Join us for a talk that traces the extraordinary arc of the musical – from the operetta glamour of Hollywood’s early years, through the birth of the modern book musical, all the way to the sweeping, sung-through spectacles that fill theatres today.
David Clark’s talk will begin in the world of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, whose lush operatic duets defined the romantic musical of the 1930s and 40s, and whose influence echoes in the soaring tenor of Mario Lanza. From there we step onto the MGM soundstage, where Gene Kelly turned dance into cinema, and Ava Gardner brought glamour to the screen’s great musical romances.
Then comes the turning point: Oklahoma! – the show that changed everything, fusing story, song, and character into a single dramatic whole. Its DNA runs through the golden run of film musicals that followed, carried by voices like Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Howard Keel, and Doris Day, whose warmth and clarity became the sound of a generation.
The talk then crosses the Atlantic and turns a corner into the modern era, as the musical finds new, bolder voices. Shani Wallis brings the cockney heart of Oliver!; Yvonne Elliman and Colm Wilkinson carry us into the rock-opera fire of Jesus Christ Superstar, before Wilkinson’s landmark performance as Jean Valjean anchors the epic sweep of Les Misérables. Sierra Boggess lifts us into the gothic romance of The Phantom of the Opera, while Chaim Topol‘s Tevye and Jose Carreras‘s classical brilliance remind us how far the musical’s roots reach – into folk tradition and opera alike. Brian Stokes Mitchell brings the story into the present, embodying the leading-man tradition for a new generation.
Through recordings, film clips, and stories behind the songs, this talk celebrates the singers who shaped a century of musical theatre and the extraordinary journey from the soundstages of old Hollywood to the West End and Broadway stages of today.
The talk takes place on Saturday 12 September at 11am. Arrive early for a coffee/tea and catch up with Society members for a chat. Non-members are welcome too.
John McCormack Society 