	Studies Department at the University of Nottingham.
1:10.8	They're an expert on musical theatre and research race and gender
1:13.7	identity in popular culture. They've published on everything from The Wizard of Oz
1:17.0	to Hamilton and my favorite frozen. No, you let it go. It's Dr. Hanna to Reisingham
1:22.2	Robbins. Welcome.
1:23.4	Hello, thank you for having me.
1:24.8	Delighted to have you here.
	...

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