Favorite book about the theater? Here are 15

[NewYorkTheater]

In honor of #BookLoversDay here are 



15 Great Books About Theater

(We're not talking scripts/plays, but books ABOUT theater.)

What's your favorite?

 

[uncageg]

EVERYTHING WAS POSSIBLE is my favorite.

Just finished A CHORUS LINE and THE MUSICALS OF MICHAEL BENNETT. Excellent read.

[JBroadway]

Happy to see "Unnaturally Green" on that list. Such a lovely and hilarious memoir! 

[leighmiserables]

Only about thirty pages into The Secret Life of the American Musical, but I love it so far. 

[schubox]

Thanks for this. Just last week I was trying to find the best books with some behind the scenes details and fun reads about Broadway but I couldn't get any consensus. Will check these out for sure 

[jtishere]

Love the Viertel book and Everything is Possible. I also highly recommend any of Ethan Mordenn's books, as well as The Art of American Musical Theater and Showtime. The latter is a doorstopper but very good.

[A Canadian in NYC]

I really enjoyed Not Since Carrie.  I thought it gave a really great breakdown on what it takes to bring a show to Broadway, and it's quite funny.   I'm interested in The Secret Life of the American Musical. will pick that one up.  Thanks for sharing!

[CorkySt.Clair]

leighmiserables said: "Only about thirty pages into The Secret Life of the American Musical, but I love it so far. 

 

"

I hope you like the rest of it! This is one of my all time favorite books, I've probably read it five times in the last year. 

[NewYorkTheater]

To elaborate on some of these answers:

 

Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater by Larry Temple

Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies, by Ted Chapin

A Chorus Line and the Musicals of Michael Bennett by Ken Mandslbaum

 

The others mentioned are detailed in the post.

 

 

[Demitri2]

THE SEASON by William Goldman

 

THE MAKING OF NO, NO, NANETTE by Don Dunn

[At-the-glen]

Alan Jay Lerner's The Street Where I Live may be my favourite, as well as the vastly underrated Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff.

I'm currently in the middle of Free for All: Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theatre Story Ever Told which I'm enjoying; Riedel's Razzle Dazzle also dealt with the same period in an intriguing way. 

[bwaylyric]

RAZZLE DAZZLE by Riedel

[Dancingthrulife2]

Is Razzle Dazzle as accurate as his NYP articles?

[CorkySt.Clair]

^ I second that question. I'd love to read it, as I'm not too familiar with Broadway during that time period, but if it's like his articles (especially coming to accuracy) I don't think I'd enjoy it. 

Thanks!

[At-the-glen]

I didn't verify sources or anything, but the book is much more scholarly than his column. It seems to me a very even-handed look at the period. 

[GavestonPS]

I reread William Goldman's THE SEASON and Craig Zadan's SONDHEIM & CO. every year or so.

I also recommend EVERYTHING WAS POSSIBLE and Kander & Ebb's autobiography, COLORED LIGHTS.

And any non-fiction by Ethan Morden, as well as NOT SINCE CARRIE.

[CurtainPullDowner]

ACT ONE reads like a novel because it is. It's well written but not very truthful.

If you want to read about the real Moss Hart, read DAZZLER by Steven Bach.

And for juicy stories and great Musical Theatre History read any Cole Porter Biography.

Also Biographies of Zero Mostel, Angela Lansbury, Beatrice Lillie, etc. etc. etc.

[ceisen]

What a great and very helpful thread!

I'm currently re-reading Backstage Pass to Broadway by Susan L. Schulman, a longtime press agent. The chapter about Lesley Ann Warren's behavior on the musical "Dream" is absolutely priceless. The book is very slim (under 200 pages) but filled with wonderful anecdotes about the people Schulman dealt with during her peak years.

I also love Not Since Carrie, The Season by William Goldman, all the Ethan Mordden books, all the Peter Filichia books, The Making of No, No, Nanette and Showtime by Larry Stempel.