No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance: A History of the American Musical Theater (Paperback)

by Sheldon Patinkin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Written by one of American theater's most avid and knowledgeable proponents, No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance traces the American musical from its rich and varied beginnings in European opera, American minstrel shows, and vaudeville through its many permutations to its current state--from, as Sheldon Patinkin puts it, La Boheme to Rent. Minstrelsy, burlesque, revue, dance, and choreographers, the of musical theater so often overlooked by its historians, finally receive due consideration in this thorough and thoroughly entertaining book about how American musical theater came to be and developed into what it is today.

Patinkin writes about the infancy of the musical--the revues, operettas, and early musical comedies, as well as the groundbreaking shows like Oklahoma!, and Show Boat that brought the form to its golden age during World War II. With insightful references to how history, literature, theater, fashion, popular music, and movies influenced musical theater generally and certain shows in particular, he traces a direct lineage from older forms to contemporary musicals. The result is a broad, clear, and detailed picture of American musicals within both an aesthetic and a historical context. Patinkin conveys the pleasure of the ever-changing forms of musical theater even as he gives readers the analytical tools and terms to understand and better appreciate this uniquely American art. The book features a selection of black and white photographs from historical musical productions, and each chapter includes suggestions for materials to watch and listen to at home or in the classroom.

About the Author
Sheldon Patinkin is chair of the Theater Department of Columbia College in Chicago, artistic director of the Getz Theater of Columbia College, artistic consultant for Second City and Steppenwolf Theatre, and co-director of the Steppenwolf Theatre Summer Ensemble Workshops. He has directed more than one hundred plays, musicals, operas, and revues throughout the United States and around the world. In 2002 Patinkin was the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from both the Chicago Improv Festival and the Israeli Film Festival. He is the author of The Second City: Backstage at the World's Greatest Comedy Theater (Sourcebooks, 2000).

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Northwestern University Press; 1 edition (May 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810119943
• ISBN-13: 978-0810119949
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #792,812 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Opus..., July 21, 2008

By	Robert A. Schaefer (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you ever had a question about something related to the world of musical theatre the answer can be found in this little book. Actually, its not a little book at all but that is because Sheldon Patinkin goes into such historical depth which allows the reader to fully understand the importance of the subject matter. This book is a must read for musical theatre buffs as well as students interested in music. As a special education teacher I plan on using some of the valuable historical world facts found in No Jokes, No Legs, No Chance with my students as a means of furthering their understanding of how America developed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars PROOFREAD- WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO EDITORS?, April 29, 2009

By	A. Gift For You (baltimore, md United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

On page 416, Mr P writes that in 1971, writer Sam Spewack, producer Leland Hayward and funny girl Fanny Brice died. I am not sure of the exact date, but its a well documented fact that Ms. Brice died about 20 years before 1971.

On page 429, he writes that Tony Curtis sang and danced for the first time in his career in a tour of Some Like it Hot, but in 1954, Mr. Curtis sang and danced in So this is Paris. A musical.

Then toward the end, he seems a bit rushed while discussing the 2006-2007 season. He wrote that the Color Purple lost the Tony to The Drowsy Chaperone. But The Color Purple WASNT nominated for Best Musical and The Drowsy Chaperone lost the Tony to Jersey Boys

I hesitate to buy books anymore because of this growing trend of inaccuracies, misspelled words, etc.

5.0 out of 5 stars a great introduction to the field, and then some, January 16, 2009

By	Jeffrey Sweet "Jeffrey Sweet" (NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sheldon Patinkin has long been one of the key figures in the Chicago theatre movement. Half the people you've heard of who've come out of Chicago have worked with him in one way or another (many at Steppenwolf and Second City), including the multitude of students at Columbia College where he taught a course in musical theatre history that is the basis of this enormously useful book. As one would expect, there are paragraphs on the key works. But the material that I find particularly useful describes the social and historical context out of which these works arose.