Scarlet Masque Theatre Journal New Beginnings and Fond Farewells Vol. 1 | Page 34

1993). Thus, it is clear that New York opera performance was intended to be much more
accessible for audiences simply from stylistic design alone. Dizikes attributes this
somewhat “everyman simplicity” in New York opera to the commingling of races and the
emergence of liberalism in the 1930s (Dizikes, 1993).
The earliest example of definitive New York opera is 1940’s Pal Joey, with the
libretto being written by lyricist Lorenz Hart and the score composed by the renowned
Richard Rogers (Dizikes, 1993). The opera existed in a realm of vocal performance few
productions had ventured into, being described as “a song-and-dance production with
living, three-dimensional figures, talking and behaving like human beings.” (Dizikes,
1993). To forego the more dramatic and grandiose aspects of opera at this time was
unheard of, especially so-called “opera” in which performers functioned more like actors
than trained vocalists as mentioned previously. Nonetheless, Pal Joey was immensely
successful, running for 374 performances and being called a “masterpiece” and a
“classic,” by composers such as Kurt Weill (Dizikes, 1993). Furthermore, it likely paved
the way for some of the most beloved American shows. Richard Rogers went on to
partner with Oscar Hammerstein II, and form one of the most prominent composer-
librettist combinations of the 20th center (Dizikes, 1993).
The tandem went on to write shows that were quintessential New York opera,
such as Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, Show Boat, and The Sound of Music. Each
show epitomized the classifications of New York opera. According to Dizikes, “The
Rodgers and Hammerstein operas deserve their central position in the popular opera
repertory, as innumerable revivals have shown… Popular tunes were ingeniously
embedded in a plausible dramatic context.” (Dizikes, 1993). Like their New York opera
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