City of Angels (Applause Musical Library) (Paperback)

~ Larry Gelbart (Author), (Author), David Zippel (Author) "In the late 1940's, I collaborated on a short-lived (four performances), long-forgotten revue for the Los Angeles stage called My L.A..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Alaura Kingsley, City of Angels (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The script to the Tony winning music featuring a book by Larry Gelbart, music by Cy Coleman, and lyrics by David Zippel. The book also includes an introduction by Larry Gelbart, illustrations by Al Hirschfeld, production photographs, and original costume designs. Paperback

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Applause Books; illustrated edition edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557830819
• ISBN-13: 978-1557830814
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #563,546 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any Musical Theatre fan, January 4, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City of Angels (The Applause Musical Library) (Hardcover)

Not to be confused with the recent Cage/Ryan flick, this book is the libretto of a little-known musical with music by Cy Coleman ("Sweet Charity", "The Life"), book by Larry Gelbart ("A Funny Thing...", "Tootsie"), and lyrics by David Zippel (Disney's "Hercules" and "Mulan"). "City of Angels" won the 1989 Tony Award for Best Musical and is the story of a detective novelist named Stine and the perils he encounters while trying to adapt his novels for the silver screen. In the play, scenes about Stine (in color) are juxtaposed with scenes about his private-eye creation, Stone (in black and white). Besides building some genuine film noir detective-mystery suspense, the musical offers an insightful commentary on how art imitates life, and vice versa. Unfortunately, one misses out on the marvelous jazz-infected music that accompanies the adventures of Stine and Stone if one merely reads the libretto, so grab a copy of one of the cast recordings (Broadway or London) as well!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the funniest musicals on Broadway in years!, July 26, 2000

By	Matthew Murray (New York City, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: City of Angels (The Applause Musical Library) (Hardcover)

When City of Angels premiered on Broadway in 1989, it ran for fewer than 1000 performances. When you read this libretto, which you absolutely must do if you like musical theatre at all, you'll wonder why it isn't running today. The book is full of wit, and is incredibly funny and biting as it satirizes Hollywood movie-making. The stage directions keep you fully abreast of what's going on (even if you've never seen a show), and they allow you to easily keep track of where the action is happening. The only thing missing from this wonderful volume is, of course, the great music that goes with the song. All the more reason to buy the OCR of the show and listen to it at the same time! City of Angels is a great musical, and one you'll enjoy reading (and listening to!) time and time again.

5.0 out of 5 stars City of Angels - script of the musical, January 15, 2007

By	Ceri A. Creffield (Wales) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An outstanding script from an outstanding musical.

When I saw it in London many years ago, the production's days were already numbered, even though the house was packed and the audience in raptures. I could not understand why it was not a massive hit. I still can't.

I already had a cd of the music; it's good to relive the twists and turns of the plot and the hard-boiled wisecracks.

If you never saw it on stage, you really missed out. A must for fans of detective fiction, film noir or just good music.