Together with other leading set design and theatre talents, McLane invites us into the immersive and exhilarating experience of building the striking visual worlds that have brought so many of our favorite stories to life. Discover how designers generate innovative ideas, research period and place, solve staging challenges, and collaborate with directors, projectionists, costume designers, and other artists to capture the essence of a show in powerful scenic design. With co-writer Eila Mell, McLane and contributors discuss Moulin Rouge!, Hamilton, Hadestown, Beautiful, and many more of the most iconic productions of our generation. Among the Broadway luminaries who contribute are John Lee Beatty, Danny Burstein, Cameron Crowe, Ethan Hawke, Moises Kaufman, Carole King, Kenny Leon, Santo Loquasto, Kathleen Marshall, Lynn Nottage, David Rabe, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Wallace Shawn, John Leguizamo, and Robin Wagner. Filled with personal sketches and photographs fromthe artists' archives, this stunningly designed book is truly a behind-the-scenes journey that theatre fans will love.

Some acting careers are made by one great role and some fall into obscurity when one is declined. Would Al Pacino be the star he is today if Robert Redford had accepted the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather? Imagine Tom Hanks rejecting Uma Thurman, saying that she actec like someone in a high school play when she auditioned to play opposite him in The Bonfire of the Vanities. Picture Danny Thomas as The Godfather, Michael Jackson as Edward Scissorhands, or Marilyn Monroe as Cleopatra. This reference work lists hundreds of such stories: actors who didn't get cast or who turned down certain parts. Each entry, organized alphabetically by film title, gives the character and actor cast, a list of other actors considered for that role, and the details of the casting decision. Information is drawn from extensive research and interviews. From About Last Night (which John Belushi turned down at his brother's urging) to Zulu (in which Michael Caine was not cast because he didn't look ""Cockney"" enough), this book lets you imagine how different your favorite films could have been.

Would Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts be the superstars they are today if they had not been turned down for roles on soap operas? Would Everybody Loves Raymond ever have been created if Ray Romano hadn't been fired from Newsradio? Would the character of Fonzie have become such a pop culture icon in the 1970s if it had been played by Micky Dolenz? How different would Lisa Kudrow's career have turned out if she had not been turned down for a spot on Saturday Night Live? MICKEY ROONEY AS ARCHIE BUNKER and Other TV Casting Almosts answers these questions and many more. Mickey Rooney was producer Norman Lear's first choice for the starring role of Archie Bunker on All in the Family. Worried about the public's reaction to the bigoted character, he turned the role down. Carroll O'Connor was cast and became a star. TV's most famous and infamous casting decisions are explored in MICKEY ROONEY AS ARCHIE BUNKER and Other TV Casting Almosts. You'll read the stories behind the choices that have altered the course of TV history. Inside you'll learn many fun facts including: Katie Holmes was the first choice to play Buffy the Vampire Slayer Rosie O'Donnell auditioned for Elaine on Seinfeld Gene Hackman was rejected for the part of Mike Brady Sandra Bullock didn't have the right look for Baywatch Lara Flynn Boyle was considered to play Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City The shows are listed alphabetically from According to Jim to Zorro. This book lets you imagine how different your favorite shows could have been.