Broadway Coffee Table Books

[clomoe]

Posted: 11/12/17 at 9:14pm

I have recently fallen in love with the big hard-back books about Broadway shows! What are your favourites? What shows do you wish had a coffee table book?

I have: 
- The Wicked Grimmerie
- Les Mis Stage to Screen
- Hamilton: The Revolution
- Book of Mormon - Testament of a Broadway Musical
- DEH - Waving Through a Window (on pre-order)

I'm dying to get Spring Awakening - In The Flesh, however am having a lot of trouble finding it available for purchase online that ships to Australia - same for Mary Poppins - Anything Can Happen if You Let It.

Let me know if there's any I should know about -  I've found it quite hard to find information on these great books and no resources that list all the available books.



 

Updated On: 11/12/17 at 09:14 PM

[Wildcard]

Posted: 11/12/17 at 11:11pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=964452#3538427

Old thread but still informative. You can add Great Comet and Aladdin to this list 

[sorano916]

Posted: 11/12/17 at 11:14pm

The Great Comet's is rather nice.

The one that Spotco released called "On Broadway: from Rent to Revolution" is a good one.

[Alfie6]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 1:17am

I really enjoy the Playbill yearbooks, I always keep an eye out for them in used bookstores. 

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 1:24am

I also own Mamma Mia, the original The Color Purple, Avenue Q, and Hairspray :)

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 10:54am

I have Broadway: The History of the American Musical (based on the PBS documentary) as well as The Book of Broadway and The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. All three feature full-color photos and are chock-full of information! I never get tired of cracking them open because I always find something new...

[Justin D]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 12:09pm

I think it was Playbill that says Lion King has a new one out, their one by Julie Taymor is very nice (there is also a small one about a day at the New Amsterdam that features a lot of Lion King stuff.

I really wish they could re-do the Phantom one, update it and all (keep the old stuff though)

Beauty and the Beast and Aida ones are also nice (but it would have been nice if the Aida one had in more info about the failed pre-Chicago run)

[elephantseye]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 12:31pm

My favorite is Broadway Musicals: From the Pages of the New York Times . It's a collection of reviews from the NYT going back a half century, with some really beautiful layouts and photos.

[haterobics]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 12:33pm

The two Sondheim tomes are pretty good coffee table material.

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 1:15pm

I agree with the 2 Sondheim Volumes, as well as the Playbill Yearbooks and The Great Comet book.

 

Two of my other favorites are the one they put out for The Who's Tommy and Spring Awakening.  Interesting reading and great photography.  The Who's Tommy book is great to look back at the beginnings of people like Michael Cerveris, Alice Ripley, Sherie Renee Scott and Norm Lewis, among others.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 9:00pm

The daddy of them all- BROADWAY MUSICALS by Martin Gottfried.

THE ART OF BORIS ARONSON by Frank Rich and and Lisa Aronson adds style to a coffee table, as well.

"Books are awfully decorative, don't you think?" - Gloria Upson

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 11/13/17 at 11:10pm

AIDA and SUNSET BOULEVARD also have fab coffee table books!

[StefanieBway<3]

Posted: 11/14/17 at 1:24am

clomoe said: "I have recently fallen in love with the big hard-back books about Broadway shows! What are your favourites? What shows do you wish had a coffee table book?

I have:
- The Wicked Grimmerie
- Les Mis Stage to Screen
- Hamilton: The Revolution
- Book of Mormon - Testament of a Broadway Musical
- DEH - Waving Through a Window (on pre-order)

I'm dying to get Spring Awakening - In The Flesh, however am having a lot of trouble finding it available for purchase online that ships to Australia - same forMary Poppins - Anything Can Happen if You Let It.

Let me know if there's any I should know about - I've found it quite hard to find information on these great books and no resources that list all the available books.



"

I have the hardback RENT book & lyrics coffee table book - I love it, it’s got extra photos and info on the show pre-broadway,etc. 

 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 11/14/17 at 10:21am

Yes, I also own "Finishing the Hat," but I wasn't sure if it counted as a true coffee table tome. It is one of my favorite books of all time.

[broadway_show_fan]

Posted: 11/14/17 at 10:25am

I've been dying for a copy of the Mary Poppins book. Sigh.

I love the Tarzan one! I'm sure I'm in the minority but I loved the show and the book is gorgeous.

[clomoe]

Posted: 11/14/17 at 3:25pm

Brave Sir Robin2 said: "I also own Mamma Mia, the original The Color Purple, Avenue Q, and Hairspray :)"

Ah cool! I didn't know there was one about Mamma Mia - is it about the Broadway musical or the movie? Same with Hairspray? :) 

[clomoe]

Posted: 11/14/17 at 3:29pm

jkstheatrescene said: "I agree with the 2 Sondheim Volumes, as well as the Playbill Yearbooks and The Great Comet book.

Two of my other favorites are the one they put out for The Who's Tommy and Spring Awakening. Interesting reading and great photography. The Who's Tommy book is great to look back at the beginnings of people like Michael Cerveris, Alice Ripley, Sherie Renee Scott and Norm Lewis, among others."

I'm dying to get the Spring Awakening hardback - it'll probably be an expensive one to track down! Would you highly recommend it to a huge fan of the show? (better question: is it worth the $100+ to get it shipped to me in Australia?)

[Cesare2]

Posted: 11/14/17 at 5:16pm

Hal Prince's 1974 Broadway environmental production of CANDIDE was also a large coffee table book.  When Disney re-opened the New Amsterdam, it issued a coffee table book celebrating that theater with before and after pictures.  The work of the Eckarts (original productions of DAMN YANKEES, SHE LOVES ME, THE GOLDEN APPLE, etc) also were the subject of a coffee table book.

Martin Gottfried's BROADWAY MUSICALS, which was previously mentioned, has loads of pictures of the original productions of ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY and ANNIE.

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 11/14/17 at 6:08pm

clomoe said: "I'm dying to get the Spring Awakening hardback - it'll probably be an expensive one to track down! Would you highly recommend it to a huge fan of the show?(better question: is it worth the $100+ to get it shipped to me in Australia?)"

I LOVE this show, so I'm a tad biased. But, yes, if you REALLY love it, it's a great book.  Lots  of photos, sketches, interviews, and a fully annotated libretto.  I can't help but feel you could find it pretty cheap, though I have no idea how much shipping is to Australia.  If you do get it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[hak5]

Posted: 11/15/17 at 8:47am

the book for RENT is very nice

I'd enjoy one for COME FROM AWAY

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 11/15/17 at 11:52am

Cesare2 said: "Hal Prince's 1974 Broadway environmental production of CANDIDE was also a large coffee table book. When Disney re-opened the New Amsterdam, it issued a coffee table book celebrating that theater with before and after pictures. The work of the Eckarts (original productions of DAMN YANKEES, SHE LOVES ME, THE GOLDEN APPLE, etc) also were the subject of a coffee table book.

Martin Gottfried's BROADWAY MUSICALS, which was previously mentioned, has loads of pictures of the original productions of ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY and ANNIE."

Do you know the best way to search for the Candice book? Having a hard time locating it. 

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 11/15/17 at 7:13pm

hak5 said: "the book for RENT is very nice

I'd enjoy one for COME FROM AWAY"

 

 

Yes!!! I was just thinking about how much I would want a making-of Come From Away coffee table book! Maybe it'll happen since it's such a big hit and the news of a film broke today. 

[CoolDogeGuy]

Posted: 11/15/17 at 7:50pm

My favorites are:

- Hamilton: The Revolution

- Rent

- Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: The Journey of a New Musical to Broadway

- Spring Awakening: In the Flesh

- On Broadway: From Rent to Revolution

- Dear Evan Hansen: Through the Window (I can't wait for it!)

- "The Playbill Broadway Yearbook" Series

- Wicked: The Grimmerie, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical

I think Come From Away, Kinky Boots, Beautiful, Waitress, On Your Feet!, Anastasia, a Coffee Table book of all of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musicals, Spongebob Squarepants (probably when it closes though), and Miss Saigon should have coffee table books.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 11/15/17 at 8:00pm

clomoe said: "Ah cool! I didn't know there was one about Mamma Mia - is it about the Broadway musical or the movie? Same with Hairspray? :)"

It's more about the musical!

Ps: broadway_show_fan I might be interested in selling my Mary Poppins book. PM me!

[And Peggy]

Posted: 11/15/17 at 8:07pm

Mildred Plotka said: "Cesare2 said: "Hal Prince's 1974 Broadway environmental production of CANDIDE was also a large coffee table book. 


Do you know the best way to search for the Candicebook? Having a hard time locating it."

 

I second this request! An exact title or ISBN number would be extremely helpful. 

ETA - Is this the one you were referring to?
CANDIDE - THE COMPLETE WORDS AND MUSIC OF THE DRAMA CRITICS AWARD WINNING BROADWAY MUSICAL

Updated On: 11/15/17 at 08:07 PM