Customer Reviews

The Virgin Encyclopedia of Stage and Film Musicals (Virgin Encyclopedia Series)

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The Virgin Encyclopedia of Stage & Film Musicals is, of course, an excellent work. The merging of the earlier two (Guinness) Who's Who:s of Stage/Film Musicals is a good decision, since for example we don't have to look in vain, as we did in the Guinness Who's Who in Film Musicals for entries on Hair and Grease. The added discographical and bibliographical data more than doubles the value of some entries. The book is destined to give help and happiness to many. The backside review quote, however, from The Times, promises "A work of almost frighteningly completeness". If it is so, I do need to complain: I very much lack biographical entries on Shirley MacLaine and Ann-Margret. The fact that the two ladies abandoned musicals for dramatic roles doesn't disqualify, does it? And what about these not so successful or well made musicals, that still are purchased on CD and may be discussed in many a "Lost Musicals" forum - Happy Hunting, Prettybelle, Bajour, Tovarich, Walking Happy, Fade Out Fade In, Darling Lili (movie) - with wonderful singularities in them, don't they deserve at least a small entry? Two more remarks: Why this concentration on things Anglo-American? Mightn't an "encyclopedia" at least mention Les Parapluies de Cherbourg or the German film musical business in the thirties or the Indian Bollywood musicals? And, while discussing additions, I strongly suggest the cutting of Isham, Jarre, Korngold and other composers of music to dramatic films. What do those have to do with musicals? Apart from that, a perfect book. Johan Franzon, Finland

No single volume could truly be "fighteningly complete," but this is a badly needed up-to-date resource on musical theatre and film. The Stanley Green 2 volume work dates back more than a decade -- this one fills in the gaps.