In 1927, Warner Brothers Studios premiered The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, and introduced synchronized sound to the screen. Silent pictures disappeared almost overnight. With the advent of the “talkies,” Hollywood scrambled to adapt, eager to capitalize on this new technology. Studios promised audiences “All talking! All singing! All dancing!” entertainments, and moviegoers flocked to theaters in record numbers. Only two years later, the success of films like King Vidor’s Hallelujah and the Best Picture Oscar-winning The Broadway Melody proved that movie musicals were more than a passing fad—they were a new direction in cinematic storytelling, transforming the filmgoing experience and laying the foundation for decades of beloved song-and-dance spectacles
- The Broadway Melody
- Hallelujah!
- Show Boat
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
- The Wizard of Oz
- Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
- Shirley Temple
- Maurice Chevalier
- Busby Berkely
Curtain Talks & Cocktails are an exclusive benefit for Tobin Center Members and Signature Series Subscribers, provided to you free of charge. The series is also open to the public for $10 per session or $35 for all four. Each lecture is a standalone presentation, so join us for one or all!
Join Tim Hedgepeth for a captivating journey through the dazzling world of film musicals in this entertaining lecture. From the early days of Hollywood to the modern classics, Tim brings the history of song, dance, and cinema to life with his trademark wit and passion. Discover the groundbreaking moments, iconic stars, and unforgettable tunes that made musicals a cornerstone of Hollywood’s golden age. Packed with fascinating insights and fun anecdotes, this lecture is a celebration of the genre’s lasting impact and its magical ability to entertain, inspire, and move audiences through the power of music and film.
Tim Hedgepeth is a San Antonio-based theatre teacher, director, sometimes actor, and collage artist.
He recently retired from the Drama faculty at Northwest Vista College (Associate Professor) where his courses included Theatre History, Intro to Film, Acting 1, Acting 2, and Theatre Appreciation. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Baby with the Bathwater, and The Bacchae. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Allegro Stage Company and a guest director for San Antonio-based theaters including The Public, The Cellar, The Woodlawn, and The Classic Theatre.
He received his BA in Drama from Trinity University and his MFA in Theatre and Drama/Directing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tim is the recipient of twelve Globe awards for excellence in directing and acting from the Alamo Theatre Arts Council and a Production Fellowship from the San Antonio Artists Foundation. Favorite local productions include Les Miserables, The Boys in the Band, Mame, Marriage Play, The History Boys, Red, Company, Private Lives, End of the Rainbow, and A Chorus Line.
Before returning to San Antonio, Tim was the Executive Director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, overseeing statewide arts-based initiatives for capital improvements, community development, arts education, and advocacy in partnership with the state legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Lila Wallace Foundation, and Southern Arts Foundation.
He has served on the board of directors for the Alamo Theatre Arts Council, The Woodlawn Theatre, and NVC Friends of the Arts, as well as the Arts Funding Committee for the San Antonio Arts Commission.
Tim and his husband Rene' Paul Barilleaux reside in San Antonio, Texas.
