In two volumes spanning the era from the mid-19th century to the present, this encyclopedia offers nearly 200 entries on a variety of topics, including spotlights on 30 landmark productions. Also 30 extended thematic essays gauging the impact of theater on American life. There are also 110 profile entries on key persons and institutions whose unique careers and contributions impacted Broadway.
"These cautionary tales are provocative, highly instructive, occasionally brutal, and, from a safe distance, downright hilarious, making Second Act Trouble the perfect Broadway bedtime reader - unless you are prone to nightmares."--BOOK JACKET.
Broadway musicals of the 1900s saw the emergence of George M. Cohan and his quintessentially American musical comedies which featured contemporary American stories, ragtime-flavored songs, and a tongue-in-cheek approach to musical comedy conventions. But when the Austrian import The Merry Widow opened in 1907, waltz-driven operettas became all the rage. In The Complete Book of 1900s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz surveys every single book musical that opened during the decade. Each musical has its own entry which features the following: Plot summary Cast members Creative team Song lists Opening and closing dates Number of performances Critical commentary Film adaptations, recordings, and published scripts, when applicable Numerous appendixes include a chronology of book musicals by season; chronology of revues; chronology of revivals of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas; a selected discography; filmography; published scripts; Black musicals; long and short runs; and musicals based on comic strips. The most comprehensive reference work on Broadway musicals of the 1900s, this book is an invaluable and significant resource for all scholars, historians, and fans of Broadway musicals.
This book is written to accompany the many routine and etude books to teach what, when, and how to use those materials. Learn how to listen to your body and chops to practice most efficiently to get the quickest and greatest results. "Practice smarter not longer"
"This volume, essential for anyone who loves Broadway, includes a full introduction by Ben Brantley, chief theater critic of The Times, his selection of 25 of the influential Broadway plays that defined the twentieth century, and his choice of 100 other, memorable plays - right up through plays currently running on Broadway.".
(Applause Books). A companion to the six-part PBS documentary series, Broadway: The American Musical is the first comprehensive history of the musical, from its roots at the turn of the 20th century through the smashing successes of the new millennium. The in-depth text is lavishly illustrated with a treasure trove of photographs, sheet-music covers, posters, scenic renderings, production stills, rehearsal shots and caricatures, many previously unpublished. Revised and updated, with a brand-new foreword by Julie Andrews and new material on all the Broadway musicals through the 2009-2010 season.
The Broadway musical came of age in the 1950s, a period in which some of the greatest productions made their debuts. Shows produced on Broadway during this decade include such classics as Damn Yankees, Fiorello!, Guys and Dolls, The King and I, Kismet, The Most Happy Fella, My Fair Lady, The Pajama Game, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, and West Side Story. Among the performers who made their marks were Julie Andrews, Bob Fosse, Carol Lawrence, and Gwen Verdon, while other talents who contributed to shows include Leonard Bernstein, Oscar Hammerstein II, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Cole Porter, Jerome Robbins, Richard Rodgers, and Stephen Sondheim. In The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz examines in detail every musical and revue which opened on Broadway during the 1950s. In addition to providing details on every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book includes revivals, and one-man and one-woman shows. Each entry contains the following information: Opening and closing dates Plot summary Cast members Number of performances Names of all important personnel including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directors Musical numbers and the names of performers who introduced the songs Production data, including information about tryouts Source material Critical commentary Tony awards and nominations Details about London and other foreign productions Besides separate entries for each production, the book offers numerous appendices, such as a discography, film and television versions, published scripts, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and lists of productions by the New York City Center Light Opera Company, and the New York City Opera Company. A treasure trove of information, The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals provides readers with a complete view of each show. This significant resource will be of use to scholars, historians, and casual fans of one of the greatest decades in musical theatre history.
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.
The Hamilton Papers is back! The Hamilton Papers: Volume II is the next installment of historic documents referenced in Hamilton: An American Musical. This collection has been carefully curated to include personal letters, original essays and pamphlets that will give Hamilton fans a deeper insight into the show's storyline. You know the lyrics - now hear the characters in their own voices. In this book, you'll read: Letters Between Angelica Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton referenced in the song Take a Break in the musical Letters Between Maria Reynolds, James Reynolds and Alexander Hamilton referenced in the songs Say No To This and We Know in the musical Hamilton's infamous public diss to President John Adams referenced in the song The Adams Administration in the musical 'Cold In My Professions' Letter from Hamilton to John Laurens Common Sense by Thomas Paine, referenced in the song The Schuyler Sisters in the musical Hamilton's public statement before his duel with Aaron Burr Documents penned by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and more!
The 1910s shaped the future of the American musical. While many shows of the decade were imports of European operettas, and even original Broadway musicals were influenced by continental productions, the musicals of the 1910s found their own American voice. In The Complete Book of 1910s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz covers all 312 musicals that opened on Broadway during this decade. Among the shows discussed are The Balkan Princess, The Kiss Waltz, Naughty Marietta, The Firefly, Very Good Eddie, Leave It to Jane, Watch Your Step, See America First, and La-La-Lucille. Dietz places each musical in its historical context, including the women’s suffrage movement and the decade’s defining historical event, World War I. Each entry features the following: Plot summary Cast members Creative team, including writers, lyricists, composers, directors, choreographers, and producers Opening and closing dates Number of performances Critical commentary Musical numbers and the performers who introduced the songs Numerous appendixes include a chronology, discography, filmography, Gilbert and Sullivan productions, Princess Theatre musicals, musicals with World War I themes, and published scripts, making this book a comprehensive and significant resource. The Complete Book of 1910s Broadway Musicals will captivate and inform scholars, historians, and casual fans about this influential decade in musical theatre history.
