The definitive history of the Broadway musical: the shows; the stars; the movers; and the shakers.Showtime brings the history of Broadway musicals to life in a narrative as engaging as the subject itself. Beginning with the scandalous Astor Place Opera House riot of 1849; Larry Stempel traces the growth of musicals from minstrel shows and burlesques; through the golden age of Show Boat and Oklahoma!; to such groundbreaking works as Company and Rent. Stempel describes the Broadway stage with vivid accounts of the performers drawn to it; and detailed portraits of the creators who wrote the music; lyrics; and stories for its shows; both beloved and less well known. But Stempel travels outside the theater doors as well; to illuminate the wider world of musical theater as a living genre shaped by the forces of American history and culture. He reveals not only how musicals entertain their audiences but also how they serve as barometers of social concerns and bearers of cultural values.Showtime is the culmination of decades of painstaking research on a genre whose forms have changed over the course of two centuries. In covering the expansive subject before him; Stempel combines original research―including a kaleidoscope of primary sources and archival holdings―with deft and insightful analysis. The result is nothing short of the most comprehensive; authoritative history of the Broadway musical yet published. 16 pages of four-color; 105 black-and-white illustrations
#1114030 in Books 1991-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.75 x 6.50 x 1.75l; #File Name: 0393028232480 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Important AmericanBy Glenn D. RobinsonVery impressive man and excellent bio. Incredible life. Frederick Douglass accomplished so much; interacted with so many and never stopped working until his death. This was a very good bio of Frederick that went into his life as a slave; his escape; his early years in Boston; his trips to England; Scotland and Ireland and then back to America in time for John Brown's Raid (he knew Brown and an arrest warrant was issued after the raid). Douglas became the Marshall of Washington; DC; the head of the Freedman's Bureau and then the ambassador to Haiti. All the while writing books; giving hundreds of speeches a year; publishing newspapers and raising children (2 of which were in the 54th.He worked hard first to end slavery; then worked hard to raise troops for the North. After the war; he worked extremely hard for the vote; the strengthening of the 14th amendment and worked to squash the goal of sending Blacks to either Haiti or Liberia. Why? The Blacks were Americans; not Haitians or Liberians.Time well spent. I learned a great deal and feel the author did a good job.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Kathryn G.It was the book I wanted.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy carolleaarrived as listed
