ABSTRACT
Hattie Walker, who is now elderly, sings about what it takes to be successful on Broadway. It involves “learning how to sing and dance” – obvious, but not easy given Broadway is the pinnacle for stage acting. She also discusses that it requires “slaving at the five and ten” which is slang for working at a discount retail outlet, indicating that many who are successful on Broadway have to hold down other jobs. Hattie is trying to convey that there are trade-offs to pursuing a dream career on the Broadway stage.
