This one is not depressing at all--Showboat was written later, it isn't in the public domain. Weirdly I don't think I've ever watched Showboat, but I have seen the movie Giant which is also based on a book of Ferber's and that is certainly not cheerful.

One word: don't. I love some of the songs and the cast is great but the only one more depressing was Carousal. Which I outright refuse to watch ever again. I don't know anything about Giant. Who was in it?

James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson are who I remember. In spite of the serious themes in Miz and Rent it's still an odd idea to me that a musical would be a downer.

Me too, particularly since I was raised on Rodgers and Hammerstein and to me I always connect them with Oklahoma, The King and I (serious themes but also funny), etc. But even Miz and Rent end on a semi happy note - hope at least. The endings of Show Boat and Carousal are at best ambiguous.