Most tourists coming to New York will have a Broadway show or play on their itinerary. It is one of the main reasons to visit this vibrant city that pioneers trends. Broadway captivates, entertains, and resonates with many people from around the world. The ingenuity and wisdom, talent and effort required to stage a Broadway musical or play are evident in every production. Now, there are practically no tourists or Broadway shows. The theaters are boarded up, and the lights of Times Square seem 
to shine less brightly for fewer people.
Perhaps now is the time to revisit the golden age of Broadway, recalling those you saw when you were younger and want to share with your children or grandchildren. Home theater, television, and computer screens can bring so many uplifting classics to these times and make you hum or reflect throughout these long, lonely days. They are a few hours where you can lose yourself in a glow of talent and in a story that can transport you from the noise of the city outside.
Recently, I received a fascinating documentary about the contribution of Jewish migrants from Europe to the Broadway stage and their worldwide success. They brought an emotional heart to their stories with songs and lyrics that gave them life. They used comedy, song, and dance to tackle difficult issues that 
resonated with their own raw life experiences. They wrote with compassion and empathy about tradition, love, and persecution (Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Wicked) and misery caused by racism and intolerance (West Side Story, South Pacific). Mel Brooks’ play, The Producers, skillfully used comedy and poetry to ridicule Adolf Hitler and make the world laugh at him. Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim, Israel Lerner, Harold Prince, Leonard Bernstein; so many recognizable names that brought the stage of life to the Broadway stage.
Later musicals drew inspiration from this golden age of theater, using themes and musical influences to continue attracting large 
audiences through the doors. Here is a selection of musicals and plays that have been recorded for posterity, or turned into films, many of which are available for free, for rent, or by subscription on streaming channels.
• Oklahoma!: This musical, about a farm girl torn between two suitors, marked the beginning of the Golden Age on Broadway and has been continuously reproduced, revived, and staged in school productions since the mid-1940s. It features songs like “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” and “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” that can brighten any monotonous moment.
• Fiddler on the Roof: A poor farmer, Tevye, struggles to maintain traditions in the face of his daughters’ marital decisions. In an unusual mix of comedy, empathy, and tragedy, the story addresses the Russian pogroms and the expulsion of Jews from their village. The songs are captivating and unforgettable, “If I were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “Tradition.” (Amazon Prime and Netflix)
• South Pacific: This light musical has serious underlying themes of intolerance and racism, but at the same time, it features some of the most beautiful romantic songs ever written. It will be a “Some Enchanted Evening” when you revisit this on your TV. (Amazon Prime)
• Cabaret: Set in Berlin during the rise of Hitler’s Germany, the film features Liza Minelli in her most memorable role as Sally Bowles. A true classic with serious consciousness. “Life is a Cabaret,” even during Covid. (Amazon Prime)
• West Side Story: A tragic and familiar story about two rival gangs in New York that manage to destroy the lives and loves of modern-day Romeo and Juliet. Wonderfully composed, written, and choreographed by Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Ernest Lehman, and Jerome Robbins. “America” is the song that will stay with you long after your tears have dried. (Amazon Prime)
• My Fair Lady: This musical was recently revived at Lincoln Center and the production was stunning, with rotating stages and a fantastic cast. The film features the beautiful Audrey Hepburn playing a poor flower seller in Victorian London who is transformed into a fine lady of society. “All I want is a Room Somewhere” she sang, but she achieves much more than that after her education and elocution lessons with the proud and pompous Professor Higgins. (Based on the book “Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw, which is also a great read now).
This list is endless. There is also Annie, The Producers, and Oklahoma, so your new year will now be filled with magical moments shining from stage to screen.
LINDA LEVY
Businesswoman, Event Management Consultant & Public Relations
http://il2productions.com