On 25 and 26 December 1923, three musicals opened – The Rise of Rosie-Reilly, Mary Jane McKane, and Almond Eye – each of which reflected takes on current theatrical trends, whether a rags-to-riches scenario or Orientalism, followed on New Year’s Eve by The Song and Dance Man, a play about a musician, and Kid Boots, a musical comedy created for Eddie Cantor and, as a Ziegfeld production, included a revue built in to the plot. Kid Boots marked a change in professional reputation for Cantor as he moved from being known primarily as a blackface, often crass, comedian to a physical comedian whose humour was always clean.

When war broke out in August 1914, it was viewed with a mixture of disbelief and disinterest by Americans The government’s official stance of neutrality was widely supported by the general public, but at the same time there were also voices arguing for preparedness, and once Congress declared war on Germany in 1917, voices against American involvement were quickly silenced. This fundamental shift in public opinion from neutrality to total support for the war effort is mirrored in American sheet music from 1914 to 1919. During the war over 30,000 songs were composed and copyrighted, many in editions of thousands of copies. Sung in parlors, theaters, and bars, these songs — though not a part of official propaganda — had an undeniable impact on the American public’s attitude toward the country’s involvement in the war.