Jerome Kern is often called the father of American musical theater. Kern is remembered for the hundreds of songs he wrote for musical plays and movies. To a great extent, he led the development of the first truly American theater music.
Jerome Kern began his career as a songwriter in theaters in London and New York City. Success came quickly. By the early 1920s, Kern was a successful young composer for Broadway musical comedies. He worked with each song until he was satisfied that the music was perfect. American musical plays at that time were still usually copied from European ones. Kern wanted to try something completely new. He thought a musical play should be a real work of art, not just a collection of songs and dances. He thought songs should help move the action of the play along, by showing a person's feelings. Kern wanted to do a truly American musical, with real American characters and real situations.
In 1927, he found the story he wanted. It was the book "Show Boat" by American writer Edna Ferber. "Show Boat" takes place in the 1880s on a passenger steam boat that travels along the Mississippi River. The boat is called a show boat because singers and dancers entertain the passengers. The captain of the show boat has a daughter who is a singer on the boat. She falls in love with a man who earns his money by gambling with cards.
The story dealt with some unusually serious issues for a musical. It showed the hard lives of African-Americans in the South. And it showed marriage between people of different races, which was against the law at that time. Although serious in places, "Show Boat" was not a tragedy. The public and critics loved it. "Show Boat" became the greatest work of American musical theater .Music critics said Kern's effect on musical theater was revolutionary. It was Kern's music that made the show a great success, which has been performed thousands of times all over the world.
24. The passage above is likely to appear in ___________.
A. a poster B. a radio program C. a notice D. a news report
25. According to the passage, Jerome Kern can be described as being ___________.
A. adventurous and sympathetic B. brave and kind
C. productive and creative D. hardworking and determined
26. The story of “Show Boat” is _________.
A. serious B. light-hearted C. ridiculous D. tragic
27. The purpose of the passage is to _____________.
A. introduce Jerome Kern’s life and his career
B. explain how Jerome Kern’s truly American musical was created
C. tell us the unusual story of “Show Boat”
D. show the differences between American musical plays and European ones