|
Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Theatre, drama > Musical theatre
The first book to deal exclusively with British musical flops, Must
Close Saturday presents a rolling panorama of the good, the bad and
the ugly, reassessing their place in theatrical history. The
ominous announcement "Must Close Saturday" too often heralded the
demise of British musicals. Looking forward from the vantage point
of Lionel Bart's spectacularly successful Oliver! in 1960, Adrian
Wright's authoritative chronicle of the commercially unsuccessful
British musical of the last half a century uncovers a wealth of
fascinating material. In the wake of the resurgence that briefly
blew through the British musical at the end of the 1950s with
verismo works such as Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be and Expresso
Bongo, the British musical was shaken by Bart's adaptation of
Dickens, but was quickly left floundering in the face of constant
critical complaint and financial failure. The first book to deal
exclusively with British musical flops, Must Close Saturday
presents a rolling panorama of the good, the bad and the ugly,
reassessing their place in theatrical history.Wright reveals a
consistent striving at invention, with subjects including the
electric chair, the Holocaust, the Virgin Mary, social inequality
and Trade Unionism, sexual problems and murder, as well as
biographical treatments of Hollywood stars, French painters, tragic
novelists, royalty, and the Rector of Stiffkey. Discursive and
provoking, Must Close Saturday at last prises open the neglected
history of the British musical flop up to 2016. ADRIAN WRIGHT is
the author of Foreign Country: The Life of L. P. Hartley (1996),
John Lehmann: A Pagan Adventure (1998), The Innumerable Dance: The
Life and Work of William Alwyn (Boydell & Brewer, 2008), the
novel Maroon (2010) and The Voice of Doom (2016). His previous
books on British musical theatre are A Tanner's Worth of Tune:
Rediscovering the Post-War British Musical (Boydell & Brewer,
2010) and West End Broadway: The Golden Age of the American Musical
in London (Boydell & Brewer, 2012). He lives in Norfolk.
The author, a former BBC radio producer, conducted interviews with
many leading British composers of the day, and his account provides
for a unique insight into this often overlooked genre. Based on
Michael Hall's many interviews with leading British composers of
the genre, this book looks at the heyday of the British Music
Theatre in the 1960s and 70s, a period when the author as a BBC
radio producer was actively involved with the contemporary music
scene. Music Theatre - a composite of music, singing, dancing and
speaking distinct from traditional opera and ballet - has its roots
in works by Monteverdi, Schoenberg, Satie, Stravinsky,
Weill,Hindemith and Eisler, but flourished anew in the 1960s, in
America, Britain and Europe. Hall's book presents an account of the
context for the activity of Birtwistle, Goehr and Maxwell Davies;
it uncovers details of little-known early works by other major
figures such as Cardew and Tavener; and it recognises the highly
distinctive contributions of composers whose works are less well
known. Music Theatre in Britain also throws new light upon the
reaction of British composers to the economic and social upheavals
of 'the Sixties', offering a distinct and valuable contribution to
our understanding of the relationship of the post-war musical
avant-garde to social movementsand ideology. Music Theatre in
Britain will be of interest to all those working in the field of
late twentieth-century British music, to students of composition,
and to composers, performers and producers of Music Theatre.
MICHAEL HALL, who died in August 2012, had a long career as a
conductor, founder of Royal Northern Sinfonia, BBC producer and
broadcaster, university lecturer and writer on music.
This joyous and exhilarating musical encounters five very different
couples and a single woman embarking on an exciting journey -- the
women are pregnant. To some this is a welcome surprise, to some a
carefully planned event, to others a cause for worry and confusion.
When the big delivery night arrives, with joy and with sadness,
this musical shines with an understanding of natural development,
never forsaking hope!
This dramatization of the Bible story gives twenty to thirty 7-10
year olds a chance to practise their acting skills. Miming actions
and props and using their voices for songs and sound effects, they
learn how to relax, stand still and work together as a chorus. The
moral lesson of the play won't go amiss either, as the Noah family
battle with hostility and intolerance from Nasty Neighbours to
create the Ark saving themselves and the Animals from the
Flood.-Large flexible cast
This book offers the first full historical treatment of a music
theatre that was once at the center of London's West End. From the
late Victorian period to the early 1920s, musical comedy was the
single most popular form of "legitimate" theatre entertainment.
This lively account establishes musical comedy as one of the first
industrial cultures and offers fascinating insights into how it
functioned ideologically as a celebrated embracing of the modern
condition.
In The Reason to Sing, renowned composer-lyricist and teacher Craig
Carnelia provides musical actors with a step-by-step guide to
making their singing performances more truthful, vivid, and full of
life. Using a technique developed over decades of teaching the
professional community of Broadway actors and students alike, The
Reason to Sing utilizes detailed descriptions of sessions the
author has had with his notable students and lays out a new and
proven approach to help you build your skills, your confidence, and
your career. This book is intended for musical theater acting
students as well as working professionals and teachers of the
craft.
Stephen Sondheim is one of the best-known and most-loved musical
theatre composers, but also one of the most misunderstood, often
being labelled as 'distant' or 'cynical'. Careful the Spell You
Cast instead argues that Sondheim firmly belongs to the Broadway
aspirational tradition, in that many of his characters are defined
by their dreams: to abandon one's dream (as Ben does in Follies,
Frank does in Merrily We Roll Along, and Addison does in Road Show)
is to lose one's soul. Rather than take the established view of
Sondheim as a cynic, this book contends that throughout Sondheim's
work, letting go of one's illusions is a process that his
characters need to go through, that they must cast off illusions
and false dreams, without becoming cynical and destroying their
genuine dreams in the process. In turn this view aligns Sondheim's
work as being aspirational and a logical continuation from the work
of his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II. Following the trajectory of
Sondheim's career, Careful the Spell You Cast shows how Sondheim
has dramatized this process throughout his writing life alongside
different collaborators. From his work as a lyricist with the
musicals Gypsy and West Side Story through to his later
collaborations with Hal Prince (Company, Follies) and James Lapine
(Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George), this book
reframes the established view through lyrical and structural
analysis in relation to the characters within each of these
celebrated works of musical theatre, arguing that Sondheim is, in
the popular sense of the word, a romantic within the tradition of
the Broadway musical.
How to Direct a Musical is a step-by-step guide for anyone interested in creating a musical play. Writing in a style that is informal and accessible, David Young covers all aspects of directing, from initial casting through to dress rehearsals and the first performances. The range is comprehensive, covering choreography and musical direction as well as strictly dramatic theatrical presentation. A uniquely useful feature of the book is a diary that chronicles the decisions and reasoning of the director of a professional production, allowing the reader to examine the creative thought processes involved in bringing a musical to the stage.
The gruesomely fascinating musical about the 'Demon Barber of Fleet
Street', one of Sondheim's greatest hits. From the writing
partnership behind A Little Night Music. Victim of a gross
injustice that robbed him of his wife and child, Sweeney Todd sets
about exacting a terrible revenge on society: slitting the throats
of the customers who visit his barbershop. But things are getting
complicated - a romance has developed with Mrs Lovett, the lady who
runs the pie shop next door, and the disappearances are starting to
cause concern. With the bodies piling up, Sweeney Todd hits upon a
novel idea, and starts passing on his 'patrons' to his homely
neighbour... Meat pie, anyone? Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's
musical Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway in 1979 and in the West End
in 1980. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Olivier Award
for Best New Musical. It has since had numerous revivals as well as
a film adaptation.
Dancer-choreographer-directors Fred Astaire, George Balanchine and
Gene Kelly and their colleagues helped to develop a distinctively
modern American film-dance style and recurring dance genres for the
songs and stories of the American musical. Freely crossing
stylistic and class boundaries, their dances were rooted in the
diverse dance and music cultures of European immigrants and
African-American migrants who mingled in jazz age America. The new
technology of sound cinema let them choreograph and fuse camera
movement, light, and color with dance and music. Preserved intact
for the largest audiences in dance history, their works continue to
influence dance and film around the world. This book centers them
and their colleagues within the history of dance (where their work
has been marginalized) as well as film tracing their development
from Broadway to Hollywood (1924-58) and contextualizing them
within the American history and culture of their era. This modern
style, like the nation in which it developed, was pluralist and
populist. It drew from aspects of the old world and new, "high" and
"low", theatrical and social dance forms, creating new sites for
dance from the living room to the street. A definitive ingredient
was the freer more informal movement and behavior of their jazz-age
generation, which fit with song lyrics that poeticized slangy
American English. The Gershwins, Rodgers and Hart, and others wrote
not only songs but extended dance-driven scores tailored to their
choreography, giving a new prominence to the choreographer and
dancer-actor. This book discuss how these choreographers
collaborated with directors like Vincente Minnelli and Stanley
Donen and cinematographers like Gregg Toland, musicians, dancers,
designers and technicians to synergize music and moving image in
new ways. Eventually, concepts and visual-musical devices derived
from dance-making would give entire films the rhythmic flow and
feeling of dance. Dancing Americans came to be seen around the
world as archetypal embodiments of the free-spirited optimism and
energy of America itself.
"Fun and gossipy." --The Wall Street Journal * "A masterful
history." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) * "Engaging."
--Newsweek A "brisk, insightful, and deliciously detailed take"
(Kirkus Reviews) on a transformative decade on Broadway, featuring
behind-the-scenes accounts of shows such as Rent, Angels in
America, Chicago, The Lion King, and The Producers--shows that
changed the history of the American theater. The 1990s was a decade
of profound change on Broadway. At the dawn of the nineties, the
British invasion of Broadway was in full swing, as musical
spectacles like Les Miserables, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera
dominated the box office. But Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset
Boulevard soon spelled the end of this era and ushered in a new
wave of American musicals, beginning with the ascendance of an
unlikely show by a struggling writer who reimagined Puccini's opera
La Boheme as the smash Broadway show Rent. American musical comedy
made its grand return, culminating in The Producers, while plays,
always an endangered species on Broadway, staged a powerful
comeback with Tony Kushner's Angels in America. A different breed
of producers rose up to challenge the grip theater owners had long
held on Broadway, and corporations began to see how much money
could be made from live theater. And just as Broadway had clawed
its way back into the mainstream of American popular culture, the
September 11 attacks struck fear into the heart of Americans who
thought Times Square might be the next target. But Broadway was
back in business just two days later, buoyed by talented theater
people intent on bringing New Yorkers together and supporting the
economics of an injured city. "Told with all the wit and style
readers could wish for" (Booklist) Michael Riedel presents the
drama behind every mega-hit or shocking flop. From the bitter feuds
to the surprising collaborations, all the intrigue of a
revolutionary era in the Theater District is packed into Singular
Sensation. Broadway has triumphs and disasters, but the show always
goes on.
The story of Joan of Arc's mother, a sensible, hard-working,
God-fearing peasant woman whose faith is upended as she deals with
the baffling journey of her odd and extraordinary daughter. This
riveting play is an epic tale told through an unexpected and
remarkable perspective.
Young Will Shakespeare has writer's block... the deadline for his
new play is fast approaching but he's in desperate need of
inspiration. That is, until he finds his muse - Viola. This
beautiful young woman is Will's greatest admirer and will stop at
nothing (including breaking the law) to appear in his next play.
Against a bustling background of mistaken identity, ruthless
scheming and backstage theatrics, Will's love for Viola quickly
blossoms and inspires him to write his greatest masterpiece.
The innovative new musical that won the 2008 Tony Award for Best
Book and is soon to be a Spike Lee film.TH Smashes Broadway clich
(c)s with an electric guitar and the funniest libretto I can
remember. a ENew YorkETHPassing Strange was nominated for 7 Tony
Awards and won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and Drama
Desk Award for Best Musical.
Although Noel Coward's work as playwright, songwriter and actor has
long been celebrated, his contributions to the British musical have
largely been forgotten. Selected Musical Plays by Noel Coward: A
Critical Anthology rectifies this omission from the musical theatre
landscape, demonstrating how Coward's adaptability, creativity, and
myriad of styles is imitated in the incredible musicals he
authored. From flop shows at Drury Lane with Mary Martin through to
his Broadway hits with Elaine Stritch, this anthology chronicles
the variety of styles written by Coward, from revue to musical
comedy to operetta. The works in this volume provide a contemporary
critical introduction that illustrates the breadth and depth of his
work, and highlighting the diverse identities of the collaborators
and performers with whom he worked. Though the style of these works
varies, they are linked together by his creative thread, and his
ability to craft barbed and witty observations of his social world.
A timely portrait of Coward's oeuvre and its lasting influence on
the wider world of the British musical, Selected Musical Plays by
Noel Coward contains previously unpublished musical plays by a
central figure in theatre history, collected together with critical
apparatus for students, scholars, and fans.
Today's musical theatre world rocks. Now that rock 'n' roll music
and its offshoots, including pop, hard rock, rap, r&b, funk,
folk, and world-pop music, are the standard language of musical
theatre, theatre singers need a source of information on these
styles, their origins, and their performance practices. Rock in the
Musical Theatre: A Guide for Singers fills this need. Today's
musical theatre training programs are now including rock music in
their coursework and rock songs and musicals in their repertoires.
This is a text for those trainees, courses, and productions. It
will also be of great value to working professionals, teachers,
music directors, and coaches less familiar with rock styles, or who
want to improve their rock-related skills. The author, an
experienced music director, vocal coach, and university professor,
and an acknowledged expert on rock music in the theatre, examines
the many aspects of performing rock music in the theatre and offers
practical advice through a combination of aesthetic and theoretical
study, extensive discussions of musical, vocal, and acting
techniques, and chronicles of coaching sessions. The book also
includes advice from working actors, casting directors, and music
directors who specialize in rock music for the stage.
This in-depth and original study examines 100 productions and
analyses why George Abbott's name became synonymous with the
'golden age' of Broadway. What did Abbott contribute? How did he
work? How did he innovate the industry? How did he survive so long?
All of these inquiries, and more, lead to the most fundamental
question of all: what exactly was the famous "Abbott touch"? For
sixty years, George Abbott was a vital force in the American
theatre. As an actor, playwright, director, librettist, play
doctor, and producer, he laid his "touch" on approximately 100 New
York productions, from The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees through to
Once Upon a Mattress and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Forum. Spanning this incredible figure's work chronologically, each
chapter of The Abbott Touch examines a period of creativity in his
life, culminating in how he became the famous multi-hyphenate
artist he is now celebrated as. Beginning with his early career in
1913 through to his work on the 1994 revival of Damn Yankees, this
book analyses his key contributions to his primary works, all of
which have relied on his genius. The first study of its kind, The
Abbott Touch provides key insights into the working life of one of
the 20th Century's most prolific theatre practitioners, as well as
a vital history for theatre scholars and fans alike.
Milestones in Musical Theatre tracks ten of the most significant
moments in musical theatre history, from some of its earliest
incarnations, especially those crafted by Black creators, to its
rise as a global phenomenon. Designed for weekly use in musical
theatre courses, these ten chosen snapshots chart the development
of this unique art form and move through its history
chronologically, tracking the earliest operettas through the
mid-century Golden Age classics, as well as the creative explosion
in directing talent which reshaped the form, and moves toward
inclusivity which have recast its creators. Each chapter explores
how the musical and its history have been deeply influenced by a
variety of factors, including race, gender and nationality, and
examines how each milestone represents a significant turning point
for this beloved art form. Milestones are a range of accessible
textbooks, breaking down the need-to-know moments in the social,
cultural, political and artistic development of foundational
subject areas. This book is ideal for diverse and inclusive
undergraduate musical theatre history courses.
Dance on the American Musical Theatre Stage: A History chronicles
the development of dance, with an emphasis on musicals and the
Broadway stage, in the United States from its colonial beginnings
to performances of the present day. This book explores the
fascinating tug-and-pull between the European classical, folk and
social dance imports and America's indigenous dance forms as they
met and collided on the popular musical theatre stage. The
historical background influenced a specific musical theatre
movement vocabulary and a unique choreographic approach that is
recognizable today as Broadway style dancing. Throughout the book,
a cultural context is woven into the history to reveal how the
competing values within American culture, and its attempts as a
nation to define and redefine itself, played out through
developments in dance on the musical theatre stage. This book is
central to the conversation on how dance influences and reflects
society, and will be of interest to students and scholars of
Musical Theatre, Theatre Studies, Dance and Cultural History.
|
You may like...
In This World
James Jony Blues Band
CD
R480
Discovery Miles 4 800
Step Back
Paul Nelson, Various Artists
Vinyl record
R790
R574
Discovery Miles 5 740
|