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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 9, 2016 8:46:10 GMT
I'm currently reading Sarah Ruhl's beautiful and touching 100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write: On Umbrellas and Sword Fights, Parades and Dogs, Fire Alarms, Children, and Theater and it made me think... what are your favourite theatre related books? It can be an essay, a novel, a collection of interviews, a photography book, a memoir, whatever you want! Some of mine are: - Finishing the Hat and Look I made a hat by Stephen Sondheim
- Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies by Ted Chapin
- Hamlet's Dresser: A Memoir by Bob Smith
- Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater by Eddie Shapiro
Tell me yours, I need more stuff to read!
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Post by Mark on Oct 9, 2016 9:48:53 GMT
One that stands out was Patti Lupone : A Memoir, except I didn't read it but listened to the audio book. I must have looked like a nutter those couple of days walking round laughing out loud,
There's one called "Making it Big" (I think that's what it's called) which I read at uni all about the production of Big on Broadway. Worth a read.
I agree with you on the two Sondheim memoirs. Fantastic books.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 10:29:43 GMT
Musicals- the definitive illustrated story
Concrete reality
The sound of musicals
Olivier at work
i have other cool 2nd hand ones from charity shops and book shops aswell.
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362 posts
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Post by JJShaw on Oct 9, 2016 11:10:45 GMT
my favourite is SONDHEIM AND CO. if you're a sondheim fan and like finding out about he creation of his shows it is a must. it also has small chapters that talk about things that apply to all productions like recording cast albums and such. it goes from west side story to sunday... (with a smattering of into the woods). lots on follies which is very interesting. can pick ip up from amazing for about £3, its a big 460 page book and my favourite one.
another great one is SONG OF SPIDERMAN, i guess an autobiographical account of the creation of the spiderman musical, and this book is written by the book writer for the show. told very similar to a fiction novel but its a great read and you almost wonder how and why it failed here.
agree patti lupones book is great!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 14:10:33 GMT
Musicals- the definitive illustrated story Concrete reality The sound of musicals Olivier at work i have other cool 2nd hand ones from charity shops and book shops aswell. Really like that book too - very interesting |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 16:22:37 GMT
Agree that Patti Lupone's book is a great read, especially the Sunset Saga!
Many (but not all) of the following have been recommended by other posters at some time or another on the previous board, and I have really enjoyed them:
The National Theatre Story by Daniel Rosenthal (thought I would dip in and out of this as it was so big, but ended up reading it cover to cover. Unputdownable!)
The Kenneth Williams' Diaries are a must...
On The Line- the creation of A Chorus Line by Viagas, Lee and Walsh (If you love ACL you'll LOVE this!)
Harold Prince and the American Musical Theatre by Foster Hirsch (If you love Hal Prince productions you'll... okay, you get it by now!)
Everything Was Possible- the birth of the musical Follies by Ted Chapin
Broadway Babies Say Goodnight by Mark Steyn
Coloured Lights (the music and words of Kander and Ebb) by Kannder and Ebb
The Musical World of Boublil and Schonberg by Margaret Vermette
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2016 22:56:54 GMT
I think my favourite theatre book has to be 'Not Since Carrie - 40 Years of Musical Flops' by Ken Mandlebaum. Its a fascinating read about shows that have flopped big time. its a must read for any musical fan!
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Post by partytentdown on Oct 10, 2016 10:02:04 GMT
Just read 'Razzle Dazzle' by Michael Riedel which is a great history of Broadway, full of anecdotes about the creation of some big shows.
The Hamilton book is very good if you like that show.
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2,041 posts
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Post by 49thand8th on Oct 10, 2016 12:51:04 GMT
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Post by adrianics on Oct 10, 2016 14:18:41 GMT
I got West End Producer's book for my birthday and it's a very entertaining and actually quite emotionally stirring when he's not being funny (although it is pretty funny too). He does a great job of capturing the ups and downs of theatrical life and the insane amount of hard work from everyone involved in putting on a show.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2016 11:45:52 GMT
I'm currently reading Sarah Ruhl's beautiful and touching 100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write: On Umbrellas and Sword Fights, Parades and Dogs, Fire Alarms, Children, and Theater and it made me think... what are your favourite theatre related books? It can be an essay, a novel, a collection of interviews, a photography book, a memoir, whatever you want! Some of mine are: - Finishing the Hat and Look I made a hat by Stephen Sondheim
- Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies by Ted Chapin
- Hamlet's Dresser: A Memoir by Bob Smith
- Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater by Eddie Shapiro
Tell me yours, I need more stuff to read!
So- did any of our suggestions sound interesting..? (Several titles here have made it onto my Amazon wishlist! Thanks for these.) |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 12, 2016 7:10:41 GMT
Yes, it's been incredibly useful! Thank you very much  |
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471 posts
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Post by mistressjojo on Oct 12, 2016 7:34:48 GMT
Not musicals related ( as I can see most suggestions have been) but a couple of my favorites.
Buzz Buzz! Playwrights, Actors and Directors at the National Theatre - Jonathan Croall - an interesting collection of essays relating to NT productions.
Players of Shakespeare volumes 1-6 - (various) -essays by actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company & National Theatre on the preparation and performance of a major Shakespearean role. About 12 -13 different actors in each volume. Some are more interesting than others - some actors aren't great essay writers!
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Post by maggiem on Oct 12, 2016 12:10:27 GMT
Players of Shakespeare volumes 1-6 - (various) -essays by actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company & National Theatre on the preparation and performance of a major Shakespearean role. About 12 -13 different actors in each volume. Some are more interesting than others - some actors aren't great essay writers! I have some of these too (thanks to books being withdrawn at my uni library!). I agree about some of the essays, but the best ones are enough for the books to be worth having. My favourite is Roger Allam's essay about playing the Duke in "Measure For Measure". What's yours? |
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Post by DuchessConstance on Oct 12, 2016 12:17:39 GMT
The David Tennant wrote two, both of which are online, and they are very well-written.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2016 15:35:54 GMT
There's also a great book called 'Places Please' by Daniel Robert Sullivan (I think) about a man's journey from being unemployed to becoming cast in Jersey Boys and how long it all takes. It's very interesting to see how all works when casting a show
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Post by ctas on Oct 12, 2016 17:13:16 GMT
There's a biography of Bob Fosse called "All His Jazz" which is absolutely fascinating.
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Post by 49thand8th on Oct 12, 2016 17:46:31 GMT
There's also a great book called 'Places Please' by Daniel Robert Sullivan (I think) about a man's journey from being unemployed to becoming cast in Jersey Boys and how long it all takes. It's very interesting to see how all works when casting a show Yes, this it it: www.amazon.com/Places-Please-Becoming-Jersey-Boy/dp/0987826727 |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2016 23:09:16 GMT
Mine are more actual show related
Wicked - The Grimmerie
Mary Poppins - Anything Can Happen If You Let It
Les Miserables - Stage to Screen
Billy Elliot -Through the Lens
Cats - The Book
And a few playtexts.
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Post by vdcni on Oct 13, 2016 8:05:57 GMT
I doubt there will be much theatre in the book as a whole but there's a nice little anecdote at the start of Peter Davison's just released auto biography where he mentions that one night Imelda Staunton did the whole first scene of Gypsy with a mouse crawling up her sleeve and over her shoulders and some of the second scene shaking her coat out much to the surprise of the actor playing her father.
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1,582 posts
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Post by anita on Oct 13, 2016 9:32:49 GMT
"Broadway Jeeves" by Martin Jarvis.
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1,582 posts
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Post by anita on Oct 13, 2016 9:51:42 GMT
There's also a great book called 'Places Please' by Daniel Robert Sullivan (I think) about a man's journey from being unemployed to becoming cast in Jersey Boys and how long it all takes. It's very interesting to see how all works when casting a show Isn't there a similar book from someone who was cast in Les Mis? I know I have one by a member of "The Producers" original cast too. |
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Post by partytentdown on Oct 13, 2016 9:53:35 GMT
I remember on the old board which we must not speak of, someone recommended a book about a flop west end musical at the Savoy but I can't for the life of me remember what it was, can anyone remember? It had a slightly risque title.
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Post by anita on Oct 13, 2016 10:01:20 GMT
Also "Lord of the Rings Official Stage Companion" by Gary Russell.
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1,582 posts
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Post by anita on Oct 13, 2016 10:12:32 GMT
Just ordered the Jersey Boys book. Thank you.
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