I M A Yankee Doodle Dandy

An extensive collection of personal interviews, oral histories, home recordings, collected books and hand-written manuscripts reflecting the rich French-American fiddle tradition that flourished around New England urban and metro area in the mid-20th century.

"Composer, lyricist, playwright, performer, director, theater owner, and star actor George M. Cohan (1878-1942) definitively shaped the burgeoning genre of musical comedy and the institution of Broadway in the early twentieth century. Remembered today for classic tunes like "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Give My Regards to Broadway," he has been called "the father of musical comedy" and is memorialized with a statue in Times Square. In his day, he was famous as the "Yankee Doodle Boy" from his hit song and as the "Man Who Owned Broadway" from his musical of the same name. His songs and shows captured the spirit of an era when staggering social change gave new urgency to efforts to define Americanism. This book, the first on Cohan in fifty years and the first scholarly study on the subject, is not a biography but rather situates Cohan as a central figure of his day, placing his multifaceted contributions within overlapping historical and cultural contextual webs to examine his wide-ranging cultural impact. Chapters interweave discussion of his songs and shows with explorations of the roles he played in public life-entertainer, Broadway magnate, Irish American, celebrity, and, above all, emblem of patriotism. This approach offers not only a fuller understanding of his shows and career but also new perspectives on fundamental debates about American identity and the performing arts in the early twentieth-century United States"--

In the 1890s, feisty Tod Sloan (1874-1933) abandoned the centuries-old jockey tradition of riding in a straight sitting position and instead crouched low on the neck of his horse. The result was not only a string of victories for young Sloan but also a revolution in horse racing. In this entertaining book, award-winning author John Dizikes recounts the remarkable story of the Indiana boy who rose from obscurity to become the most famous jockey in the United States and Great Britain at the turn of the century. Dizikes evokes the turbulent, colorful world of horse racing and gambling in which Tod Sloan rocketed to celebrity -- and from which he was just as dramatically ejected. Sloan's innovative riding style helped to transform horse racing into the first nationally popular spectator sport, drawing in huge crowds and vast amounts of betting money. But Sloan's career was crushingly ended by those who resented and envied him. A dandy, a big spender, a man whose company women loved, Sloan related to horses in an almost magical way, yet foundered in his dealings with people. This book is the biography of a diminutive man who lived in large style, and lives on in George M. Cohan's musical Little Johnny Jones and Ernest Hemingway's short story "My Old Man". The book is also much more -- a fascinating cultural history that illuminates the history of horse racing and betting, the democratization of sport, changing conceptions of masculinity, the hypocrisy of Victorian morality, the lionizing and demonizing of celebrities, and a variety of other inviting topics.

A dynamite performer, playwright and composer, George M. Cohan dominated the American theater in his days as no other ever has. ASCAP award-winning writer Chip Deffaa offers a fresh look at this quintessential showman's life and brings a glorious chapter in showbiz to the stage. The 26 songs mix classics like "Give My Regards to Broadway," "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "You're a Grand Old Flag" with some fascinating rediscoveries.

Musical Theater: An Appreciation, Second Edition offers a history of musical theater from its operating origins to the Broadway shows of today, combined with an in-depth study of the musical styles that paralleled changes on stage. Alyson McLamore teaches readers how to listen to both the words and the music of the stage musical, enabling them to understand how all the components of a show interact to create a compelling experience for audiences. This second edition has been updated with new chapters covering recent developments in the twenty-first century, while insights from recent scholarship on musical theater have been incorporated throughout the text. The musical examples discussed in the text now include detailed listening guides, while a new companion website includes plot summaries and links to audio of the musical examples. From Don Giovanni to Hamilton, Musical Theater: An Appreciation both explores the history of musical theater and develops a deep appreciation of the musical elements at the heart of this unique art form.

What do the stars on the American flag represent? Who is buried in the most well-known tomb in Arlington National Cemetery? Why was the bald eagle chosen for the national symbol of America? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Kids InfoBits Presents: Symbols of America. Symbols of America contains authoritative, age-appropriate content covering a range of topics, from the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell to the Great Seal of the United States and Ellis Island. The content, arranged in A-Z format, provides interesting and important facts and is geared to fit the needs of elementary school students. Kids InfoBits Presents contains content derived from Kids InfoBits, a content-rich and easy-to-use digital resource available at your local school or public library. Each eBook contains authoritative, age-appropriate content covering a broad range of popular topics—including Ancient Egypt, Astronomy, Dinosaurs, Weather, and more—and provides interesting and important facts geared to fit the needs of elementary-aged students.