The Wild West was popular with American audiences long before the appearance of the Hollywood western. From 1829 to 1881, playgoers throughout the nation applauded frontier dramas that celebrated conventional American values like rugged individualism and the ideology of Manifest Destiny. Yet, as Pioneer Performances shows, a more subversive cultural agenda often worked within the orthodox framework of this popular drama. Drawing on a range of plays and public entertainments, Matthew Rebhorn uncovers the heterodox themes in the nineteenth-century stage, ultimately revealing the frontier as a set of complex performative practices imbued with a sense of trenchant social critique.
The dramatis personae of Rebhorn's study includes Buffalo Bill Cody; Gowongo Mohawk, a cross-dressing Native American performer; T.D. Rice, the blackface minstrel who created the role of Jim Crow; Edwin Forrest, the biggest star of the nineteenth-century stage; and Dion Boucicault, an expatriate Irish playwright who penned a sophisticated critique of race relations in the American South. In addition to this colorful cast of characters, works by lesser-known figures like James Kirke Paulding, Augustin Daly, and Joaquin Miller serve to illustrate the complex interpretations of the frontier on the American stage. With each case, Rebhorn demonstrates the multifaceted, politically charged nature of nineteenth-century drama.
Closing with a coda that considers latter-day representations of the frontier, such as in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain and the staged photo opportunities on George W. Bush's Texas ranch, Rebhorn reveals the lasting impact of the genre and the performative practices it first introduced on the American stage. Drawn from in-depth research in theater history, this study illustrates how the frontier was-and still is-defined in performance.
Broadway star Nick Cartell – currently headlining as Jean Valjean on the national tour of Les Misérables – has released his new album A Thousand Spotlights on CD and in streaming and digital platforms today, Friday, July 26.
Tony Award nominee Mary Bridget Davies’(A Night with Janis Joplin) new studio album Don’t Compromise Yourself: The Very Best of Mary Bridget Davies is out now. Listen now!
Center Stage Records will release the concept recording of LIFELINE, the new musical written by Becky Hope-Palmer with music and lyrics by Robin Hiley.
Anthony Wayne, star of MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL, will perform a new solo evening at THE GREEN ROOM 42 on August 5. Don't miss this special event showcasing his incredible talent.
Jaime Lozano & The Familia release a new video for 'No Podemos Regresar' in collaboration with Concord Theatricals, showcasing a Spanish version of the song.
Center Stage Records has released the world premiere recording of GRUMPY OLD MEN, the new musical by Dan Remmes, Neil Berg and Nick Meglin. Listen now!
The original cast recording of MY TRUE LOVE, an Off-Broadway musical by Ben Boecker, will be released on July 19, 2024. The show features a pop comedy score and explores themes of love, consent, and empowerment.
A new Carousel Studio Cast recording is on the way! Recorded in April 2023 with the Sinfonia of London (conducted by John Wilson). We have all the details on the new album here!
Theatrical licensing for the musical, String, with book by Sarah Hammond, and music and lyrics by Adam Gown, is now available, alongside the release of its six-song original studio cast recording
Go inside the studio for the making of Aaron Lazar's upcoming album 'The Impossible Dream,' featuring Josh Groban, Neil Patrick Harris, Kelli O'Hara, Shoshana Bean, and more! Watch in this video.
PS CLASSICS released two new tracks from the album JEFF HARNAR sings SAMMY CAHN: THE SECOND TIME AROUND, featuring guest artists CLINT HOLMES, MOIPEI, and NICOLE ZURAITIS. Learn more!
Algos Music has announced the release of the new album by vintage vocalist extraordinaire ALLYSON BRIGGS – Promises, Prayers, and Raindrops: Allyson Briggs Sings Burt Bacharach – on CD and in digital and streaming platforms.
In 2025, BearManor Media will publish Lawrence Schulman's third book for BearManor Media, called Peter Allen: Somebody's Angel - The Boy From Oz In The Key of Camp. Learn more.
Amnon Kabatchnik's new book, 'Murder in the West End: The Plays of Agatha Christie and Her Disciples,' explores the works of Agatha Christie and her followers. Now available in hardcover and trade paper.
On Friday, July 26, 2024, Academy Award-winning composer Kris Bowers and GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Charles Yang are spotlighted on a heartfelt new album, For A Younger Self, featuring the talented musicians of the American Youth Symphony (AYS) conducted by Carlos Izcaray.
Nick Cartell – currently starring as Jean Valjean on the national tour of Les Misérables – has released “It All Fades Away,” the new single from his upcoming album A Thousand Spotlights. Listen now!
Serge Clivio releases the album SERGE AND FRIENDS, featuring 14 tracks from live shows in NYC. The album includes personal stories, duets with talented friends, and supports Cancer Research.
Assigning age-appropriate tasks to children helps instill responsibility, self-worth, and important life skills, as illustrated in the children's book THE AMAZING ROBERTA WIGGLESWORTH.
Geneva Carr and playwright Matthew Greene will discuss their theater-themed murder mystery novel, There's No Murder Like Show Murder, at The Drama Book Shop on July 30, 2024.
Jeff Harnar's new album, JEFF HARNAR SINGS SAMMY CAHN: THE SECOND TIME AROUND, features six new tracks and guest appearances by Clint Holmes, Moipei, and Nicole Zuraitis. Learn how to purchase.