《戲船人生》在諸多的文獻當中，顯示位處輕歌劇 (Operetta) 過渡到音樂喜劇 (Musical Comedy) 的時間點，正由於該劇扮演聯繫的角色，因而被賦予如同橋樑般的歷史地位。不過，本論文並不探究該劇所具備的輕歌劇或音樂劇的特徵為何？而是以文獻當中提及，傑洛米‧肯恩 (Jerome Kern, 1885-1945) 對音樂劇的創新看法：著重在音樂和劇情的結合，必須融合一體的理念驅動，為求能達成自我對音樂劇的理想，因而針對當時流行歌謠既有的旋律、形式、節奏，在吻合場景、劇中演員性格的前提下，加以適度地格革。同時，由於本劇將美國十九世紀末到二十世紀初的社會寫實呈現，讓總是不被論及的黑人奴隸、異族通婚，以及賭博酗酒等主題，在劇情當中不加矯飾的出現，超越音樂喜劇的既有印象，而讓「Musical」從原本的形容詞，轉而成為名詞，也就是現今我們對音樂劇的代稱。
本論文將以《戲船人生》的六大主軸歌曲，運用「美國流行歌謠」(American Popular Ballad) 的特徵，針對旋律、形式、節奏、和聲四大面向，討論肯恩的作曲手法。本文共分五章：第一章緒論，主述音樂在音樂劇所具備之功能，以及1920年代的美國流行音樂環境；第二章針對相關背景探討：著重作曲家簡介、戲船的發展、以及本劇由同名小說而搬上舞台的創作始末；第三章闡述美國流行歌謠之特徵，也就是當時盛行的慣例範本；第四章針對該劇當中的六大歌曲逐一分析，深入探討為求達到結合劇情和突顯人物性格的目標，肯恩如何將歌謠既有特徵沿襲和創新；第五章則為結論。藉由這樣的分析，不但知曉此作品在音樂劇發展史的前期，如何將當時的戲劇風格加以革新，更掀起後輩音樂家，對音樂劇前仆後繼的革命潮流！

Existing in many documents, “Show Boat” reveals its significance in the history for its transiting and bridging roles between Operetta and Musical Comedy. Nonetheless, in stead of aiming at exploring the characteristics concerning Operetta or Musical Comedy, the thesis intends to elaborate on the innovative viewpoints provided by Jerome Kern (1885-1945): The combination of music and the plot would be activated by an integrated texture of ideology; moreover, to actualize one’s ideology towards musicals, those preset melody, forms and rhythm of the popular ballads at that time ought to be transformed to be in harmony with the matching backgrounds and the characters of the performers in the musical. Meanwhile, the musical realistically presents the society between the late 19th century and the early 20th. Those once untouched themes regarding black slavery, mixed marriages, gambling and alcoholism keeps occurring in the plot without dissemblance so as to surpass the stereotype of the Musical Comedies. Therefore, the adjective “Musical” has been transformed into a noun, which is the term we have adopted nowadays for musical.
Based on the six main shafts of songs, and the characteristics focusing on the melody, form, rhythm and the harmony in “American Popular Ballad,” the thesis intends to discuss the techniques that Kern has utilized to compose music. The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter one discusses out the introduction, which mainly states the functions of music in musicals, and the environment of popular music in 1920s in America. Chapter two lays out the related backgrounds relating to brief introductions of the music composers, the development of “Show Boat,” and the production of the musical based on its original novel.
Chapter three expands on the characteristics of American popular ballads, which stand for the conventional models for the time. Chapter four aims at analyzing the six major ballads in the musical one by one to explore profoundly into the techniques that Kerns adopts to combine the plot, and to protrude the characters. By that, Kern has followed the custom and had his innovation. Chapter five concludes the whole thesis. Through such analysis, we are able to acknowledge the earlier stage of this musical in the history of music development, how the musical styles were innovated, how the younger musicians followed the trend for the revolution.

參考文獻
【中文書目】

Joseph Machlis。《當代音樂介紹》(Modern Music)。蘇同右 譯。台北：大陸書店，1990。

慕羽。《百老匯音樂劇：美國夢和一個恆久的象徵》。台北：大地，民93。

【網路資訊】

陳萃希。〈音樂劇的秘密花園-畫舫璇宮〉。http://web.my8d.net/x29df/S_Boat.html#cd； 摘錄於 28 October 2005。

重新探索音樂劇要點(Musical Notes Revisited)
http://www.musicalnotesnmore.com/main-S-U.html

時代雜誌與CNN合股公司線上檢索系統 (TIME in partnership with CNN) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,769609-1,00.html

【外文書目】

Banfield, Stephen. Jerome Kern. London: Yale University Press, 2006.

Block, Geoffrey. Enchanted Evening: The Broadway Musical from Show Boat to Sondheim. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Bordman, Gerald. Jerome Kern His Life and Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Engel, Lehman. Words with music: the Broadway musical libretto. New York: Schirmer, 1981, c1972.

Ewen, David. The Story of Jerome Kern. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964.

Ewen, David. Great Men of American Popular Song: America’s trend-setting songwriters—their live, their time, their work—from 1746 to the present. London: Prentice-Hall, 1970.

Forte, Allen. The American Popular Ballad of the Golden Era, 1924-1950.New Jersey: Princeton University, 1995.

Freedland, Michael. Jerome Kern A Biography. New York: Stein and Day, 1981.

Ganzi, Kurt. The Musical: A Concise History. U.S.A: Northeastern University Press, 1997.

Hamm, Charles. Yesterdays: Popular song in America. New York: W. W. Norton, 1979.

Kislan, Richard. The Musical: A look at the American Musical Theater. New York: Applause Books, 1995.

Kreuger, Miles. Show Boat: The Story of a Classic American Musical. New York: Da Capo Press, 1977.

P.Swain, Joseph. The Broadway Musical: A Critical and Musical Survey. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

Wilder, Alec. American Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900-1950. New York: Oxford University Press, 1972.

【外文期刊】

Riechers, Maggie. “Bound for Broadway” Humanities, Vol. 20 Issue 5, (Sep/Oct,1999): 14-18.

【樂譜】

Kern, Jerome. Show Boat: The Theatre Royal Drury Lane Production. London: Chappell & CO. LTD, 1928.

Kern, Jerome. The Jerome Kern Song Book: The Words and Music of 50 of His Best-Loved Songs. New York: Simon and Schuster and T. B. Harms Company, 1955.

【有聲資料】

Kern, Jerome. Show Boat: The Music as heard on opening night at the Ziegfeld Theatre, 1927. EMI, CDS 7 49108 2, 1988.

Kern, Jerome. Show Boat: 25original (1946&1928) recordings. Prism Leisure, PLATCD 733, 2002.

Kern, Jerome. Show Boat: Studio Album 1932, Studio Recording 1936, Broadway Revival 1946. NAXOS Musical, 8 12079, 2005.

Kern, Jerome. Show Boat: First complete recording of the published 1946 edition. John Yap, CDJAY2 1394, 2006.

Kern, Jerome. Show Boat: Original cast of the 1946 Broadway Revival. Sony Music, SK 53330, 1993.

Kern, Jerome. Show Boat: Original MGM Soundtrack, 1951. CBS Records. A K 42436, 1990.

Kern, Jerome. Show Boat: 1962 Studio Cast Recording. Columbia, 1962. Sony Classical, SMK 61877, 2000.

Robert Russell Bennett. The Sound of Music (Rodgers), Show Boat (Kern), South Pacific (Rodgers), My Fair Lady (Loewe). EMI, CD-CFP 4573 CDB 7 671122,1990.

Kern, Jerome and Oscar Hammerstein II. Show Boat. James Whale, directed DVD. 1936. Sonopress, CARDVD-108, 2002.

Kern, Jerome and Oscar Hammerstein II. Show Boat. George Sidney, directed DVD. 1951. M-G-M, DVD-65094, 2000.

Jerome Kern's Life Story. Till The Clouds Roll By. Arthur Freed, produced. DVD. PMC, 1999.