Musicals - Hardcover

Kennedy, Michael Patrick; Muir, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0004720679 ISBN 13: 9780004720678

Publisher: Harpercollins Pub Ltd, 1998

Musicals is a handy guide to this ever-popular art form, offering essential information on 180 major (and some not so major) productions. Each accessible, detailed entry includes: composer, lyricist, and first American and British performances; principal characters, plot synopsis, and hit songs; original stage cast and film credits; recommended recordings; and interesting background information, reviews, and anecdotes. The guide also includes brief biographies of many of the composers and lyricists, an overview of the development of musicals, and a glossary of terms. Covering everything from landmark productions like "Showboat" and the hit shows of Rodgers and Hammerstein, to the extravaganzas of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Musicals is an essential companion for devotees and newcomers alike. Michael Patrick Kennedy is a London music reviewer. John Muir is music curator

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From Library Journal:

These upbeat, useful home references have similar formats, with entries for each opera, operetta, or musical listing composer, librettist, date of first performance, principal characters, plot, critical commentary, musical highlights, a random fact about the composer or production, and at least one recommended recording. Musicals lists 180 shows alphabetically, with an appendix of composer and lyricist biographies. It occasionally recommends filmed versions of the shows and includes information about original casts, both American and British. Opera and Operettas is arranged alphabetically and includes 77 composers, from John Adams to Bernd Alois Zimmermann, more than half having lived at least part of their lives in the 20th century. It includes biographical information at the beginning of each composer entry. Principal operas by each composer are listed, though only selected major operas are described at length. An essay on the history of each genre opens each book. British pride comes through in the opera book?and with 20th-century operas by Britten, Tippett, Walton, Birtwistle, Maxwell Davies, and others, it would be hard for a British publication on opera not to show pride. Naturally, the shows in Musicals are mostly by Americans. Well designed, reasonably priced, and written in lively styles by informed British music critics who respect their audiences, these books will delight lovers of opera and musicals. They are, however, perfect-bound and will probably not stand up to hard use. Libraries should regard them as supplementary items.?Bonnie Jo Dopp, Univ. of Maryland Lib., College Park
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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