The Middlebrow Musical

In a country divided by war and racism, a group of middlebrow critics believed that art could heal society by blending high art, folk, and popular culture, thereby uniting the separate audiences for each genre. Their work culminated in a new kind of musical theater that appeared on Broadway during the 1940s, including Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Duke Ellington's Beggar's Holiday, and Kurt Weill's Street Scene. Ultimately, The Middlebrow Musical unsettles seemingly familiar concepts such as high art and pop culture, and invites readers to reconsider how past writers and musicians have invoked these categories toward civic ends.