Koi are unusually beautiful creatures. Perhaps because of their unusual beauty, koihave inspired a variety of legends. The recurrent theme in these legends is that koi,because of their endurance and perseverance, have become symbolic of overcomingadversity and fulfilling one's destiny. In one of the more celebrated versions of thislegend, koi are rewarded for their endurance and perseverance by being transformed into dragon fish. In their book KOI , Margery and Sheldon Harnick have created their own version ofthis legend in photographs and verses. In their version, koi are rewarded for a reason other than endurance and perseverance. Though the years, the gods havenoted how much pleasure men and women have derived simply from observing the prismatic beauty of the koi. For this gift to mankind, the gods decided to transformthe most beautiful koi into majestic and powerful dragons. Margery Harnick's photographs not only show this transformation taking place butalso capture the remarkable beauty of these creatures in ways that most people havenever seen. (Additional photographs by Matt Harnick portray the gods and the dragons.)And since koi are Asian in origin, Sheldon Harnick has chosen to deliver the narrativein the form of haiku verses. The union of photographs and verses makes a charmingand artistically satisfying combination.

Additional Author George Abbott. Based On The Novel By Samuel Hopkins Adams.

12 songs from the classic musical recently revived on Broadway: Anatevka * Do You Love Me? * Far from the Home I Love * Fiddler on the Roof * If I Were a Rich Man * Matchmaker * Miracle of Miracles * Now I Have Everything * Sabbath Prayer * Sunrise, Sunset * To Life * Tradition. Includes photos, composer bios, and synopsis.

The large-scale Broadway musical is one of America's great contributions to world theatre. Bill and Jean Eckart were stage designers and producers at the peak of the musical, and their designs revolutionized Broadway productions. At a time when sets were meant to remain simply backdrops that established time and place but not much else, an Eckart set became part of the performance on stage, equal at times to an actor. Anyone who has seen Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables has seen the innovations that the Eckarts brought to the large Broadway-style musical production. They were best known for their designs for Damn Yankees (1955); Once Upon a Mattress (1959), in which Carol Burnett made her Broadway debut; and Mame (1966) with Angela Lansbury. Andrew B. Harris uses production stills and the Eckarts' sketches from every show they worked on to illustrate the magic behind an Eckart design. This lavishly illustrated book, with more than 500 full-color illustrations, is a fitting tribute to both the great American theatre and the couple who helped make it great.