Broadway,+George+Gershwin,+Eugene+O’Neil

Home 1920's Topics __1920’s Project Assignment__ Broadway, George Gershwin, Eugene O’Neil Researched by Michael Mitiska >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> __Task One---DESCRIBE YOUR TOPIC -Due Tuesday, February 7__ Each topic includes an association or movement and an individual. Please write __two__ extended power paragraphs that address the following prompt:**Explain the achievements associated with your topic. Who and what were altered? Describe why both were significant in the 1920s. Explain the relationship between the individua****l and the association or movement.** Broadway’s achievements after the war were significant to getting our country back on track. As WWI was coming to an end, and after it finally did end, Americans still couldn’t believe what had happened and were trying to do anything in their power to prevent another World War. Many men and women were going back to their regular lives but Bob Batchelor (a member of the Editorial Review Board of //The Journal of Popular Culture// and //The Journal of American Culture// and an Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University mentioned in his essay “Pop Music in The 1920’s” that “a number of individual singers … emerged as national celebrities” (Batchelor Pop Music in The 1920’s). These men and women would have been out of a job after the war ended but with the rise of Broadway they could get a job, if they were talented enough, and get paid good money which in turn would have lowered the unemployment rate. In Bob’s second essay titled “Broadway in the 1920’s” he wrote “Over the course of the decade, an average of 225 new shows were produced every year—a total that has never been equaled” (Batchelor Broadway in The 1920’s). Because of the new market that was emerging, there was more business for people to go to and while they were 10 times more expensive than movie tickets, people began to rapidly begin showing to the new Broadway shows. Justin Harmon described the new Broadway music and play writers to have been an “important influence on a later generation of writers like Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Edward Albee” (Eugene O’Neil). The explosion of Broadway and the many writers who were involved in it help to move our country along in the years after WWI.
 * [[image:buchholtzsidoramericanstudies/220px-ONeill-Eugene-LOC.jpg width="268" height="347"]] || [[image:buchholtzsidoramericanstudies/Broadway1.jpeg width="288" height="333"]] ||
 * [[image:buchholtzsidoramericanstudies/Gershwin1.jpg width="252" height="324"]] || [[image:buchholtzsidoramericanstudies/lrg_On_Broadway.gif]] ||
 * Support the ideas in each paragraph with evidence from a minimum of three  credible sources.
 * Select only signed  sources from the LC databases--each source must have a credible author.
 * Establish the credibility of the author the first time a source is referenced.
 * Credit sources with internal citations and in a Works Cited.
 * Insert the Works Cited after the Third Task.
 * Post the paragraphs to the wiki. Timely posting of completed tasks earn 10 points.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In the 1920’s Broadway began to explode through music and shows, which were able to inform the citizens of the latest news and ways of life. It was significant because they could have some relaxation time. Bob Batchelor wrote in his “Pop Music in The 1920’s” essay that Broadway “played an increasingly significant role in delivering the latest popular songs to far-flung audiences” (Batchelor Pop Music in The 1920’s). The writers wrote songs/plays that were put on Broadway for the public’s entertainment. It was also significant because people “often purchased the phonograph recording, the sheet music, or both” (Batchelor Pop Music in The 1920’s) so that they could listen to the song over and over again. Eugene O’Neil and George Gershwin were related to Broadway because they both wrote very famous pieces that were aired on Broadway and they both became very liked internationally because of it. George Gershwin was liked by other European song writers for the many songs that he had on “Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and Hollywood” (Harmon George Gershwin). Eugene O’Neil also contributed to Broadway. He wrote many plays including the //“Strange Interlude// [, which] brought him to the crest of his popularity, earning him more than $250,000 and a third Pulitzer Prize” (Harmon Eugene O’Neil). Without the many people who stepped up after the hard worldwide tensions, the Broadway may not have been where it is today. <span style="background-color: #9008b6; color: #7dff00; display: block; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;">__Task Two-EVALUATE YOUR TOPICS INFLUENCE-Due Friday, February 10__ <span style="display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">Please write two extended power paragraphs which each cite a minimum of three credible sources. Discuss the scope of influence of your topic on the 1920s. How extensive was the influence? Which part of society was influenced? Did the change endure or stimulate additional changes? What is the topic's legacy? What impact did the topic have in the Twenty-First century. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In the 1920s Broadway's influence was largely limited to New York City proper. That is not to say, however, that its influence was small. During Broadway's boom in the 1920s “80 theaters were built within the [Broadway] region before the 1929 stock market crash” (Melanie N. Blood). Broadway attracted rich and poor alike with its wide variety of themes, including ethnic issues and race relations. Admittedly Broadway tended to draw “[t]he city's leading families [who] supported theaters and attended concerts” (Melanie N. Blood). People from all around began to spend their time in the theater because “the Broadway theatre was one of the few areas in which the war did not exert a huge impact” (Bob Batchelor). Broadway was everyone’s escape from their everyday struggles.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Broadway has stood the test of time, and it continues to thrive today. Its wildly popular shows travel to major world cities. Broadway in the 1920s stimulated far-reaching changes as its themes crept into television shows. “Hit dramas, musicals, and comedies were a natural source of primetime material, particularly since they had proven their worth in the theatrical marketplace” (Brian G. Rose). Broadway not only impacted the small screen but it also affects the big screen. "Musicals became steady favorites during the decade [1920s] and paved the way for the lavish Hollywood movie musicals of the late 1920s and 1930s." (Bob Batchelor) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Broadway musicals <span style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> in the 1920’s were filled with “some unforgettable hit songs…, including ‘Tea for Two’ and ‘I Want to Be Happy’” (Bob Batchelor). These tunes are proof of Broadway's legacy: they have been etched into our memories nearly 100 years later.

<span style="background-color: #9008b6; color: #7dff00; display: block; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">Task ThreeJUDGE THE IMPACT OF THE INDIVIDUAL & ASSOCIATION---Due Feb. 15 <span style="display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">Now that you have a basic understanding of your topic, and you know the scope of its influence, explain the forces that produced or created the topic. Additionally, what were the driving forces behind the society's reaction to your topic? Use the criteria described in the the Great Man Continuum to determine your topics long-run influence on society. Place your topic on the continuum and justify the reasons for your placement. Please confine your analysis to two extended power paragraphs with each citing a minimum of three credible sources. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">After its boom in the 1920’s, Broadway began to become very popular among the people for its source of entertainment and get away from the rapid lifestyle. “In the first half of the 19th century, New York City saw enormous growth in its population, and theater construction boomed in kind” (Blood). As more and more people began to move to the city, more theaters were built to accommodate the larger growing numbers. Many people went to see the Broadway productions because during the time of war they wanted to feel “as though the war [wasn’t] happening” (Batchelor Broadway in the 1940’s). The increasing number of New York residence was due to the migration of people from all over and “By 1900 the business of Broadway was booming; vaudeville, classic plays, new comedies, French and German drama, English high comedy, operetta, and grand opera all played on Broadway in specialized houses. Because of the size and scope of its offerings, theater had become a major tourist attraction in New York City” (Blood). These Broadway shows meet most people’s personalities so that they would hopefully come back to see more shows. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Broadway’s influence is more than just the fact that they produced films for many groups of people in the early 1920’s. Broadway pushed along the invention of TV shows, radio and Hollywood. The popularization of Broadway opened the possibilities for many “Hit dramas, musicals, and comedies [as] a natural source of primetime material, particularly since they had proven their worth in the theatrical marketplace, and Broadway would play a shifting, but significant, role for at least the first 40 years of American television” (Blood). While I would give credit to all of those who participated in Broadway and all of their talent I would not classify them as a great man because the country needed a good source of entertainment as the war reached an end. However I would put it closer to event making hero than eventful hero because many Broadway show writers wrote “entire scores for the most sophisticated musical stage” and “Gershwin[‘s] songs…cheered the 1930’s” from the many hardships in life (Batchelor Gershwin). Society as a whole brought Broadway up to where it is today for their own entertainment. “In the years surrounding World War I serious plays tackled racism, women's rights, big business, the Red Scare, and other central concerns of modern American life” (Batchelor Broadway in the 1920’s). While the setting was set after WWI for an association like Broadway to form and flourish, it was the actors and writers who changed our country for many new inventions and nearly a century later Broadway still stands because of the strong base that was set. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 23px;">Quality Response to Task III will•explain the forces that produced or created your topic, <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 21px;">•use the four Great Man Continuum criteria to analyze the topic's long-run influence on American society,
 * 1) <span style="color: #9008b6; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 23px;">explain the significance of the accomplishment,
 * 2) <span style="color: #9008b6; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 23px;">endurance of the legacy,
 * 3) <span style="color: #9008b6; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 23px;">extent of influence,
 * 4) <span style="color: #9008b6; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 23px;">impact on daily life.

<span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 21px;">•describe your topic's placement on the continuum and justify the reasons for your placement. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 21px;">•develop your answer in two extended power paragraphs with each citing a minimum of three credible sources. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 21px;">•Include correct research components such as credibility statement, internal citations, Works Cited entries

When deciding where a person may fit on the continuum, think about what society was like at the time he/she was famous. Did the person change history because of their personal characteristics, or would history have gone on in a similar way without this person?
 * Applying the Great Man Theory to historical or contemporary personalities **


 * Great Man Criteria: Use a scale of 0-to 5 to evaluate the individual’s accomplishments, legacy, influence, and impact. **
 * 0=not at all, 1=little effect, 2=short run, 3=moderate, 4=wide-spread, 5=long run **

Civil Society Defined Great Man Continuum
 * Great Man Criteria || ** 5=long-run ** || ** 4=wide-spread ** || ** 3=moderate ** || ** 2=short run ** || ** 1=little effect ** || ** 0=not at all ** ||
 * ** SIGNIFICANCE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT ** ||  ||   || X ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ** ENDURANCE OF LEGACY ** || X ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ** EXTENT OF INFLUENCE ** ||  || X ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ** IMPACT ON DAILY LIFE ** ||  ||   || X ||   ||   ||   ||

Individuals with high mostly 5’s should be placed close to Great Men; those with low scores near social determinism.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: 21px;">Great Man Continuum <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Great ---Event Making --X--Eventful -Social <span style="background-color: #ffff00; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Men --Hero --X--Hero ---Determinism

Works cited: Batchelor, Bob. "Broadway in the 1920s." //Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. Batchelor, Bob. "Broadway in the 1940s." //Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2012. Batchelor, Bob. "Pop Music in the 1920s." //Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. Blood, Melanie N. "Broadway's Theaters and Theater District." //Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2012. Harmon, Justin, et. al. "Eugene O'Neill." //Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. Harmon, Justin, et. al. "George Gershwin." //Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. Rose, Brian G. "Television and Broadway." //Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas//.ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2012

<span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">Rubric for all three tasks: <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">Outstanding paragraphs include the following elements: <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Accurate power paragraph format with each paragraph citing evidence from three different sources. <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Correct research components such as credibility statement, <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px;">internal citations, Works Cited entries <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Thoughtful and thorough response to the each prompt <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ A variety of sentences with interesting, clear diction <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Photos exemplifying the influence of the individual and association or movement <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ Place your topic on the Great Man Continuum; <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px; text-align: left;">✓ <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 19px;">Complete the criteria table to justify the reasons for your placement. .