Rebels with Applause: Broadway's Groundbreaking Musicals [Paperback]

Scott Miller (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0325003572 | ISBN-13: 978-0325003573 | Publication Date: July 31, 2001

Scott Miller once again pulls back the curtain on some of the greatest, most important American musicals, taking you on a mind-blowing tour of the milestones in the history of musical theatre. These are musicals that broke all the old rules and created new ones, and changed the way we looked at musical theatre forever:

• the savage political satire of The Cradle Will Rock in 1937
• the surprisingly dark sexuality of Pal Joey in 1940
• the profound innovations of Oklahoma! in 1943
• the absurdist social satire of Anyone Can Whistle in 1964
• the convention-shattering experiment that was Hair in 1967
• the intimacy and emotional power of Jacques Brel in 1968
• the provocative honesty of the gay-themed Ballad of Little Mikey in 1994
• the abstract sophistication of the jazz/pop/R&B-flavored Songs for a New World in 1995
• the emotional immensity of the "anti-spectacle" Floyd Collins in 1995
• the overwhelming influence of the 1996 rock musical Rent.

Offering insightful, provocative opinions on character, plot, musical and textual themes, lyrics, subtext, motivation, backstory, and historical context, Miller reveals astonishing new details about what makes each one of these musicals great. He'll get you thinking and talking about these shows like you never have before.

Visit Scott's website at http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/3164/.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A book for all fans of musical theatre and a must for directors and actors." --The Drama Book Shop

"Miller makes no apology for allowing his own social and political views to influence the discussion of each of his subjects. In fact, it is these highly informed yet robust opinions that are the appeal of his work." --CultureVulture.com

“As he did in Deconstructing Harold Hill and From Assassins to West Side Story, Scott Miller, with this delightful entry, once again pulls back the curtain on some of the greatest, most important musicals in the history of musical theater. Miller focuses on shows that have truly changed the genre, moving in chronological order from 1937's The Cradle Will Rock to 1996's Rent, and including Off-Broadway hits not included in other books. In the process, he focuses on musicals as theater - real shows being put on with live performances - rather than literature - and demonstrates why musical theatre still remains a vital and vibrant living art form. Miller's opinions are occasionally provocative, and wholly engaging, written from the perspective of a director and a performer. Anyone with an interest in musical theater will be fascinated with Miller's latest work, and the serious aficionado will find new insights to ponder. Above all, this mesmerizing new book will have you thinking and talking about the”–Stage and Screen Book Club

From the Inside Flap

Scott Miller once again pulls back the curtain on some of the greatest, most important American musicals, taking you on a mind-blowing tour of the milestones in the history of musical theatre. These are the musicals that broke all the old rules and created new ones, and changed the way we look at musical theatre forever: the savage political satire of The Cradle Will Rock (1937); the surprisingly dark sexuality of Pal Joey (1940); the profound innovations of Oklahoma! (1943); the absurdist social satire of Anyone Can Whistle (1964); the convention-shattering experiment that was Hair (1967); the intimacy and emotinoal power of Jacques Brel (1968); the provocative honesty of the gay-themed Ballad of Little Mikey (1994); the abstract sophistication of the jazz/pop/R&B-flavored Songs for a New World (1995); the emotional intensity of the "anit-spectacle" Floyd Collins (1995); and the overwhelming influence of the 1996 rock musical Rent.

Offering insightful, provocative opinions on character, plot, musical and textual themes, lyrics, subtext, motivation, backstory, and historical context, Miller reveals astonishing new details about what makes each one of these muiscals great. He'll get you thinking about these shows like you never have before.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann Drama (July 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0325003572
• ISBN-13: 978-0325003573
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Scott Miller is the founder and artistic director of New Line Theatre, an alternative musical theatre company he established in 1991 in St. Louis, at the vanguard of a new wave of nonprofit musical theatre being born across the country during the early 1990s, offering an alternative to the commercial musical theatre of New York and Broadway tours. He has been working in musical theatre since 1978 and has been directing musicals since 1981. He has written the book, music, and lyrics for nine musicals and two plays. His play Head Games has enjoyed runs in St. Louis, Los Angeles, London, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland; and his last musical, Johnny Appleweed, was nominated for four Kevin Kline Awards. He has written six books about musical theatre, From Assassins to West Side Story; Deconstructing Harold Hill; Rebels with Applause; Let the Sun Shine In: The Genius of HAIR; Strike Up the Band: A New History of Musical Theatre; and Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and Musicals. He has also written chapters for several other collections of musical theatre essays. He has written for several national theatre magazines and websites, and he has composed music for television and radio. He co-hosts, with Deborah Sharn, "Break a Leg - Theatre in St. Louis and Beyond," a weekly theatre talk show on KDHX-FM in St. Louis. Miller holds a degree in music and musical theatre from Harvard University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, just like his others, September 29, 2001

By 

"coffeeclubx" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rebels with Applause: Broadway's Groundbreaking Musicals (Paperback)

I just got my copy of this remarkable book yesterday and have already read it cover to cover. I keep thinking I know it all, as a New York theatre professional, and Miller keeps proving me wrong. Like the other books in Miller's series, this one is a highly valuable tool for theatre professionals like me but also, I'd guess, a great gift to theatre fans who'd just like to know more about their favorite shows. And what a great list of shows, from classics like Pal Joey and Oklahoma to modern gems like Songs for a New World and Floyd Collins. This guy sure knows his musicals. No theatre library is complete without this book and Miller's other two, Assassins to West Side Story and Deconstructing Harold Hill.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing read for any and all fans of Music Theatre!, November 8, 2009

By 

James Simmons - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rebels with Applause: Broadway's Groundbreaking Musicals (Paperback)

I myself am currently in college, working on a Bachelor's in Music Education. I am hoping to direct musicals at whatever high school I am employed at, and this book along with his others provide an invaluable resource for any director, or performer. Top notch analysis from someone who obvioudly loves the material he is writing about.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book, Great Choice of Shows, December 13, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rebels with Applause: Broadway's Groundbreaking Musicals (Paperback)

His other books, Deconstructing Harold Hill and From Assassins to West Side Story are wonderful books, but this one does more than the others, it focuses on shows that broke rules, and it relates them all to each other, talks about how The Cradle Will Rock led to Hair and Rent, how little known shows like The Ballad of Little Mikey moved the art form forward. It also covers two shows by future writing stars of musical theatre, Adam Guettel and Jason Robert Brown, giving us sort of a preview of what's ahead for the art form. And it also contains two major classics, Pal Joey and Oklahoma. The back cover says it's a tour of ground-breaking musicals and that's really what it is, you get to see how the art form changed over time, and it's arranged chronologically to make that even more clear. This is a great read, as much fun and as conversational as the other books, but even more insightful about the art form of musical theatre. Also, the author apparently expanded the chapter on Hair into a full-length book which I have not read but I intend to.