Abstract
Two of Weill’s first compositions written for U.S. audiences show the composer mixing German and U.S. aesthetics, sometimes in awkward ways. His first Broadway show, Johnny Johnson (1936), combines aspects of U.S. musical comedy, German expressionist drama, and neue sachlich ideas. Although not a commercial success, critics were supportive, and it led to other opportunities. The composer also tried his hand at a film musical with You and Me (1938), directed by Fritz Lang. They tried to combine a Hollywood gangster story with a Brechtian Lehrstück, but the result proved confusing for U.S. audiences. Both projects show a composer in the process of adapting to a new culture.
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