The Cambridge Companion to the Musical (Cambridge Companions to Music) [Paperback]

William A. Everett (Editor), Paul R. Laird (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0521796393 | ISBN-13: 978-0521796392

This Companion is an accessible survey of one of the most popular forms of musical performance. Written especially for students and theatergoers, it offers a guide to the history and development of the musical in England and America, and worldwide. Starting with the early history of the musical, the volume examines the latest works and innovations, and includes information on the singers, audience and critical reception, and traditions. The book contains a chronology, reading lists and photos from key productions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is a work of considerable genius ... intelligent, incisive, informed yet immensely readable.' Sheridan Morley

'... if you need one book on musical theatre, make it this one.' Music Teacher

Book Description

An accessible survey of one of the liveliest and most popular forms of musical performance. Written especially for students and theatregoers, the Companion will offer a guide to the history and development of the musical in England and America, as well as around the world. Starting with the early history of the musical, the volume comes right up to date and examines the latest works and innovations, and includes information on the singers, audience and critical reception, and traditions. Contains a chronology, reading lists and photos from key productions.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (December 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521796393
• ISBN-13: 978-0521796392
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,014,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to a vast subject, March 23, 2003

By 

F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cambridge Companion to the Musical (Cambridge Companions to Music) (Paperback)

Although my shelves are loaded with histories of the Broadway musical, there is always room for one more. So I really looked forward to reading "The Cambridge Companion to The Musical" (Cambridge University Press, 2002). When I saw there were only 265 pages of text (not counting bibliography and index), I doubted that they could adequately cover the field. Soon I began to realize that the "field" included American and British musicals, film musicals and film versions of stage musicals, and even recordings; and I just settled down to enjoy what amounts to a series of essays covering all these fields, none of them adequately but all of them interestingly.

There are fourteen chapters by various writers, organized into three parts. The first deals with "Adaptations and transformations before 1940" and includes essays on the early days of the American musical theatre in general, then in New York, operetta on both sides of the Atlantic, the Afro-American as depicted on stage, and the American musicals of the 1920s and 1930s. Part II covers the years from 1940 to 1970 and discusses the British theatre, Rodgers and Hammerstein, their successors, and Weill and Bernstein. Part III picks up the story with a disproportionately long chapter on Sondheim, the fully integrated musical, the film musical, rock, and the megamusical--which brings us into the present century with a lot of questions yet to be answered by way of projection.

In short, there are plenty of ideas packed into this short book and each one can lead you in several directions if you wish to follow up this or that idea. There are one or two piddling errors, such as calling "Yip Yip Yaphank" an "all-sailor vaudeville"; but in general what is said here is trustworthy, the opinions (mostly positive) about certain works and composers are informed opinions, the organization is very good. The few pictures, however, are not very helpful.

Yes, I would recommend this highly for those who want to begin to understand the complex evolution of the musical play by way of enough examples to form a solid basis before going on to books that deal with each of these topics in more detailed and expanded way.