~Showboat~
Showboat
is a musical treasure that beautifully paints a portrait of the ugliness
of racism, marital discord and abandonment. And it is a story of love
proclaimed in songs that have become standards in American musical
literature SHOW BOAT covers one of the most dramatic eras in American
history and spans four decades to tell its panoramic, romantic story
of the Cotton Blossom floating theater, the Hawks family and their
show boat troupe of actors.
Furthermore, the
theme song, which came to be seen as a symbol for the fight against
racism, was written specifically for the voice of Paul Robeson. Though
Robeson found fault with the racial connotations within original lyrics,
he hesitantly accepted the role, later altering the lyrics to meet
his desires.
Listen
to Recordings of "Ol' Man River"
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