Before the 1920s, what was a common flaw praised about musical comedies?

Before the 1920s, what was a common flaw praised about musical comedies?

• A. Overly long orchestration
• B. Songs often served as irrelevant interruptions to the plot
• C. Lack of dance numbers
• D. Too much dialogue

Answer: (B)

In early musical comedies, the standout pattern was that songs and dances were often presented as separate entertainment moments rather than as integral steps in the story. The show would move along with light plot threads, and then a catchy tune or a big dancing number would drop in to entertain the audience without driving the plot forward. This made the musical experience feel more like a series of performances stitched together than a single, cohesive narrative. That’s why the described idea is the best fit: songs appearing as irrelevant interruptions to the plot reflect the era’s prevalent approach—spectacle and musical interludes that could exist independently of what was happening in the storyline. The other options don’t align with how these shows were typically built—there were plenty of dance numbers, dialogue served the storytelling, and orchestration wasn’t universally viewed as the defining flaw of the format.

In early musical comedies, the standout pattern was that songs and dances were often presented as separate entertainment moments rather than as integral steps in the story. The show would move along with light plot threads, and then a catchy tune or a big dancing number would drop in to entertain the audience without driving the plot forward. This made the musical experience feel more like a series of performances stitched together than a single, cohesive narrative.

That’s why the described idea is the best fit: songs appearing as irrelevant interruptions to the plot reflect the era’s prevalent approach—spectacle and musical interludes that could exist independently of what was happening in the storyline. The other options don’t align with how these shows were typically built—there were plenty of dance numbers, dialogue served the storytelling, and orchestration wasn’t universally viewed as the defining flaw of the format.