So Much Stuff to Sing: Episode 131

Episode 131 - Ol' Man River

Jan 15, 2026

Welcome to 2026, where we're going to go through the first 100 years of the American Musical from its earliest days until the present to track the changes along the way.

As a musical once said, the beginning is a very good place to start, so we're starting with 1927's Showboat -- arguably the beginning of what we'd come to call the American Musical. Written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, Showboat brought a seriousness of topic and of purpose to the musical stage while still incorporating elements of what had gone before. It was the smash of its day, running for well over 500 performances -- unheard of at the time for musicals. In this episode, we discuss one of that show's most enduring songs, "Ol' Man River," and how the song and its theme is intimately connected to what made Showboat such a groundbreaking show.

All clips are from the 1936 film adaptation of Showboat faeturing Paul Robeson 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.

N.B. This episode discusses matters of race and racism and alludes to racial slurs. Listener discretion is advised.

Watch the scene from the film

Listen to the original performer, Jules Bledsoe

See Judy Garland performing the song in 1963

Listen to the SMSTS playlist on Spotify