Singin' in the Rain is a film about the silent era of the '20s giving way to "talking pictures." Superstar team Don Lockwood and Lena Lamont are pushed into making one of these newfangled talkies, but there's only one problem-Lena has a horrible voice. When talented singer Kathy Selden is brought in to sing and talk for Lena behind the scenes, comedic and romantic shenanigans ensue. This classic 1950s musical takes a look at the changes in Hollywood ushered in by the era of sound.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is the story of African American blues singer Ma Rainey and her band recording a new album in Chicago in the 1920s. The play takes place over the course of a single night and uses tensions between the band and the white producers to illustrate the exploitation of black musicians by the record industry. It also focuses on class divisions within the emerging blues community and old and new musicians.