This paper is a critique of a production of Show Boat, a musical classic with compositions by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, which was performed and produced by NETworks Presentations LLC at Emens Auditorium on the 14th of February 2001. Clayton Phillips, the director of the production, attempted to test the waters of racial discrimination by exploring controversial themes such as prejudice and interracial relationships. Show Boat takes an enlightened approach to ethnic controversy by using both music and drama to express the feelings and hopes of the characters to the audience. Even though I enjoyed the...
Help Lovin' Dat Man. I must have heard this song presented in every fashion - belted, shouted and whispered. Ol' Man River and Make Believe also seemed to play almost constantly. Although the musical sound was grand, the lyrics of the vocals were almost undistinguishable, especially as a first time listener.

I believe that, even though this particular performance of Show Boat could be improved, when it comes to the story plot, the musical reprises and the sound quality of the vocals, Show Boat is not a disappointment if you truly enjoy watching emotional epics with a musical theme.