Broadway Bookshelf - Must Read Theater Books

For generations, residents of New York's Capital District have flocked to the region's numerous theaters. The history behind the venues is often more compelling than the shows presented in them. John Wilkes Booth brushed with death on stage while he and Abraham Lincoln were visiting Albany. The first exhibition of broadcast television was shown at Proctor's Theater in Schenectady, although the invention ironically contributed to the downfall of theaters across the nation. A fired manager of the...

Olivier Award-winners Mischief Theatre have taken the world by storm with their well-crafted and hilarious productions that continue to delight audiences and capture new fans night after night. As a company dedicated to creating engaging and exciting improvised and scripted theatrical comedy their productions have now been seen in every continent except Antarctica and translated into numerous languages. Combining well-honed improvisational and comedic technique with strong theatrical ense...

(Book). Singers and actors who can learn music quickly and accurately have an enormous advantage in today s increasingly competitive field. With Music Essentials for Singers and Actors, award-winning composer and music director Andrew Gerle has written a music theory text especially for singers, focused exclusively on topics and techniques that will help them in the rehearsal room and on stage. Gerle leads readers step by step through every aspect of written music, using over one hundred real-w...

A witty and wicked new guide to the world of theater from the anonymous Twitter sensation and cult London theater figure West End Producer. Packed with mischievous insider know-how, this is the ultimate guide for anyone who's ever been to the theater, or who thinks they might like to try it one day.

Look back at the 33-year history of the world’s longest-running musical: Les Miserables. This book is an ideal companion for anyone who loves the show. Ever since its first performances in 1985, Les Misérables has been a smash success, and is now the longest-running musical in the world with an award-winning Hollywood movie to its name. Les Misérables: The Official Archives takes a look back through the storied life of this monumental show. Benedict Nightingale examines the entirety of the ...

The music of Broadway is one of America's most unique and popular calling cards. In Broadway to Main Street: How Show Tunes Enchanted America, author Laurence Maslon tells the story of how the most beloved songs of the American Musical Theater made their way from the Theater District to living rooms across the country. The crossroads where the music of Broadway meets popular culture is an expansive and pervasive juncture throughout most of the twentieth century--from sheet music to radio bro...

The riveting story of the rivalry between the two most renowned actresses of the nineteenth century: legendary Sarah Bernhardt, whose eccentricity on and off the stage made her the original diva, and mystical Eleonora Duse, who broke all the rules to popularize the natural style of acting we celebrate today. Audiences across Europe and the Americas clamored to see the divine Sarah Bernhardt swoon—and she gave them their money’s worth. The world’s first superstar, she traveled with a chimpanz...

In 1996, tickets to see the Broadway musical Rent were selling like hotcakes. The show was so popular that many folks saw it multiple times and even dressed up like their favorite characters. Some Rent heads even slept overnight on the sidewalk in order to be sure of getting a ticket for the next performance. Everything about the show was new and exciting. This book not only tells the story of Rent's journey to Broadway, it will also help readers understand why the show was so successful and wh...

Everybody knows The Lion King, the story of a little cub that grows up to become the king of the Pride Lands. Few, however, know the story of how The Lion King came to be the king of all musicals. It is the highest-grossing show on Broadway, earning over 1.3 billion dollars at the box office. This book takes you on the journey that began with the modest idea of an animated movie about lions and hyenas. You'll see for yourself why this musical has played on every continent except Antarctica to m...

In theater, some shows succeed and some fail. Cats, which opened in London on May 11, 1981, and in New York City on October 7, 1982, was a success that changed history. The Hamilton of its time, and a winner even now, Cats has become one of the great landmark musicals of British and American theater. Treat your readers to the real story of the show. Covering the show's roots in the comic poetry of T. S. Eliot through to the musical's modern revivals, this book traces the history of an iconic Br...

Annie is a landmark play that has made many contributions to musical theater, including the song Tomorrow. The original play was staged more than two thousand times on Broadway, and it has been presented continuously around the world by touring companies and local theater groups. It has been made into big-screen and television movies and has gone through several revivals. Its greatest achievement was to restore the musical to prominence, opening the way for the staging of the greatest blockbust...

In July 2008, playwright and performer Lin-Manuel Miranda bought a book to read on vacation. Little did he know that his random choice would eventually help him change the face of Broadway. The book was Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton, an original Founding Father of the United States. Seven years later, Miranda's revolutionary hip-hop musical opened to tremendous reviews, sold-out performances, and record-breaking awards. What inspired Miranda to tell Hamilton's story using twenty...

Dance in the Mirror is an ultimate celebration of dance, and not least ballet, in all its many guises. In particular, it pays homage to Danish ballet photographer John R. Johnsen (1945-2016), whose work is presented here in collected form for the first time. Artistically, Johnsen towers above the vast majority of his contemporaries, and in the period 1967-96, during which he photographed the Royal Danish Ballet and leading international companies such as New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey Americ...

Jonathan Shandell provides the first in-depth study of the historic American Negro Theatre (ANT) and its lasting influence on American popular culture. Founded in 1940 in Harlem, the ANT successfully balanced expressions of African American consciousness with efforts to gain white support for the burgeoning civil rights movement. The theatre company featured innovative productions with emerging artists—Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, and many others—who would become giants of stage, ...

In his five decades of work in theatre, Richard Foreman has become known as the figurehead of the “downtown” scene, the king of all things experimental and unconventional. This brand new anthology is a tribute to his mammoth acclaim, including such memorable works as The Gods are Pounding My Head, Idiot Savant, and Old-Fashioned Prostitutes. Richard Foreman is an avant-garde theatre pioneer and founder of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. He has written several dozen works for the stage, ope...

As one of the most beloved and beguiling genres of entertainment, the film musical wears its style ostentatiously. The genre allows for hyperbolic expression, extravagant sonic and visual décor, and extremely stylized forms of movement and performance. By staging a glittering spectacle, by releasing a current of lush sentiment, by unveiling a world of elegance and romance, the film musical woos us with patterns, textures, finesse and sensory display. In this book, author Chip Whitesell asks ...

The Costume Supervisor’s Toolkit explores the responsibilities of a Costume Supervisor within a theatrical, opera or dance production company. Rebecca Pride provides an insight into all manner of processes, beginning with a definition of the role, and offers explanations of the timeline from the first design meetings, leading all the way up to managing fittings and final rehearsals. This how-to guide outlines best working practices, including building a team and creating a Costume Bible, whilst...

Peggy Ramsay (1908-1991) was the foremost play agent of her time. Her list of clients including Alan Ayckbourn, Robert Bolt, Caryl Churchill, Joe Orton, Howard Brenton and many more, shows her to have been at the centre of British playwriting for several generations from the late 1950s on. To her remarkable array of clients; her letter writing was notorious, marked by searing candour, both a wondrous motivation and an unforgiving scrutiny to be feared. Revelations in the book of her letters Peg...

Contextualizing the techniques and methods of the incredibly rich and vital genre of site-specific performance, author Bertie Ferdman traces the evolution of that term. Originally used for experimental staging practices and then later also for engaged situational events, site-specific is no longer sufficient for the genre’s many contemporary variations. Using the term off-site, Ferdman illustrates five distinct ways artists have challenged the disciplinary framework of site-specific theatre:...

Did Les Misérables make you miserable? Or did it inspire you? When Sarah Whitfield was a teenager, her Dad frequently embarrassed her with his love of this musical above all others. So, after he was diagnosed with late stage cancer, Whitfield set out to find out why this musical meant so much to him and to its worldwide following. In this new book, she asked her Dad and 350 other people how they felt about this musical, exploring people’s personal connections with the show. In the middle of ...

This book offers a wealth of resources, critical overviews and detailed analysis of Ivo van Hove's internationally acclaimed work as the foremost director of theatre, opera and musicals in our time. Stunning production photos capture the power of van Hove's directorial vision, his innovative use of theatrical spaces, and the arresting stage images that have made his productions so popular among audiences worldwide over the last 30 years. Van Hove's own contribution to the book, which includes a...

This book offers a wealth of resources, critical overviews and detailed analysis of Ivo van Hove's internationally acclaimed work as the foremost director of theatre, opera and musicals in our time. Stunning production photos capture the power of van Hove's directorial vision, his innovative use of theatrical spaces, and the arresting stage images that have made his productions so popular among audiences worldwide over the last 30 years. Van Hove's own contribution to the book, which includes a...

From whimsical comedies to nail-biting chillers, Julia Cho is one of the most versatile playwrights in the contemporary theatre scene. For the past fifteen years, her stunning plays have been performed all over the country. Contained in this new anthology is a captivating sampling of her widely-lauded work featuring The Language Archive and including Aubergine, Office Hour, The Piano Teacher, and Durango.

Witty, inspiring, and charismatic, Oscar Wilde is one of the Greats of English literature. Today, his plays and stories are beloved around the world. But it was not always so. His afterlife has given him the legitimacy that life denied him. Making Oscar Wilde reveals the untold story of young Oscar's career in Victorian England and post-Civil War America. Set on two continents, it tracks a larger-than-life hero on an unforgettable adventure to make his name and gain international acclaim. "Succ...

On a farm outside Winchester, Ryan struggles to make a living off the land. His sister Lou has returned home after the death of their father to support Jenny, their formidable mother. Now, when Lou’s boyfriend Pete reappears, flush with money from his job at an oil refinery, Jenny fights to hold her children to the life she planned for them.

Equal parts memoir and cultural history, from acclaimed comic stylist and professional hobbyist Henry Alford comes a hilarious journey through the world of dance that will inform, entertain and leave readers tapping their toes. When Henry Alford wrote about his experience with a Zumba class for The New York Times, little did he realize that it was the start of something much bigger. Dance would grow and take on many roles for Henry: exercise, confidence builder, an excuse to travel, a source...

Discover Spiritual Truths from the Smash Broadway Hit Hamilton that Will Transform Your Life Hamilton?the hip-hop musical about a forgotten Founding Father?is the most compelling musical of our time. But if you watch it without understanding the spiritual themes of Alexander Hamilton’s life, you only get half the story. Discover how Hamilton is a modern-day parable that will: Lead you into a deeper experience of God’s grace Help you battle guilt and shame Challenge you to forgive Inspi...

After their father dies, five siblings find themselves around the kitchen table of their childhood, pouring whiskey and sharing memories. The eldest, Ann, reminisces about her days playing Peter Pan at the local children’s theater, and soon the five are transported back to Neverland. For Peter Pan on her 70th birthday is a fantastical exploration of the enduring bonds of family, the resistance to “growing up,” and the inevitability of growing old.

Starting from humble beginnings under his grandmother's care, Leon takes us to unexpected places in his ascent to the top from the house off the dirt road without electricity in rural Florida to being the first African American director to win a Tony Award. In TAKE YOU WHEREVER YOU GO, Kenny reflects on the lessons he learned every step of the way from the most important people in his life-from his grandmother's sagacious and encouraging motivations to the deep artistic influence of iconic Amer...

(Vocal Selections). Winner of the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical, The Band's Visit is a musical adaptation of the 2007 Israeli film of the same name. This vocal selections folio features 11 vocal line arrangements with piano accompaniment composed by David Yazbek: Answer Me * The Beat of Your Heart * Haled's Song About Love * It Is What It Is * Itzik's Lullaby * Omar Sharif * Papi Hears the Ocean * Something Different * Soraya * Waiting * Welcome to Nowhere.

From The Lion King to Moose Murders and from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to Agatha Christie?s The Mousetrap, celebrate the Drama Desk Award-winning artwork of Frank "Fraver" Verlizzo with more than 250 of his theatre poster designs from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and around the globe. For the first time in his five-decade career, this monograph collection will take you behind-the-scenes into the world of theatrical advertising through a rare look at 40 unpublished poster sketches for some of Broadway's ...

From the tip of Cornwall to the Isle of Mull, through rural communities and the inner-city, Amber Massie-Blomfield takes the road less travelled to discover Britain's most astonishing and unexpected theatres. A ruined playhouse, haunted halls, a stage hewn from granite cliffs. Theatres on wheels, squeezed into a former public lavatory and rescued from fire. A theatre that is not there at all. Making the case for radical, quirky and non-conforming performance spaces alongside iconic venues, this...

Beneath the deadpan back-and-forth of a seemingly typical city council board meeting lies the whiff of something distinctly sinister in Tracy Letts's new play The Minutes. Known for his keen ability to illustrate the faults and cracks under humanity's surface, Letts delivers an acutely thrilling new work that pulls you in with laughter before grabbing you by the throat.

If I don't want to tell anyone, it's up to me, right? Lucy knows James has avoided the battle. Mark knows Amanda has fought for her life. But speaking the truth could bring everything crashing down. What happens if we live a life of not talking? Olivier award-winning writer Mike Bartlett's gripping and lyrical first play unlocks a culture of silence and gives voice to the human casualties when things are easier done than said. This edition was published to coincide with a new productio...

In the aftermath of the Civil War, England stands at a crossroads. Food shortages, economic instability, and a corrupt political system threaten to plunge the country into darkness and despair. The Parliament men who fought against the tyranny of the King now argue for stability and compromise, but the people are hungry for change. For a brief moment, a group of rebels, preachers, soldiers, and dissenters dare to imagine an age of hope, a new Jerusalem in which freedom will be restored to the l...

Twelve vocal arrangements with piano accompaniment are presented in this collection from this award-winning 2017 Broadway musical presenting the true story of airline passengers stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Includes: Blankets and Bedding * Costume Party * Finale * I Am Here * Me and the Sky * Prayer * Screech In * Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere (38 Planes Reprise) * Stop the World * 28 Hours * Welcome to the Rock * Whereve...

Whenever You’re Ready is an intimate account of the career of Nora Polley, who — in her 52 years at the Stratford Festival — has learned from, worked with, and cared for some of the greatest directors, actors, stage managers, and productions in Canadian theatrical history. In so doing, Nora became one of the greatest stage managers this country has ever seen. Here is an account of the Stratford Festival’s history like no other. From her childhood forays into a theater her father, Victor, w...

In Anne Washburn's disquieting new drama, a group of old friends -- most of whom have widely lost touch -- are reunited for the funeral of one their own. Washburn's expertise in blurring the lines between the real and surreal compounds the unease as the friends scour their memories of the past and cope with stark reminders of their own mortality.

In this poetic and inspiring memoir, one of America’s most revered actresses uses the imagery of flowers and the art of Ikebana to depict the unique creative bond that she has had with her mother throughout the years—and how, together, they are facing her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Marcia Gay Harden knew at a young age that her life would be anything but ordinary. One of five lively children born to two Texas natives—Beverly, a proper Dallas lady, and Thad, a young officer i...

Once hailed by John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Brando", latterly known as a ruined genius whose unpredictable, hellraising behavior was legendary, Nicol Williamson always went his own way. Openly dismissive of "technical" actors, or others who played The Bard as if "their finger was up their arse", Williamson tore up the rule book to deliver a fast-talking canon of Shakespearean heroes, with portrayals marked by gut-wrenching passion. According to one co-star, Williamson was like a to...

You have to wonder why there isn't a word in the English language for the fireworks that go off in your brain when you finally kiss someone you've wanted for years. Or for the intimacy and tenderness you feel as you hold the hand of a suffering friend. A generation after the height of the AIDS crisis, what is it like to be a young gay man in New York? How many words are there now for the different kinds of pain, the different kinds of love? Matthew Lopez's The Inheritance premieres in two parts...

Armed with medicines, feeding tubes, and various medical accoutrement, Mary Jane is a single mother and a one-woman army when it comes to the care of her chronically ill son. A moving new play about the stalwart endurance of a devoted mother, Mary Jane by acclaimed playwright Amy Herzog demonstrates the prevailing strength of human will when fueled by unconditional love.

Is Quiz: A) The world premiere of a new play by acclaimed writer James Graham? B) A provocative re-examination of the conviction of Charles Ingram, 'the coughing Major', for cheating, following his appearance on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? C) A hilarious celebration of the great tradition of the British quiz show? D) A razor-sharp analysis of the 21st century's dangerous new attitude to truth and lies? Answer: You decide.

One of the most-talked about new plays of the 2016 Off-Broadway season, Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves opened to enthusiastic acclaim, including two sold-out, extended runs at The Playwrights Realm/The Duke on 42nd Street. The Wolves follows the 9 teenage girls?members of an indoor soccer team?as they warm up, engage in banter and one-upmanship, and fight battles big and small with each other and themselves. As the teammates warm up in sync, a symphony of overlapping dialogue spills out their co...

In David Mamet’s searing new drama, Charles, a psychiatrist, is thrown into a firestorm of controversy when he refuses to testify on behalf of a gay client accused of killing ten people. He claims his refusal is a principled defense of the Hippocratic oath, enshrining the confidentiality of the doctor-client relationship. The client’s defense claims it is bigotry. As Charles is subjected to a Job-like barrage of misfortune, The Penitent asks the question: What is the cost of standing up for wha...

1780. Albany, New York. As the war for American Independence carries on, two newlyweds are settling into their new adventure: marriage. But the honeymoon's over, and Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler are learning firsthand just how tricky wedded life can be. Alex is still General George Washington's right-hand man and his attention these days is nothing if not divided--much like the colonies' interests as the end of the Revolution draws near. Alex & Eliza's relationship is tested furthe...

An eye-opening history of Manhattan told through its most celebrated street. Broadway takes us on a mile-by-mile journey that traces the gradual evolution of the seventeenth-century’s Brede Wegh, a muddy cow path in a backwater Dutch settlement, to the twentieth century’s Great White Way. We learn why one side of the street was once considered more fashionable than the other; witness construction of the Ansonia Apartments, Trinity Church, and the Flatiron Building and the burning of P. T. Ba...

From West Side Story in 1957 to Road Show in 2008, the musicals of Stephen Sondheim and his collaborators have challenged the conventions of American musical theater and expanded the possibilities of what musical plays can do, how they work, and what they mean. Sondheim's brilliant array of work, including such musicals as Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods, has established him as the preeminent composer/lyricist of his, if not all, time. Steph...

The “First Lady of Show Business” and the “Last of the Red Hot Mamas,” Sophie Tucker was a star in vaudeville, radio, film, and television. A gutsy, song-belting stage performer, she entertained audiences for sixty years and inspired a host of younger women, including Judy Garland, Carol Channing, and Bette Midler. Tucker was a woman who defied traditional expectations and achieved success on her own terms, becoming the first female president of the American Federation of Actors and winning man...