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The article provides background information about the novel and the musical Show Boat, a detailed account of the genesis of the song OVMan River and a chronicle of significant recordings of the tune, including all of Paul Robesons recordings.
Overture
"Whaťs a show boat?" I asked sourly. I'd never heard of them.
Winthrop explained. "A show boat is a floating theater. They used to play up and down the southern rivers, especially the Mississippi and the Missouri. They'd come downstream, calliope tooting, and stop at the town landing to give their show."
Edna Ferber in her autobiography A Peculiar Treasure.1
Ol' man river
Dat ol' man river
He must know sumpin'
But he don't say nothin'
He jus' keeps rollin'
He keeps on rolling along
First lines of Ol'Man River chorus by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern. From 1927 sheet music.
Introduction
The 1927 musical Show Boat was the result of the collaboration between three giants of the musical theater. Show Boat was produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics and libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II. Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (1867 - 1932) was a Broadway impresario who produced the spectacular and highly successful Ziegfeld Follies between 1907 and 1931 as well as such popular musical comedies Rio Rita, The Three Musketeers, Rosalie, Whoopee, Kid Boots and Show Boat. Jerome David Kern (1885 - 1945) was one of America's most distinguished songwriters and the composer of musical shows and films. Kern was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, nominated for eight Academy Awards, and wrote more than 700 songs. "His innovations tying music and story set a new standard - "Show Boat" (1927) began the revolution."2 Oscar Greeley Clendenning Ritter von Hammerstein II (1895 - 1960) was a lyricist, librettist and theatrical producer. He was honored with eight Tony Awards and two Academy Awards for Best Original Song. In collaboration with Richard Rogers, Hammerstein wrote Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music.
Show Boat represents a milestone in the history of the musical theatre. In contrast with the fluff ordinarily found in 1920s Broadway musicals, Show Boat dealt with such serious subjects as racism, gambling addiction and broken marriages. In the present...