Gail Chumbley review of Show Boat Spiritual Journey
Gail Chumbley no longer has a FB account, but she did a review of my small book about Show Boat and “Ol’ Man River.” She asked me to share the review with you all.
John Vogel recently published his second volume of A Spiritual Exploration of the Literary and Performing Arts. This second installment examines in depth the musical Showboat, with an insightful look at Edna Ferber’s original novel of the same name. In particular, the author focuses on the song “O’d Man River,” and the weight this number lent to the entire musical.
The genesis of Showboat, according to Volume 2, originated from Ferber’s chance opportunity of visiting a river boat in the mid-1920’s. So taken was the best-selling author, that she soon after designed a story around life on a paddle wheel, thus producing the original novel.
Following the wide acclaim that greeted Ferber’s book, Jerome Kern was tasked to secure adaption rights from the author for a stage production. She had previously vowed not to permit any dramatization, but somehow Kern changed her mind.
As with his first book, Vogel has articulated the rich emotions evoked by the production’s lyrics, melodies, themes, and symbols. In his insightful analysis, the author spotlights “Ol’ Man River” as the anchor in Showboat’s enduring success. Placed at the end of Act One, Scene One, “Ol’ Man River” elevated this production from an entertaining musical into an American treasure.
Vogel made clear in his first book that the stage can be a profound conduit of inspiration and goodness, and indeed Showboat more than meets that definition.
After reading Volume 2, it appeared Hammerstein and Kern must have been deeply influenced by the Harlem Renaissance. On its own, “Ol’ Man River” embodies the timeless power of the African-American experience. “Can’t Help Loving Dat Man” stands as a blues number solely on merit, revealing that Show Boat, under the genius of the composer, demonstrated to white audiences the beauty of African-American musical motifs.
Friendship, endurance, and authenticity are among other precepts underscored in the 1927 production. Premiered in an era of Jim Crow, the injustice of racism was subtly skewered in a message of universal truth and goodness. The power of hope, and justice weaves through the musical, much like the winding Mississippi. Vogel stresses, for example, the organic power of Joe’s aspirations for redemption and deliverance as he confesses his burdens to the Father of Waters.
A Spiritual Exploration, Volume 2, furthers Vogel’s position that the arts have the power to inspire and change hearts, where other methods fall short. This book, as with the first, is a wonderful journey into the performing arts.