The Book of Broadway: The 150 Definitive Plays and Musicals

by Eric Grode

Overview

Relive, or discover, the Broadway productions that have enthralled, enchanted, and enraptured audiences for more than 100 years. The Book of Broadway is a celebratory, gorgeous tome dedicated to what is arguably the quintessential American art form: the Broadway show. The book profiles 150 of the best, biggest, most influential, and most fascinating Broadway musicals and plays ever produced, spanning the mid-nineteenth century to the twenty-first century. Shows profiled include everything from the 1860s musical The Black Crook, which captivated and titillated audiences for more than five hours, to the Pulitzer Prize–winning 2010 play Clybourne Park. The men and women who shaped Broadway history - such as Stephen Sondheim, Tennessee Williams, Bernadette Peters, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Ethel Merman, Marlon Brando, August Wilson, and Nathan Lane - are celebrated for their groundbreaking work. Photographs throughout illustrate the stunning designs of the shows profiled. Author Eric Grode - an arts writer for The New York Times, and author of Hair: The Story of the Show That Defined a Generation - has compiled this ultimate guide to Broadway shows, filled with insider knowledge. Theater fans will appreciate the fantastic Broadway trivia scattered throughout the book as well as the palpable sense of history in this encyclopedic treatment of one of our most beloved pastimes. A handful of the shows featured in this book include: Annie The Book of Mormon Bye Bye Birdie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Chicago Death of a Salesman Fiddler on the Roof Grease Guys and Dolls Hello, Dolly! Kiss Me, Kate Les Miserables The Music Man My Fair Lady The Phantom of the Opera Rent Six Degrees of Separation The Sound of Music A Streetcar Named Desire West Side Story

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781627887069
Publisher:	Voyageur Press
Publication date:	08/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1211 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Eric Grode is the director of the Goldring Arts Journalism Program at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He writes regularly about theater for the New York Times and is the author of "Hair: The Story of the Show That Defined a Generation." He previously was the head theater critic for the New York Sun and Broadway.com, and he has also written for New York magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Village Voice and several other publications.

Editorial Reviews

"It's a treasure trove of pictures, facts and personal connections assembled by a knowledgeable and talented theater critic who clearly loves his subject" - Nashville Arts Critic

"...informative without being too dry or academic...hefty, colorful, attractive and certain to stimulate debate among theater lovers" - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

From the Publisher

10/01/2015
Why is New York Times theater critic and reporter Grode's book "definitive?" Because, and this is a direct quote from the introduction delineating his methodology for play and musical inclusion, "I said so." Therein lies the problem with every text of this ilk; the inherently subjective nature of the claim renders it grist for the argument mill. No Fantasticks? No Godspell? Marat/Sade is in, but Sam Shepard is out? He does address why the latter is not enshrined in his book, but this reviewer doesn't buy it. That aside, Grode's work is a beautifully splashy alphabetically arranged compilation of 150 significant Broadway plays and musicals. Each show is covered on a two-page spread with glossy black-and-white and color photographs, brief but illuminating text and commentary, and a sidebar featuring a show synopsis, performance dates, awards received, noted revivals and adaptations, and original stars. VERDICT This is the kind of book you buy as a gift because you know the recipient likes theater. Optional for libraries.—Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., TX

Library Journal