2 - Transnational Connections

Summary

Transnational networks were significant in the production of musical theatre in 1923 and 1924. Musicals created in one country transferred to another (Stop Flirting, Little Nellie Kelly), composers were writing works specifically for different countries (Jerome Kern: The Beauty Prize for the United Kingdom, Stepping Stones for the USA), and some musicals told a story about a different country (Wildflower, Il paese dei campanelli (The Land of the Bells)). New stars such as Adele and Fred Astaire appeared on marquees, as did established ones such as Fred Stone. Works originating in one place, such as Maurice Yvain’s Ta bouche, from Paris, came to the USA as One Kiss in an adaptation by Clare Kummer. This vibrant co-existence of the old and the new, the established and the emerging, was a key part of musical theatre in 1924.