A few weeks ago, I caught the revival tour of "Showboat"
and thoroughly enjoyed it. The singing, dancing, and performing
were incredibly entertaining. However, I had some qualms about
the show because of the setting. "Showboat" the musical
is based on an Edna Ferber novel of the same name. The story covers
a swath of American history from the 1890's to the 1920's. It
features a traveling entertainment troupe which journeys up and
down the Mississippi presenting shows in a huge riverboat. Thus,
the name "Showboat."
The story is filled with many colorful characters, both Afro-Americans
and Caucasians. Segregation runs rampant. Black stevedores labor
hard loading and unloading boats along the Mississippi. The 'Showboat'
itself has a black cook and black laborers but the boss and all
the actors are white. Even the audience seating is segregated.
The blacks get the cheaper seats up top while the whites get the
more expensive seats at the stage level. "Showboat"
covers a very racist period in American history. But is the show
actually racist? There have been accusations to this effect and
even active protests and picketing. I watched the show and I found
the Afro-American characters to be every bit as human and interesting
as the Caucasian characters. Racist issues were depicted but overall,
the tone of the show was definitely not racist. At least, not
on a surface level.
To investigate "Showboat" further, let me fill you in
briefly on the main plot. The boat is run by Cap'n Andy and his
wife Parthy, a Caucasian couple. They have a teenage daughter,
Magnolia, who dreams of becoming an actor. At the start of the
musical, the star actors on the boat are Steve and his wife Julie.
The local authorities where the boat is presently docked discover
that Julie is part black but posing as someone fully white. Marriage
across race is illegal in this state. Steve manages to elude arrest
through a clever ruse. But, to spare Cap'n Andy any further trouble,
Steve and Julie leave the boat. Magnolia gets her big break as
she takes Julie's place. Steve's place is taken by Gaylord, a
handsome riverboat gambler who just happens to be seeking passage
out of town. The romantic sparks fly between Magnolia and Gaylord.
Being actually in love enhances their acting and they become very
popular actors along the Mississippi. After a short courtship,
they get married and soon afterwards, have a daughter, Kim.
While Magnolia enjoys life on the 'Showboat', Gaylord wants to
go to Chicago and live a gentleman's life. One night, he wins
big at a poker game and uses the money to set his family up in
style at a ritzy Chicago hotel. Over the next eight years, Gaylord
struggles to bring in wealth but he's just not financially talented.
He leaves his family thinking it's for the best. Gaylord hopes
that Magnolia and Kim will rejoin Magnolia's parents on the 'Showboat.'
By coincidence, Magnolia runs into some old friends, Frank and
Ellie, who used to work as actors on the 'Showboat.' They persuade
her to audition for their new boss who runs a successful nightclub
in downtown Chicago. Unbeknownst to everyone, the current star
at the club is none other than their old friend Julie. Apparently,
her husband Steve has now left her and she is completely heartbroken
and frequently drunk. She hears Magnolia auditioning with a song
that Julie taught her. Julie quietly slips away packing her bags.
She can't take it anymore and sacrifices her position so that
Magnolia can have a break. When the nightclub boss realizes his
star singer has deserted him right before New Year's Eve 1899,
he decides to take a chance on Magnolia. After some initial difficulty,
she performs great (due in part to being cheered on by her visiting
father). Eventually, she becomes a big star. After many years
of fame, Magnolia retires in 1927. Kim carries on the family entertainment
tradition as a comedic star on Broadway. In contrast to Magnolia's
rising fame, we get a brief glimpse of Julie as a down and out
bag lady. We never find out any more about poor Julie.
After Magnolia's retirement, her father Cap'n Andy arranges a
reunion on board the 'Showboat.' Secretly, he also invites Gaylord
who has been corresponding with him over the years. Magnolia and
Gaylord are reunited and still very much in love. Their daughter,
Kim, has grown up to be a beautiful young woman and a big star
in her own right. Despite all the hardships, everyone is happy.
It's a happy ending except for Julie. All the white characters
and the black characters that work on the 'Showboat' have a happy
resolution. The only one who doesn't is the character whose parents
had an interracial relationship. Despite her talent and pure heart,
Julie ends badly. We don't even know what really happens to her.
What's the message here? Is there a subtle hint that each race
should stick to itself; that any mixing of races will result in
tragedy? Or is this just a comment on the injustice of America
in the early twentieth century?
This is indeed a thorny issue. I'm not warning authors to stay
away from racial issues by any means. In fact, I encourage them
to explore any controversial side of the human condition. I'm
just saying that if you're going to deal with racism in a story
that you ought to pay attention to what message you may be inadvertently
giving out. As well, the viewing audience should bear these points
in mind. Don't let it stress you out, though. I still had a good
time watching "Showboat". In fact, the racism issue
made it more intriguing. "Showboat" became more than
just a song and dance show.
As the fall equinox draws near, may I remind you to stay happy
and don't take no crap!
Boisterously yours,
Happy.
