Sing for Your Supper: The Broadway Musical in the 1930s

...but it's depressing. Depressing? A book about the Broadway musical in the 1930s? Yep. I don't know if Mordden wrote this while he had an ulcer, or if the subject matter is really so downbeat, but he just isn't happy with where musicals were -- or, rather, where they weren't -- in the 1930s. His thesis is that we tend to mythologize this decade as a high point (all that Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Gerhswin, etc.) but that the true high points were few and far between, and that much of the decade was wrapped up in copycat me-tooism. That honest-to-God breakthroughs were just around the corner (R & H in 1943, even "Pal Joey" in 1940, I guess), but that meanwhile we had to wallow through the '30s. And throughout his series, the breakthrough, the new-trendsetter, the revolutionary moment, is what he centers on. And that just wasn't the '30s, at least in terms of the Broadway musical (except Porgy & Bess, and the development of the revue). Or am I just being petty because I'm a Rodgers and Hart fan, and Mordden clearly prefers Porter? Even Berlin? Don't know. Anyhow, all of the above is caviling: Mordden's histories are absoltely essential reading if you want to understand what the musical is all about. Anyone who's a fan owes thanks to the author for so diligently trying to understand the warp and woof of this art form.

Let's face it. You're either going to want to buy this book, or you're not. Very few people out there will be swayed one way or another by these reviews. However, in the hope that there's still one or two people sitting on the fence, I offer my wholehearted recommendation. This book contains more information than you ever wanted to know about 1930s musicals, always opinionated, and often very funny, too. Basically, if you've read any of Ethan Mordden's other books, you know what to expect. Analysis, information, and humor, all delivered from a gay right-wing perspective. Some other reviewers have bashed Mordden for this, but hey - it's his book. A lot of the fun in these books is the fact that they're written like Mordden is just eating lunch with you and talking about musicals. If Mordden wanted to adopt a more formal tone, I'm sure he'd keep his political views out of the book, but I don't think I'd get nearly as much pleasure from them. Another thing I love about Mordden is his way of turning obscure theatre references into jokes. For example, how many people will laugh while reading the sentence, "There was some dancing, but nothing for Albertina Rausch to really sink her teeth into." See, it's funny because...but it's really not funny if you have to explain it. Also, there's a running joke about the number of different "Tamara"s who play leading roles in many 1930s shows. I read this stuff and I crack up, but when I read the passages out loud to my friends, they don't get it. For those of you who are wondering if Mordden offers detailed analyses of the more important shows of the decade, the answer is yes, he does. He speaks in depth on the strengths and weaknesses of the Gershwin political shows, Porter's Jubilee, Kern's...well, all of Kern's 1930s shows, and Rodgers and Hart's On Your Toes, I'd Rather Be Right, and Boys From Syracuse, as well as Kurt Weill's 1930s shows and Blitzstein's Cradle Will Rock. I do wish he had gone into a little more detail about I Married An Angel, and surprisingly enough, his chapter on Porgy and Bess doesn't contain much new insight, but these are minor caveats. My only other complaint is that this is the final book in his series, cause I don't want him to stop writing about musicals. Basically, if you love musicals, you should love this book. Because Mordden loves musicals, and you can see it in every page he writes.

The Broadway theater was in a decline in the Thirties due to the Depression, and there were not big standouts, but many movie stars learned their trade during this decade on Broadway. His title, 'Sing For Your Supper' written by Rodgers and Hart came from a minor show, 'The Boys from Syracuse' which ran for 235 performances; the hit of the show was 'Falling in Love With Love.' Porky and Bess was the biggest thing to come out of musical theater during that time (1935), though no memorable songs -- it was a black musical. However, it was the first American-made show to be recorded during its original run (four days after the opening) by the nation's main classical-record label, Victor Red Seal by RCA Victor. This was not an original cast recording but used Metropolitan Opera singers for the album. In the photo section, there are two from this musical, five from 'Jubilee' and one from 'The Band Wagon.' Some of the stars of the Thirties Broadway musicals included Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ethel Merman, Sophie Tucker, Jimmy Durante, and Gene Kelly as one of five 'chorus boys' in 'Leave It to Me.' In the musicals such big bands as Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Gene Krupa were in the pit. Memorable songs to make a lasting impression were 'But Not For Me,' which came from Gershwin's score of 'Girl Crazy'; 'Will You Remember Me?' from 'Knickerbocker's Holiday' (Michael Feinstein has a marvelous version on one of his CDs); 'I Can Dream, Can't I?' and 'I'll Be Seeing You' from 'Right This Way' (1938); and 'It's De-Lovely' by Cole Porter in 'Red, Hot and Blue!'

Fans of Broadway productions in general and musicals in particular won't want to miss the Broadway musical history provided by Ethan Mordden in Sing For Your Supper: The Broadway Musical In The 1930s. The 1930s were a period of depression for most Americans: it was also an era when Broadway produced some of the most enjoyable, fun productions ever. Mordden's long-time interest in Broadway productions and history has resulted in several other titles on various topics: this, more than most, covers the innovations and temperament of the times; from the evolution of operatic theatre and burlesque to circus productions and dance. History blends well with a lively overview of notable musical developments of the times.

Ethan Mordden can now rest. The author has taken the musical, in a decade by decade series, from the twenties and into the current crop of shows. The last volume to be published in this series is Sing for Your Supper, the Broadway musical in the 1930s. It is an improvement over the last two volumes and a return to the good work of the previous editions. The two problems with the book, though, are the author's need to spend as much time on an Encores version of a thirties show as the original show itself and, at times, the author's boredom with the thirties as a time of no particular historical interest for the historian of Broadway musicals. When an author seems to lose interest on occasion, it makes it harder for the reader to maintain his. Still, it is a satisfying concluding volume with all of the author's wit, insight, opinions, and general knowledge well-displayed, mixed in with little gems of trivia for the musical fan.