Broadway's mascot is the golden calf. Few families in history ever fatted up the golden calf to such imposing dimensions as The Rothschilds. In this musical, Broadway is really worshiping its fondest dreams.
Beyond the invincible rags-to-riches theme, The Rothschilds also has ethnic appeal: it is a quest for manhood and release from the oppression that Jews suffered in the ghettos of Europe.
In brisk, broad strokes, the musical describes how Mayer Rothschild (Hal Linden) discovered a path out of the ghetto at the Frankfurt Fair of 1773, where he began trading in rare coins. When his sons came of age, he managed...
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