Ep 21: The Golden Age of the Broadway Musical, Part 5

As the 1950’s came to a close, Broadway musicals were at the very center of American culture. Then in 1960, as if on cue, two immensely popular shows – The Fantasticks and Bye, Bye Birdie – kicked off the decade by foreshadowing several major changes in American culture that by the end of the decade will leave the future of the Broadway musical in doubt. The brilliant Broadway creators profiled in this episode include Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones, Charles Strouse & Lee Adams, Michael Stewart, Gower Champion, Jerry Herman, and Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick. Along with the classic musicals that bring the “Golden Age of Broadway” to its climax – Oliver!; Stop The World; The Roar Of The Greasepaint;, Man Of La Mancha; Fiddler On The Roof, and what I call the "Big Transgressive Lady" shows – Hello, Dolly!, Sweet Charity, and Mame.