I'm the Greatest Star: Broadway's Top Musical Legends from 1900 to Today [Hardcover]

Robert Viagas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2009

Here is the first major survey of Broadway musical theatre stars, telling the life stories of 40 stage luminaries from Al Jolson, Fanny Brice, and Gwen Verdon, to Nathan Lane, Patti Lupone, and Audra McDonald. Author Robert Viagas describes each star's most important stage roles as well as the triumphant, tragic, inspiring, and cautionary tales of how they achieved - and maintained - their status as top Broadway stars.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert Viagas (Mamaroneck, NY) is the founding editor of Playbill.com, host and program director of Playbill Radio, founding editor of The Playbill Broadway Yearbook (978-1-55783-732-5) series, editor of Louis Botto's At This Theatre, and author of numerous theatre books including The Alchemy of Theatre and On the Line: The Creation of "A Chorus Line."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Applause Books (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557837279
• ISBN-13: 978-1557837271
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,052,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A missed opportunity, October 23, 2009

By 

Rodney R. Jones (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: I'm the Greatest Star: Broadway's Top Musical Legends from 1900 to Today (Hardcover)

I was so looking forward to this great title. There are not many books out there solely devoted to details about Broadway musical stars of the past and present.

The stars covered by the author are numerous and the reason for choosing each performer is clearly explained. I cannot comment on the details about the stars. I am not an historical expert but simply a devoted fan of the Broadway musical. The insights into the professional careers and personal life of each performer is to be commended. The detail is just enough to wet the appetite and make one go searching for more details using other technology.

What disappointed about the book was the use of only one black and white photograph for each performer and the numerous blank pages which could have been used to expand the pictorial exposure of some stars. Even some colour photographs would have enhanced the total impact of this worthwhile venture.

While not being an historical expert on the details concerning the stars, there appear to be some glaring errors in detail even to this non-expert reader. On page 38 it refers to the film "The Jolson Story" starring "Bert" Parks. Wasn't his name Larry? In the chapter on Fanny Brice it states that Barbra Streisand sang the Brice song "My Man" in the "Funny Girl" film sequel "Funny Lady". Actually she sang the song at the end of the first movie "Funny Girl".

There are numerous typographical/spell check errors throughout the text indicating a poor editing process. It seems the whole project was rushed to print without the proper attention to detail and checking needed to make an outstanding contribution to this most worthwhile topic.

Still, despite the errors this is still a book worth having for those fans who appreciate the Broadway tradition and the life of its stars from 1900 to today. I hope the author will correct the errors for any new updated edition in the years to come.

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm The Greatest Star, Robert Viagas, October 9, 2011

By 

F. Cronin "book lover" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I'm the Greatest Star: Broadway's Top Musical Legends from 1900 to Today (Hardcover)

This is a great book and wonderful for research on the theatre :) I would recommend it to anyone who has a love affair with the great musicals of Broadway. Robert Viagas does a slammin' job!