A Reel American Hero is a musical that affectionately lampoons the cultural values associated with the Reagan era. Inspired by the popular American films of the 1930s and 1940s, it explores how moviegoing helped shape the country's values. Following an earlier Equity showcase at Chareeva, it was scheduled to open at Broadway's Rialto Theatre on April 9, 1981, but closed after five previews. The musical features a book by Judith GeBauer and Burt Vinocur, music by Gordon Kent and Stephanie Peters, lyrics by Peters and Gerald Paul Hillman, and more than 700 slide projections.