Broadway: The American Musical [Hardcover]

Michael Kantor and Laurence Maslon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2004

Along with jazz and abstract expressionism, the Broadway musical is one of the few uniquely American art forms. 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 compelling, 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sheet-music covers, posters, scenic renderings, production stills, rehearsal shots, and caricatures, many previously unpublished. Complementing the narrative are lively sidebars that highlight the stars, the shows, and the songs--the key ingredients that make the musical great. Each chapter also included essays written by some of Broadway's most fascinating luminaries, past and present. An entertaining amalgam of unpublished material, candid and production photographs, and a trunkful of anecdotes and Broadway lore, BROADWAY will appeal to eighth-graders in their first high school musical as well as to connoisseurs of the art form.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you enjoyed the PBS series Broadway: The American Musical but wanted a bit more detail and substance, try curling up with the companion book to the series. Expanded from Michael Kantor's script by Laurence Maslon, it follows the same six-part structure but its 470 pages give it more space to stretch out with the history of key musicals and the historical context behind them, or add significant trends such as revivals. What makes the book easy to pick up from the coffee table are the many subheads, the photographs (e.g., Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady) and poster art, and the sidebars and supplemental features. Occupying a page or two, the sidebars delve into such topics as original cast albums or shows that were glossed over or ignored in the series, such as Gypsy and 1776. A particularly effective use of the text is reprinting the lyrics of certain songs, examining the structure of "Soliloquy," providing historical annotations for "You're the Top," and illustrating "Broadway Baby" with pictures of Ethel Schulte on stage in Follies and 50 years earlier. Archive sections offer vintage essays from key figures (Sondheim on Kern, Hart on Rodgers), and Who's Who blurbs spotlight performers or creators (Fanny Brice, Barbara Cook, Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald). While Broadway: The American Musical can't compete with more encyclopedic work on the subject, it's an enjoyable and worthwhile reference overall, and does provide a year-by-year list of significant shows, a selected bibliography, and maps of the theater district ca. 1928 and 2001. --David Horiuchi

From Publishers Weekly

Those critics and theatergoers who have for some time lamented the death of the Broadway musical can take heart: thanks to this glorious paean, the hills are once again alive with the sound of music—and much more. Though this nostalgia-laden tome is designed as a companion book to a forthcoming PBS series, it stands on its own as a particularly striking and comprehensive take on a uniquely American art form. The copious illustrations alone are worth "the price of admission," as history unfolds through archival and contemporary photos (Fred and Adele Astaire in 1924; Tommy Tune swooning over Twiggy in 1983's My One and Only); sheet music covers (the Prohibition-era ditty, "How Are You Going to Wet Your Whistle When the Whole Darn World Goes Dry?"); and vibrant photographic spreads (Paul Robeson in a 1928 production of Showboat; Patty Lupone in Evita).The meticulously researched text spans the years 1893 to 2004 in six information-packed chapters, each of which opens with a "Who's Who"—brief vignettes about the period's most celebrated personalities—and is followed by a "Broadway and" section, which covers, depending on the chapter's time frame, such topics as Tin Pan Alley, radio, Hollywood, original cast albums, etc. "Spotlight on" examines a significant musical of the period (from The Follies of 1919 to Sunday in the Park with George). The chapters conclude with especially interesting "Archives" segments—essays by theater veterans past and present. Even the book's endpapers reflect Broadway's evolution: both are photos of the theater district's famed Shubert Alley, but theater posters indicate that the first shot is circa 1962, the second is 2004. And, just as in real life, everything on Broadway that's old is new again. The current blockbuster Wicked (based on Gregory Maguire's novel twist on The Wizard of Oz) and 1975's African-American version, The Wiz? Old news: Broadway audiences saw this classic's first musicalization in 1904. And those recent strikes by Actors Equity that have more than once threatened to close down the Great White Way? Nothing new there: the first Equity pickets were brandished in 1919.With its beguiling blend of entertainment and history, this splendid work is a must-have, whether you're a musical-comedy devotee (i.e., you know that Barbara Cook's Broadway debut was in 1951's Flahooley) or a neophyte (you're not sure who Barbara Cook is).
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch; First edition (October 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821229052
• ISBN-13: 978-0821229057
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 1.5 x 11.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give My Regards to Broadway!, December 25, 2004

By 

Janan Neilson "brockilly" (Burley, Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Broadway: The American Musical (Hardcover)

I was in Barnes and Noble and had watched Broadway the American Musical the week before, I saw this on the shelf and started leafing through it. Before long I had to take the thing home.

I took it to the counter and the lady asked if it was a gift for somebody I knew, and I said "Heavens No!, this is for me!" She asked if I was going to go see The Phantom of the Opera (the movie) when it came to theaters, and I said "Are you kidding me?! of course" and because she was a Broadway buff too, we had a wonderful little conversation about our enduring love for musicals, it was "Loverly" to say the least.

Now about this stunning book.

Each chapter contains all of the following-

1. A Spotlight on a musical that revolutionized theater in some way, or defined the times in which it was created. The surounding shows are described, and their beloved artist as well.

2. Handfulls of biographies on the directors, producers, writers, composers, performers, and stars, that were most influential in their time on the Broadway stage.

3. Excerpts from some of the most popular songs or influential show scripts are included.

4. Pages of archives filled with commentary by artists on other artists, on choreographers, directors, producers, writers, and so on.

5. To top it all off! Each chapter is filled to the brim with pictures from the shows, and artist, that shaped Broadway, and revolutionized musical theater until the year of Wicked and Avenue Q.

There is a beautiful page called EXIT MUSIC which closes the book, leaving any Broadway fan in tears, I myself was no exception.

I did notice that, for the most part, the musicals that got more attention were not the ones that made lots of money, they were the shows that were more influential in changing the content of musical theater, as a result of this Stephen Sondheim gets more attention than say, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who caters more to popular music.

The latter parts of the book do talk a lot about Cameron Mackintosh's influence of helping to move Broadway into the modern world of business.

The Gay influence is talked about some, in the small section on La Cage Aux Folles, although it is not capitalized on.

There is one thing that really thrills me about this book. We know from experience, with few exceptions, that movie musicals slaughter their Broadway roots.
Some examples of film musicals of which Broadway fans disagree with their film adaptions are.
Damn Yankees, On the Town, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, Camelot, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, Mame, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Sound of Music, Annie, Evita, Chicago, and yes, The Phantom of the Opera.

Despite the dazzle of movie sets, filming, costumes, and even dances, these films have either featured stars who were not suitable to their roles, (this is embarrassingly true in certain cases, might I mention Camelot), or did not feature the complete score(A Funny Thing...), or the score was cut to pieces to feature other less worthy songs (Damn Yankees). Either way, in all the movie musicals above, changes were made, either songs were cut, or original stars were removed, but in this book we are back to the original versions of each musical, where the scores are complete, where Julie Andrews plays Eliza (My Fair Lady) and Guenevere (Camelot), where Michael Crawford is the Phantom of the Opera, among other legendary performers that films cannot push into the shadows. I think it is fabulous that there is a record of these great stage performances, accompanied by color rich photographs and commentary, justice has been served.

In the back of the book is a map of Broadway in 1928, and a map of the current Broadway next to it.

The other great thing in the back of the book is that there are lists of musicals season by season, the ones that won Tony for best musical are highlighted in red, to show what has been going on in Broadway.

There is a memorial page for Al Hirschfeld, who passed away a year or so ago.
Four pages are dedicated to the 9/11 victims; two of these pages are a double page spread of 42nd street with some of Broadway's greatest stars and complete casts showing their affection for the "Great White Way" after the 9/11 tragedy.

There is a section on The Producers, Miss Saigon, Wicked, Rent, The Lion King, Les Mise'rables, Aida, not to mention the beginning years of this entertainment capital.
Everything I can possibly think of is in here.

If there is any Broadway book to own,
look no further,
THIS IS IT.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Companion volume to the six-part PBS series, January 4, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Broadway: The American Musical (Hardcover)

Plenty of books have been written on Broadway history and productions before: so what makes Michael Kantor and Laurence Maslon's Broadway: The American Musical stand out? Perhaps it's the in- depth color illustration packed into every page of this coverage of Broadway's musical heritage and history, or it's in-depth analysis of Broadway's influence as a cultural force through the decades. Or maybe it's the inclusion of not only Broadway show photos but posters, music covers, production stills and rehearsal shots. Or maybe it's in-depth narratives and handy sidebars highlighting the major stars. All these factors earn Broadway: The American Musical an important role as the companion volume to the six-part PBS series of the same name. All of this sets the volume high above competitors.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, March 4, 2006

By 

M. Good "GoodMuzic" (OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Broadway: The American Musical (Hardcover)

If you're into theatre, this book is a must-have! You won't find any other book that gives you such a detailed and accurate history of Musical Theatre. The pictures are great and the reading is outstanding!