The latest in lyric and literature was the common fare for parlor entertainment around the turn of the century. Families and friends gathered to entertain each other with songs, dramatic and comedic readings (often with a musical background), and piano solos from MacDowell's classical compositions to Joplin's ragtime.

Friends of the Viennese composer Franz Schubert loved to gather to play through the beloved composer's latest songs (he wrote over 600 of them), solos for two and four-hand piano, and chamber music. Whether he was plumbing the depths or blowing pleasant bubbles, Schubert was always the melodic master with fresh tunes for every occasion. Even though Schubert died in 1828, evenings featuring Schubert's music were organized throughout the 19th century. Such evenings were called Schubertiaden; they featured pianists, singers, and chamber musicians on wind and string instruments.

By the mid-1900s Broadway had transformed Viennese operetta into the now familiar American musical comedy. Living rooms rang with the songs of Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and many others. This evening will skim the cream of American musical comedy from its golden decades with singers and pianists.