The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.72 (561 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0374256926 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-06-02 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
He is the artistic director of New York City Center’s acclaimed Encores! series, which presents three musical productions every season. He was the Mark Taper Forum’s dramaturg and the drama criticand arts editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, and he has spent a decade teaching musical theaterat the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.. Jack Viertel
"Fascinating" according to Jon Hunt. Jack Viertel's new book, "The Secret Life of the American Musical" is a stunningly informative book about the structure and success (or lack thereof) of modern day musicals. In a compelling style, the author takes us through a performance from "Overture" to "Curtain Call" and describes in great detail how every aspect of a musical works. His experience in the world of musicals gives him credence that few other writers would be able to claim.The book is set in a chronological order of a performance and being just a few years younger than Viertel, he . Love of the theatre permeates every page! Jack Viertel knows his shstuff. As a teacher of musical theatre technique and musical theatre history for more than 30 years, I can see through the charlatans who write books like this. And there are a good number of them. Therefore, it was a total joy to read the real goods from someone who has been a part of that very history for decades. Without being overly anecdotal and chatty, as some of these books tend to be, Mr. Viertel shares insights into the construction of musicals with an academic wisdom and a warm sense of humor. The thing you never d. S. Kirschner said Loved it!. I'm a big Broadway fan and go to theater often. The Secret Life of the American Musical was a great read. It's obvious that Mr. Viertel really knows and loves his subject matter. It's written in a conversational tone and I found myself having to limit myself to a chapter a day because when I first received the book I was afraid I would finish it in two-three days and I wanted to really savor it because I was enjoying it so much. In addition to being thoroughly entertaining, this book really helped me understand why some musicals work for me and some
A New York Times BestsellerFor almost a century, Americans have been losing their hearts and losing their minds in an insatiable love affair with the American musical. Americans love musicals. The Secret Life of the American Musical makes you feel as though you’ve been there in the rehearsal room, in the front row of the theater, and in the working offices of theater owners and producers as they pursue their own love affair with that rare and elusive beastthe Broadway hit.. He shows us patterns in the architecture of classic shows and charts the inevitable evolution that has taken place in musical theater as America itself has evolved socially and politically. In the process, he invites us to fall in love all over again by showing us how musicals happen, what makes them work, how they captivate audiences, and how one landmark show leads to the nextby design or by accident, by emulation or by rebellionfrom Oklaho
By simultaneously (and brilliantly) embracing and deconstructing a beloved American art form, he brings us back to our most innocent selves, and all we can do is be grateful to him for reminding us of who we used to be.” Scott Rudin. And no one in the world knows as much about the shape and substance of the classic American musical as Jack Viertel. ‘It’s boffo!’ as they say on the Rialto.” John Lahr, author of Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh“This is unfair: no one who knows so much should be able to write so well. V