This reference traces in fascinating detail the exceptionally long career of Helen Hayes, the "First Lady of the American Theatre." In addition to a biography of the actress, which charts the development of her unique talent and the successes and tragedies of her personal life, the book supplies a chronology which provides quick access to the major events which shaped both her character and her career. In sections devoted individually to Stage, Film, Television, and Radio, the actress' work in each of these media is charted. Cast lists, plot synopses, reviews, and commentary bring vivid immediacy to these records. Additional material in the Appendices provides information on her aural/video recordings as well as her stunning list of Awards and Honors. Included is the program from a gala salute to her 50th Anniversary on the stage. A detailed index concludes the work.

In this unprecedented volume, Professor Thomas Hagood brings together the voices of key dance educators to express their views on the legacy of dance education. The book examines the values and practices dance educators live with, and what values and practices they take forward to promote or even retool and reinvent in their professional work. The book also engages in discussions of the people who embody (or have embodied) the values and practices the dance education field takes ownership of. Through working with and being exposed to teachers in the dance field, the editor and his contributors express how their learning and professional development has been inspired and shaped by their interactions with their mentors. It follows that legacy is important territory for dancers to consider as educators and as people. Such deep discussion of legacy in educational dance is not widely evidenced in existing literature. Since it is not an easy nor simple task to inventory what dance educators have absorbed from mentors with an objective or analytically aware eye, this book will serve well to expand this discussion. Critical assessment in dance education is also challenged by the fact that the field itself is very young. In analyzing legacy, the book interestingly shows that the mentors discussed may well be about people who are still very much alive. The book also addresses how dance is so culturally challenged by archetypal notions of who practices it, as well as its educational value and worth. The book presents dance scholars with many opportunities to learn new dimensions of dance history, to reflect on practices both old and new, to appreciate the values that shape their work in danceeducation, to get to know people who may not appear in the historic record, to revisit the gifts of those whom they may consider giants in the field have left, to consider the landscape of dance education as it has been shaped over time. The inclusion of the voices and contributions of some of the fields most prominent dance educators in this book and the critical issues they discuss make this book a must for every dance collection.

Elizabeth Grant has stood at the helm of her beauty empire for more than sixty years, regaling admirers with personal stories, notably one event that nearly killed her. When a German rocket dropped soundlessly from the sky on a peaceful Sunday in wartime London, its impact and resultant bomb blast damage took her down, damaged her face and rendered her almost deaf in one ear. A young makeup artist at Ellstree Studios, she thought herself so repulsively scarred, she could no longer face acting luminaries like Vivien Leigh, Margaret Leighton, and Robert Taylor with any degree of confidence. "I honestly thought my life was over," Elizabeth says. But as readers will learn, she easily has more than nine lives. From that misfortune came salvation. With Elizabeth you will sense a wealth of wisdom and experience lurking beneath her self-deprecating wit. A more profound history - one that had lain hidden for decades - was waiting to be unearthed. Revealing the multiple sides of Elizabeth was a painstaking labour of love, and one of our most rewarding journeys. Little by little, she emerged from self-imposed shadows with shocking and disturbing accounts of her nightmarish childhood. Years of abuse and neglect had spawned crushing self-doubt, yet she soldiered on, nursing a remarkable will to survive at any cost - even daring to reach for the unreachable. The Elizabeth Grant story spins a cinematic voyage on three continents, through Heaven and Hell. Compelling, tragic, wistful and humourous, it charts a unique woman's determination to overcome every boulder in her path. Her survival is a raw and powerful testament to human perseverance and her ultimate success provides inspiration that transcends time.

It was a magical romance... From the very moment these two souls united, a unique and radiant harmony was captured between them. Each and every enchanted day they shared with one another, ended in an array of beautiful memories, filled with song, laughter, and playful dreams. This love, so perfect and true, could have only been a gift from above. But with heaven comes hell... And when the demons of Capri Spectro's past refused to release their wicked grip from her life, it slowly suffocated this angelic love. Those dark shadows would ultimately consume the light in Gentry's eyes, casting Capri's angel away into a mysterious realm of uncertainty. He would escape with her heart in his hands, and leave behind only one hope...That he may one day return... What would become of Capri in the days that followed is where this twisted journey unfolds, for with this loss also came an unbearable reality. The burden of a painful past now weighed more heavily upon her than ever before. In a world where punishment looms in the dark storm clouds above and tears have a way of flooding the imagination, those who are sinking, may instead feel, like they are sailing. During this slow downward spiral into madness, Capri transformed into Eve, and believed wholeheartedly in her life or death pact with the Big Man upstairs. Fueled by her childhood dream of marrying John Lennon, and chasing after what appeared to be an impossible miracle, Capri began walking the tightrope of insanity, in pure certainty. Trapped in this bizarre and brokenhearted world of illusion, would the long and winding road to freedom ever reveal itself...or would Capri die trying to find it...

In his memoir, Dr. George E. Allen looks back at a career spanning more than five decades of teaching music to Philadelphia students. Early on in life, he learned about many styles of music, and he took his love of the art to college, where he earned multiple degrees before joining the Philadelphia School District. There, he earned the respect of students, fellow music teachers, and music administrators. It wasn't easy, but he did it his way and enjoyed positive results. He inspired the same type of dogged effort in his students, relying on a phrase that he placed at the beginning of all his syllabi: "It is better to know than to think you know." He first heard that on the phone from Ellis Marsalis, the father of jazz musician Wynton and a well-known musician in his own right. Allen adopted the phrase as one of his own mantras, never allowing his students to say "I think" or "I can't." Whether you are someone who loves music, an education professional, or someone thinking about becoming a teacher, you can find inspiration in Allen's love for music, education, and his students. It was time for me to begin serious work on writing about my experience as a music educator in Philadelphia because I did it differently with satisfying results.

Cursum Perficio is the name of Marilyn Monroe's last home. "Cursum Perficio," the book, is author Gary Vitacco-Robles' exploration of Marilyn's last home as a touchstone to her brief and extraordinary life.

A definitive testament of Marilyn Monroe's modest nature, simple tastes and spirituality was her selection of a house in which to settle at age 35. The Spanish Colonial hacienda symbolizes Marilyn's unfulfilled dreams and unfinished life. The Latin inscription on the tiles adorning the front doorstep, Cursum Perficio (translating to "My journey ends"), prophesied the screen goddess' death in the home in 1962.

"Cursum Perficio" invites us inside Marilyn's private life through 120 illustrations and previously unpublished photos of her hacienda and its contents. See the interior, Marilyn's art and decorations purchased on a shopping spree in Mexico, and the furniture delivered days before her death. Vitacco-Robles reveals the events during Marilyn's last months, her daily routine, and her random acts of kindness.

"Cursum Perficio" is not a sensational exploitation of Marilyn Monroe but a celebration of the human being behind the legend. It is a rare and refreshing exploration for the most devout fan and an insightful introduction for those just discovering this enduring icon of the Twentieth Century. This expanded second edition contains added chapters and new images by Brandon Heidrick.

THE DIVA AND I combines old world charm with glamour, travel and humor. Essentially, a love story, it depicts the author's life with beautiful Metropolitan Opera star, Patrice Munsel. Two extraordinary people, the story has all the elements of a Hollywood plot. Mr. Schuler's memories and descriptions of his childhood and his eccentric extended family is a charming portrait of a long forgotten era reminiscent of a Mark Twain novel. His chapters on California and New York leave the reader wanting for more and when he meets and marries the already famous Patrice Munsel, the book becomes extremely interesting. Their marriage, and her fabulous career, plus their adventures all over the world with their children is really the core of the book. The story has everything ...humor, adventure, suspense (they were in danger many times) but it also has an element of sadness. When he tells the story of the heartbreak they experienced struggling to keep their son and daughter alive after both were born prematurely, plus the deaths of each one's parents, one can only admire the courage and deep love that helped them through these ordeals. Filled with celebrity anecdotes the book would make a great gift for anyone.

Written with humour and honesty with interesting content on every page. It is a "must" for all ages especially those interested in Show business. The foreword written by Phil Collins, former pupil is of especial interest

This, the second edition, was significantly revised and expanded. It incorporates a substantial amount of new material - notably three sections on the operas Hugh the Drover, Sir John in Love and The Poisoned Kiss. Also Wilfrid inserted into the final chapter A Double Man's Last Harvest, an account of the late A minor sonata for violin and piano.

In August 1970 Elton John achieved overnight fame after a rousing performance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles; over the next five years he was unstoppable, scoring seven consecutive number 1 albums and sixteen Top 10 singles in America. But behind his outre image and comedy glasses lay a desperately shy individual, conflicted about his success, his sexuality, and his narcotic indulgences. In 1975, at the apex of his fame, John attempted suicide twice yet, after announcing his retirement in 1977 at the age of thirty as well as coming out as a gay man, he gradually found his way back to music. Captain Fantastic is an intimate look at the rise, fall and rise again of John's fame-and-drug fuelled decade, with a final section bringing his life up to the present.

When Julia Child arrived in Paris in 1948, 'a six-foot-two-inch, thirty-six-year-old, rather loud and unserious Californian', she barely spoke a word of French and didn't know the first thing about cooking. As she fell in love with French culture - buying food at local markets, sampling the local bistros, and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu - her life began to change forever. We follow her extraordinary transformation from kitchen ingenue to internationally renowned (and internationally loved) expert in French cuisine. Bursting with Child's adventurous and humorous spirit, My Life in France captures post-war Paris with wonderful vividness and charm.