Also, seems to think the modern musical began with West Side Story, which was indeed a brilliant achievement but built firmly on base of, mainly, Rodgers & Hammerstein (who else recalls the sensation made by Olklahoma?), who in their turn derived from Rodgers' earlier collaboration with Hart. WSS one of best of this particular genre of post-1940s musical, but by no means the original as claimed. & far too little on 30s popular song, such brilliant creators as Berlin, Porter, Kern+Harbach·Fields, Mercer &c. It wasn't only the Gershwins.