Rodgers & Hammerstein ushered in a new style with Oklahoma! in 1943, and soon, the old styles died away, putting up various degrees of resistance as they did so. Irving Berlin and Cole Porter both adopted a more R&H approach with their late 40s musicals, but it wasn't only existing masters who were influenced by the new approach. 1950 brought Guys & Dolls to Broadway, with Frank Loesser making his debut as a Broadway composer. Is it the best musical comedy ever written? It certainly belongs in the conversation, as we discuss in our episode on "Fugue for Tinhorns."

All clips are from a 1951's cast recording of Guys & Dolls: A Musical Fable of Broadway and are protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act for criticism and commentary. All rights reserved to the copyright owners. Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify! Follow SMSTS on Instagram: @somuchstufftosing Email the show: [email protected]

Recommended Reading/Viewing:

Ethan Mordden, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater (Mordden's other volumes are also excellent resources for more in-depth discussion)Broadway: The American Musical