Show Boat is a 1927
musical in two acts, with music by
Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by
Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on
Edna Ferber's bestselling
novel of the same name, the musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands, and dock workers on the
Cotton Blossom, a
Mississippi River show boat, over forty years, from 1887 to 1927. Its themes include racial prejudice and tragic, enduring love. The musical contributed such classic songs as "
Ol' Man River", "
Make Believe", and "
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man".