Customer Reviews

Rebels with Applause: Broadway's Groundbreaking Musicals

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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.

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.

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.

Especially if you wish to compose for the theatre, but also if you're directing or acting one of the musicals included here (and he has other excellent books like this one, too) you will learn and understand so much more after reading this book.
It's just great!

Scott Miller's latest book is once again a very good reference for musical theatre professionals and enthusiasts. However, his previous books, "Deconstructing Harold Hill" and "From Assassins To West Side Story" were much better reads and provided much more insight on their topics.

The reason seems to be that Miller, this time around, has chosen some rather odd choices to include in his list of musicals to review. Why something as odd as THE BALLAD OF LITTLE MIKEY and not a classic like FOLLIES? (which he has yet to tackle) Why SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD and JACQUES BREL? (two musical reviews with little or no book)

While I understand his need to address different kinds of musicals, from the review-sicals to the full book shows, I really wish he'd stick to examining the most produced and more classic shows of the genre.

That being said, his analysises of RENT and OKLAHOMA are first rate.