(*Lyrics excerpt*) - "They say the lights are always bright on Broadway!"Through stills, archival footage, and interviews with both celebrities and historians - This "Broadway" documentary takes a close-up look at the long history of the Broadway musical as it existed in NYC from the 1930s, through to the 1950s.Going all the way back to the roots of this "Jewish" legacy - The popular musical compositions of such famed songwriters as Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter, and Stephen Sondheim are discussed in some depth.All-in-all - This 2-disc documentary has its interesting moments, along with its not-so-interesting moments, too.

Excellent documentary detailing the role of the Jewish composer in Broadway musicals.It was the hope of the composers to be able to assimilate, accommodate and bring music into the lives of audiences. While we can see Jewish liturgy being used in composition, shows were made to highlight the traditions of all people, not only depicting the Jewish experience. In fact, many of the composers went out of their way to write pieces dealing with non-Jewish characters. That is why 1964's "Fiddler on the Roof" was such a break through in the history of the musical theater.Mel Brooks' idea of destroying Hitler through comedy is certainly unique, but as far as I'm concerned is still quite controversial to say the least.Cole Porter claimed that he would be successful in the field by writing Jewish.Ethel Merman disgraced herself by bringing a ham sandwich to a Seder on Passover. Merman lived in fear of being associated with Jewish identity.