Showboat; a groundbreaking productionThe 1900s were a time of great transformation and growth within the theater community. Of all the types of theater developed during this period, musical theater became a more respected and widely desired form of entertainment. Musical theater evolved from blackface minstrel shows with gag productions to well-regarded plays. One of the most influential productions in terms of sophistication is Showboat. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber, Showboat was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II (Smith 627). Showboat premiered at the Ziegfeld Theater on December 27, 1927 (Smith 627). The 1926 novel chronicles the lives of a musical and racially integrated group on Cotton Blossom. The production of Showboat marked the renaissance of musical theater because it set the standards for any American musical by breaking theatrical traditions. For the first time, Showboat would feature a well-written production with integrated, advanced music and lyrics that moved the plot forward. The cartoonish style of garish action and unrealistic productions was gone. For the first time, the plot was as important as the music. The new format of a high production as well as the controversial subjects of the time shook the habits of musical theater. Showboat is often considered one of the most influential American productions because it made a timeless statement about the culture of the American South during the Civil War era and established a new genre of theater. Showboat is a production that paved the way for a new genre of musical theater. Even today, the majority of viewers can't categorize Showboat; “Smith calls it a musical; McSpadden a...... middle of paper ......en, Stanley. The world of musical comedy. New York: AS Barnes & Co., 1960. 2, 71, 72, 73, 75-7, 81. Print. Hemming, Roy. The melody persists. New York: Newmarket, 1986. 87-9, 98-101, 113-4, 115-8. Print.Howard, John Tasker. Our American music. 1946. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1954. 666. Print. Howard, John Tasker and George Kent Bellows. A Brief History of Music in America. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1957. 342-3. Print. Kislan, Richard. The Musical: A Look at American Musical Theater. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1980. 84, 110, 116-121, 125-127, 128, 134, 163, 195, 201, 209. Print. Smith, Cecile Michener and Glenn Litton. Musical comedy in America. New York: Books on Theater Arts, 1950. 627-8. Print. Southern, Eileen. The music of black Americans. 2nd ed. 1971. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1986. 367, 404-5, 407, 430, 437. Print.