Must read books for musical theater freaks

[jonahke]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 3:47am

What are must read books about Broadway or musical theater in general and why?

Updated On: 6/27/16 at 03:47 AM

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 5:23am

'Unnaturally Green' by Felicia Ricci. The author writes about how she went from being an English major to being cast as the Elphaba standby for the San Fran production of 'Wicked' despite having no professional theatre training. She talks about her ups and downs and how theatre is harder than it looks and not everyone is cut out to do it, something she openly admits about herself. Would 100% recommend this! Loads of my friends have borrowed the book and loved it - I'm determined to get my fiancé to read it even though he's not really a theatre-type.

'Not Since Carrie' by Ken Mendelbaum. Collection of stories about major Broadway flops and why they went so wrong. Really interesting for someone interested in what makes a musical work and what doesn't or just for someone who wants to laugh at some of the idiotic choices made by people with money. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/books/ - this is a great list of books you should check out.

[carnzee]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 6:03am

Most of what I know about musicals I learned from reading Ethan Mordden's books. He goes decade by decade from the '20s thru the '70s. I especially like One More Kiss and the one about the 1950s, I can't remember the name but it has a great chapter analyzing My Fair Lady.

[Sertzo19]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 9:34am

I highly recommend Fosse by Sam Wasson. It's a great little history of Fosse, but it also provides a nice history of other shows, Broadway players and producers in the background. 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 11:15am

Before The Parade Passes By - Gower Champion

The Abominable Snowman - David Merrick

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 11:20am

Everything Was Possible is the best theater book I've read.

I'll second Not Since Carrie and the Mordden series as essential reference materials.

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 12:22pm

Not sure if these are the type of books you are going for, but I've always found The Untold Stories of Broadway: Tales from the world's most famous theaters to be really great. I tend to read them before I go to a new theater.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 12:52pm

I'll second "Unnaturally Green." A very insightful and fun read. 

I'd also recommend Sondheim's 2-Volume book. Volume 1 is "Finishing the Hat" and Volume 2 is "Look I made a Hat" 

[godlessondheimite]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 1:03pm

Do people not like Viertel's The Secret Life of the American Musical here? I loved it.

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 1:06pm

"On the Line" provides a great inside scoop from original cast members of A Chorus Line. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 1:07pm

Is there any sort of musical theatre history bible/canon? I'm disappointed that we don't have a singular, definitive name that people refer to for literature on this subject (and kind of want to make it happen myself).

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 1:12pm

godlessondheimite said: "Do people not like Viertel's The Secret Life of the American Musical here? I loved it."

 

Me too. Highly recommend.

 

BroadwayConcierge...no but there are MANY history books on musical theatre.

 

[castlestreet]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 1:14pm

WhizzerMarvin said: "Everything Was Possible is the best theater book I've read.

I'll second Not Since Carrie and the Mordden series as essential reference materials.

 

"

I'll second these-I have returned to these two books many many times over the years, and each and every time I am so happy I did.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 1:14pm

No, of course, neon, and I've read many! But none of them seem to have every single working part and element to it. I'm just saying it would be pretty neat if there was one canonical work that had everything you needed, and done/written well.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 2:10pm

I also suggest Everything Was Possible. I couldn't put it down. Excellent read. I too enjoyed Unaturally Green. Was much better than I expected.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 2:10pm

Some of the best books on Broadway in my library:

The Art of Boris Aronson by Frank Rich

Ghost Light by Frank Rich

Ming Cho Lee by Arnold Aronson

The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein. Also of Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart and Ira Gershwin

Finishing the Hat & Look I Made a Hat by Steve Sondheim

The Street Where I Live by Alan Jay Lerner (a fabulist telling of his own career)

Colored Lights by Kander and Ebb

On The Line by Viagas, Lee and Walsh (creators of A Chorus Line)

Original Story By by Arthur Laurents

Everything Was Possible by Ted Chapin

Stephen Sondheim A Life by Meryl Secrest

Fosse by Sam Wasson

A Life by Elia Kazan

controversially, Razzle Dazzle by Michael Reidel

and sentimentally, Act One by Moss Hart.

 

 

 

 

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 2:22pm

Also, there are some fun fiction books out there. I have been reading the Ruby Preston "Showbiz"  series and Tim Ferderle's "Better Nate Than Ever" series. "Tim on Broadway" books are a fun read also.

"Out of the Woods - A True Story" by Kevin Farley is also very good.

[DrMike]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 2:26pm

I will second Riedel's Razzle Dazzle. Some show analysis, but mostly the history of Broadway and the characters that made it what it has become today.

[Fantod]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 2:34pm

I would cite Opening Nights on Broadway (both parts) as being the best books on theatre available. You can't get a better sense of theatre history than by actually reading the immediate response to dozens of famous musicals.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 3:12pm

Fantod said: "I would cite Opening Nights on Broadway (both parts) as being the best books on theatre available. You can't get a better sense of theatre history than by actually reading the immediate response to dozens of famous musicals."

 

Just did a search and can't find this. Who wrote it? Do you hav a link to it?

 

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 3:25pm

^ Steven Suskin is the editor/ author on my copy of More Opening Nights.

The 2 books are a compendium of opening night reviews of all the great plays and musicals to open on Broadway season by season. Unfortunately the second book ends in 1981, so these only give you history up to 35 years ago. Who's prepared to edit and print a Book 3 already?

[gregnyc2]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 6:50pm

I adore EVERYTHING WAS POSSIBLE.

NOT SINCE CARRIE's preface (where are you ken mandelbaum??) is one of the funniest things written.

William Goldman's THE SEASON (although homophobic and not exclusively musicals) is a great read.

DECONSTRUCTING HAROLD HILL.

Mordden.

Frank Rich's review comp HOT SEAT

[homeimp2]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 7:38pm

For kids I'd definitely go with Tim Federle's "Nate"series, Actually they're good reading for anybody. The second book has an absolutely amazing ending.

[MackTheKnife2]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 8:54pm

I recommend reading Scott Miller's guides to musical theatre, they are composed of thorough analyses for different musical plays and sheds new light to some musicals that are considered dated by today standards, such as Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady or The Cradle Will Rock (all three amazing musicals, in my opinion): 

• From Assassins to West Side Story - analyzes Assassins, Cabaret, Carousel, Godspell, Gypsy, How to Succeed, Into the Woods, Jesus Christ Superstar, Man of la Mancha, Merrily We Roll Along, Les Misérables, My Fair Lady, Pippin, Sweeney Todd and West Side Story
• Deconstructing Harold Hill - follows Miller's first book, this one analyzes Camelot, Chicago, The King and I, March of the Falsettos, The Music Man, Passion, Ragtime and Sunday in the Park with George
• Rebels Without Applause - analyzes groundbreaking musicals such as The Cradle Will Rock, Pal Joey, Oklahoma!, Anyone Can Whistle, Hair, Jacques Brel, Songs for a New World, Floyd Collins and Rent
• Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll and Musicals - analyzes rock musicals such as Lippa's The Wild Party, Grease, The Rocky Horror Show, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Bat Boy and Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

 

I also recommend Joseph P. Swain's The Broadway Musical, which analyzes the way a musical achieves plot, conflict and character development by the use of music of different musical plays (Show Boat, Porgy and Bess, Oklahoma!, Carousel, Kiss Me Kate, The Most Happy Fella, My Fair Lady, Camelot, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, A Chorus Line, Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables)

 

Ethan Mordden's series on how the musical theatre art form evolved through the decades is also a must-read

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 6/27/16 at 9:02pm

I loved "Everything Was Possible"...I saw FOLLIES at the Colonial in Boston, pre-Broadway. It sort of changed my life. I'm about 60% into Barbara Cook's autobiography today and I'm loving it.