ABSTRACT
The American musical theater was beginning its struggle for independence just as the country itself was yearning for freedom. For all historical purposes it was one of the earliest successful operas; quite different, but no less successful, was Kurt Weill's twentieth-century adaptation of it, which we have come to know as the popular musical, The Three penny Opera. Its score and its lyrics by Hammerstein were among the best ever written, and its aim at being serious marked a crucial turning point in the history of musical theater. The musical theater performer must train the body as well as the voice. A few full-length musicals have been seen on television, but in most cases sale of movie rights prohibits successful Broadway shows from being presented on television before we find them on film, and years later in movie reruns. Producers, directors, composers, librettists, conductors, designers, and technicians involved in the production of musical theater are an energetic, vital part of society.
