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Lady in the Dark - Biography of a Musical (Paperback)
Loot Price: R1,102
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Lady in the Dark - Biography of a Musical (Paperback)
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When Lady in the Dark opened on January 23, 1941, its many firsts
immediately distinguished it as a new and unusual work. The curious
directive to playwright Moss Hart to complete a play about
psychoanalysis came from his own Freudian psychiatrist. For the
first time since his brother George's death, Ira Gershwin returned
to writing lyrics for the theater. And for emigre composer Kurt
Weill, it was a crack at an opulent first-class production.
Together Hart, Gershwin, and Weill (with a little help from the
psychiatrist) produced one of the most innovative works in Broadway
history.
With a company of 101 and an astronomical budget, Lady in the Dark
launched the career of a young nightclub performer named Danny Kaye
and starred Gertrude Lawrence in the greatest triumph of her
career. With standees at many performances, Lady in the Dark helped
establish the practice of advance ticket sales on the Great White
Way, while Paramount Pictures' bid for the film rights broke all
records. New York Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson hailed the
production as "splendid," anointed Kurt Weill 'the best writer of
theatre music in the country, ' and worshiped Gertrude Lawrence as
"a goddess."
Though Lady in the Dark was a smash-hit, it has never enjoyed a
Broadway revival, and a certain mystique has grown up around its
legendary original production. In this ground-breaking biography,
bruce mcclung pieces together the musical's life story from
sketches and drafts, production scripts, correspondence,
photographs, costume and set designs, and thousands of clippings
from the star's personal scrapbooks. He has interviewed eleven
members of the original company to provide a one-of-a-kind glimpse
intothe backstage story.
The result is a virtual ticket to opening night, the saga of how
this musical play came to be, and the string of events that saved
the experimental show at every turn. Although America was turned
upside down by Pearl Harbor after the production was on the boards,
Lady in the Dark played an important role for the war effort and
rang up 777 performances in 12 cities. In what may be the most
illuminating study of a single Broadway musical, this biography
brings Lady in the Dark back to the spotlight and puts readers in
the front row.
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