Off-Broadway Musicals since 1919
Off-Broadway Musicals since 1919

Author: Thomas S. Hischak

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2011-02-18

Total Pages: 523

ISBN-13: 0810877724

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Although the venue Off Broadway has long been the birthplace of innovative and popular musicals, there have been few studies of these influential works. Long-running champs, such as The Fantasticks and Little Shop of Horrors, are discussed in many books about American musicals, but what of the hundreds of other Off-Broadway musicals? In Off-Broadway Musicals since 1919, Thomas Hischak looks at more than 375 musicals, which are described, discussed, and analyzed, with particular attention given to their books, scores, performers, and creators. Presented chronologically and divided into chapters for each decade, beginning with the landmark musical Greenwich Village Follies (1919), the book culminates with the satiric The Toxic Avenger (2009). In this volume, any work of consequence is covered, especially if it was popular or influential, but also dozens of more obscure musicals are included to illustrate the depth and breadth of Off Broadway. Works that introduced an important artistic talent, from performers to songwriters, are looked at, and the selection represents the various trends and themes that made Off Broadway significant. In addition to essential data about each musical, the plot and score are described, the success (or lack of) is chronicled, and an opinionated commentary discusses the work's merits and influences on the musical theatre in general. The first book of its kind, this highly readable volume will please both the theatre scholar and the average musical theatre patron or fan.

All That Glittered
All That Glittered

Author: Ethan Mordden

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2015-04-07

Total Pages: 451

ISBN-13: 146689329X

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From the late 1920s to late 1950s, the Broadway theatre was America's cultural epicenter. Television didn't exist and movies were novelties. Entertainment took the form of literature, music, and theatre. During this golden age of Broadway, actors and actresses became legends and starred in now classic plays. Laurence Olivier, Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontaine were names to remember, etching plays into memory as they brought the words of Tennessee Williams or Eugene O'Neill to life. Joseph Cotton romanced Katherine Hepburn in Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story while Laurette Taylor became The Glass Menagerie's Amanda Wingfield. Frederic March, Florence Eldridge, Jason Robards Jr. and Bradford Dillman showed us life among the ruins in Long Day's Journey Into Night. In All That Glittered, Ethan Mordden, long one of Broadway's best chroniclers, recreates the fascinating lost world of its golden age.

A Study Guide for David Ives's "Time Flies"
A Study Guide for David Ives's

Author: Gale, Cengage Learning

Publisher: Gale, Cengage Learning

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 27

ISBN-13: 1410360628

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A Study Guide for David Ives's "Time Flies," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Drama For Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Drama For Students for all of your research needs.

The World of Musicals [2 volumes]
The World of Musicals [2 volumes]

Author: Mark A. Robinson

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2014-04-17

Total Pages: 1705

ISBN-13:

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This wide-ranging, two-volume encyclopedia of musicals old and new will captivate young fans—and prove invaluable to those contemplating staging a musical production. Written with high school students in mind, The World of Musicals: An Encyclopedia of Stage, Screen, and Song encompasses not only Broadway and film musicals, but also made-for-television musicals, a genre that has been largely ignored. The two volumes cover significant musicals in easily accessible entries that offer both useful information and fun facts. Each entry lists the work's writers, composers, directors, choreographers, and cast, and includes a song list, a synopsis, and descriptions of the original production and important revivals or remakes. Biographical entries share the stories of some of the brightest and most celebrated talents in the business. The encyclopedia will undoubtedly ignite and feed student interest in musical theatre. At the same time, it will prove a wonderful resource for teachers or community theatre directors charged with selecting and producing shows. In fact, anyone interested in theatre, film, television, or music will be fascinated by the work's tantalizing bits of historical and theatre trivia.

Theatre as Human Action
Theatre as Human Action

Author: Thomas S. Hischak

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2016-02-26

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 1442261099

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Most introductory theatre textbooks are written for theatre majors and assume the student already has a considerable amount of knowledge on the subject. However, such textbooks may be counterproductive, because they reference several works that may be unfamiliar to students with limited exposure to theatre. Theatre as Human Action: An Introduction to Theatre Arts, Second Edition is designed for the college student who may be unacquainted with many plays and has seen a limited number of theatre productions. Focusing primarily on four plays, this textbook aims to inform the student about theatre arts, stimulate interest in the art form, lead to critical thinking about theatre, and prepare the student to be a more informed and critical theatregoer. In addition to looking at both the theoretical and practical aspects of theatre arts—from the nature of theatre and drama to how it reflects society—the author also explains the processes that playwrights, actors, designers, directors, producers, and critics go through. The four plays central to this book are the tragedy Macbeth, the landmark African American drama A Raisin in the Sun, the contemporary rock musical Rent, and—new to this edition—the American comedy classic You Can’t Take It with You. At the beginning of the text, each play is described with plot synopses (and suggested video versions), and then these four representative works are referred to throughout the book. This second edition also features revised chapters throughout, including expanded and updated material on the technical aspects of theatre, the role of the audience and critic,and the diversity of theatre today. Structured into nine chapters, each looking at a major area or artist—and concluding with the audience and the students themselves—the unique approach of Theatre as Human Action thoroughly addresses all of the major topics to be found in an introduction to theatre text.

Women Writing Musicals
Women Writing Musicals

Author: Jennifer Ashley Tepper

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2024-11-19

Total Pages: 409

ISBN-13: 1493080326

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The first-ever book to tell the stories of over 300 inspiring women who wrote Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals that Publishers Weekly calls "an exhaustive tribute to women whose contributions to Broadway musical history have often been overlooked." Library Journal praises the book, saying, "Tepper has fashioned a winning book on the unsung heroines of Broadway musicals that will be appreciated by readers of women’s studies and theater lore." Kirkus Reviews says it's an "encyclopedic reference" and a "long-overdue tribute to female lyricists and composers." From the composers who pounded the pavement selling their music in Tin Pan Alley at the turn of the twentieth century; to the lyricists who broke new ground writing shows during the Great Depression; to the book writers who penned protest musicals fighting for social justice during the 1970s; to those who are revitalizing the landscape of American theatre today, Women Writing Musicals tells the stories of over 300 inspiring women who wrote Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals. Jennifer Ashley Tepper's definitive book covers prolific and celebrated Broadway writers like Betty Comden and Jeanine Tesori, women who have written musicals but gained fame elsewhere like Dolly Parton and Sara Bareilles, and dramatists you’ve never heard of—but definitely should have. Among the gems shared here are the stories of Clara Driscoll, who saved the Alamo and also wrote a Broadway musical; Micki Grant, whose mega-hit musical about the Black experience made her the first woman to write book, music, and lyrics for a Broadway show; María Grever, who made her Broadway debut at age 56 and who was the first Mexican female composer to achieve international success; and the first all-female writing team for a Broadway musical, in 1922: Annelu Burns, Anna Wynne O’Ryan, Madelyn Sheppard, and Helen S. Woodruff. This book is a treasure trove for theatre-loving readers that Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor and singer Kristin Chenoweth praises as "a wonderful resource for actors, and an important read for anyone interested in theatre."

A Dictionary for the Modern Singer
A Dictionary for the Modern Singer

Author: Matthew Hoch

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2014-04-28

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 0810886561

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Titles in the Dictionaries for the Modern Musician series offer both the novice and the advanced artist key information designed to convey the field of study and performance for a major instrument or instrument class, as well as the workings of musicians in areas from conducting to composing. Each dictionary covers topics from instrument parts to technique, major works to key figures—a must-have for any musician’s personal library! A Dictionary for the Modern Singer is an indispensable guide for students of singing, voice pedagogues, and lovers of the art of singing. In addition to classical singing, genres, and styles, musical theatre and popular and global styles are addressed. With an emphasis on contemporary practice, this work includes terms and figures that influenced modern singing styles. Topics include voice pedagogy, voice science, vocal health, styles, genres, performers, diction, and other relevant topics. The dictionary will help students to more fully understand the concepts articulated by their teachers. Matthew Hoch’s book fills a gap in the singer’s library as the only one-volume general reference geared toward today’s student of singing. An extensive bibliography is invaluable for students seeking to explore a particular subject in greater depth. Illustrations and charts further illuminate particular concepts, while appendixes address stage fright, tips on practicing, repertoire selection, audio technology, and contemporary commercial music styles. A Dictionary for the Modern Singer will appeal to students of singing at all levels. For professionals, it will serve as a quick and handy reference guide, useful in the high school or college library and the home teaching studio alike; students and amateurs will find it accessible and full of fascinating information about the world of the singing.

A History of the American Musical Theatre
A History of the American Musical Theatre

Author: Nathan Hurwitz

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2024-12-24

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 1040230849

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From the diverse proto-musicals of the mid-1800s, through the revues of the 1920s, the ‘true musicals’ of the 1940s, the politicization of the 1960s, the ‘mega-musicals’ of the 1980s, and the explosive jukebox musicals of the 2010s and ’20s, every era in American musical theatre reflected a unique set of socio-cultural factors. This new edition has been brought up to date to include musicals from the last ten years, reflecting on the impact of Covid-19 and the state of the contemporary musical theatre industry. Author Nathan Hurwitz uses these factors to explain the output of each decade in turn, showing how the most popular productions spoke directly to the audiences of the time. He explores the function of musical theatre as commerce, tying each big success to the social and economic realities in which it flourished. This textbook guides students from the earliest spectacles and minstrel shows to contemporary musicals such as Hadestown, Six, and Back to the Future. It traces the trends of this most commercial of art forms from the perspective of its audiences, explaining how staying in touch with writers and producers strove to stay in touch with these changing moods. Each chapter deals with a specific decade, introducing the main players, the key productions, and the major developments in musical theatre during that period. This new edition has been updated to include the 2010s and 2020s, including the impact of Covid-19 on the American Musical Theatre industry, and new features such as end-of-chapter questions for class discussions. Ideal for undergraduate students of Musical Theatre, this is the most comprehensive and accessible guide to the history of the American Musical from the mid-1800s to the present day.

Song of the Season
Song of the Season

Author: Thomas Hischak

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2024-03-21

Total Pages: 441

ISBN-13: 1350423742

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What links the popular songs "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Send in the Clowns", "Memory" and "I Am What I Am"? They all originated in Broadway musicals. Song of the Season is for those who believe that the score is at the heart of a musical and is the essential building block on which the rest of a show is built. Through a systematic historical survey from 1891 to 2023 it argues that the best musicals survive because of their songs, from early 20th century classics such as Show Boat and Oklahoma! through to the contemporary sound of Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton. looking at outstanding songs from each Broadway season, the development and history of the musical is illustrated with a fresh perspective. As song styles and popular music tastes changed throughout the decades this structure charts the progress of American showtunes alongside popular music forms as songs evolved from the waltz and ragtime to jazz, rock, rap and hip-hop. Factual analysis and historical context combine to offer a rich picture of the American songbook from Irving Berlin to Elton John. Song of the Season paints a fresh picture for musical theatre students and fans alike, illustrating significant changes in the form through the music. Analyzed in an accessible and engaging way that doesn't rely on music theory knowledge, and including a link to playlist where all the 'songs of the seasons' can be listened to, it is a must-have for those looking to expand their knowledge of the form and trace the social history of the American showtune.

Broadway Decoded
Broadway Decoded

Author: Thomas S. Hischak

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2023-09-01

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 1493074334

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A lively guide to fifty popular musicals from the comedy classics of the 1930s and 1940s to the frequently produced darlings of modern theater. Broadway musicals are set in a variety of different places and periods of history, so they are filled with references, expressions, names, objects, and slang that might not be familiar to modern audiences. Thomas Hischak guides us through these oddities of classic musicals in Broadway Decoded.