The Musical – More Than Entertainment Part 2: The Backstage Musical with Sue Jowell

In this episode Sue talks about the backstage musical, where the plot takes place in a theatrical context. They became popular in the 1930’s – the escapism of song and dance worked in the time of the Great Depression. The movies starring Fred Astaire with a variety of dance partners – notably Ginger Rogers – were popular as were the Andy Hardy films with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. It is a genre that continued through the 50s, 60s and even the 80’s with Phantom of the Opera.