The Complete Book of 1960s Broadway Musicals - Hardcover

Dietz, Dan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1442230711 ISBN 13: 9781442230712

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014

Synopsis

While the 1960s may have been a decade of significant upheaval in America, it was also one of the richest periods in musical theatre history. Shows produced on Broadway during this time include such classics as Bye, Bye Birdie; Cabaret; Camelot; Hello Dolly!; Fiddler on the Roof; How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying; Oliver!; and Man of La Mancha. Performers such as Dick Van Dyke, Anthony Newley, Jerry Orbach, and Barbara Streisand made their marks, and other talents—such as Bob Fosse, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Jerome Robbins, and Stephen Sondheim—also contributed to shows.

In The Complete Book of 1960s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz examines every musical and revue that opened on Broadway during the 1960s. In addition to providing details on every hit and flop, Dietz includes revivals and one-man and one-woman shows that centered on stars like Jack Benny, Maurice Chevalier, Marlene Dietrich, Danny Kaye, Yves Montand, and Lena Horne.

Each entry consists of:

• Opening and closing dates
• Plot summaries
• Cast members
• Number of performances
• Names of all important personnel, including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directors
• Musical numbers and the names of performers who introduced the songs
• Production data, including information about tryouts
• Source material
• Critical commentary
• Tony awards and nominations
• Details about London and other foreign productions

In addition to entries for each production, the book offers numerous appendixes: a discography, film and television versions, published scripts, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and lists of productions by the New York City Center Light Opera Company, the New York City Opera Company, and the Music Theatre of Lincoln Center. A treasure trove of information, this significant resource will be of use to scholars, historians, and casual fans of one of the greatest decades in musical theatre history.

About this title

About the Author

Dan Dietz taught English and the history of modern drama at Western Carolina University, and later served with the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Education Department. He is the author of Off-Broadway Musicals, 1910-2007: Casts, Credits, Songs, Critical Reception and Performance Data of More Than 1,800 Shows (2010).

Review

Between the forgotten Beg, Borrow or Steal (February 1960) and Meredith Willson's 1491 (which closed pre-Broadway in October 1969), 271 musicals opened or tried to open on Broadway. Dietz, author of Off-Broadway Musicals, here discusses all book musicals with new music, revivals, revues, imports, and other works that appeared in New York venues (plus 29 pre-Broadway closings). Each chronologically arranged entry includes opening and closing dates, number of performances, crew, cast (with character names), setting, musical numbers (and performers), a two-page plot summary and critical reception, awards, book availability, and recording history. If a performer's name was billed above the title, it is presented in italics. Entries are well written, with subjectivity kept to a minimum (the critics do the talking), and the commentary is well informed. Included in the 12 appendixes are a discography and a filmography. More detailed than Thomas Hischak's Broadway Plays and Musicals, and more comprehensive than Stanley Green's Broadway Musicals: Show by Show (7th ed., rev. and updated, or Ethan Mordden's Open a New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960s, this is a valuable resource for all theater collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. (CHOICE)

This hefty volume examines all 271 musicals that opened on Broadway from 1960 through 1969, from the familiar (Camelot, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, and Hello, Dolly!) to the obscure (Holly Golightly and 1491). As author Dietz notes in the introduction to this book, the 1960s saw the last hurrah of the traditional book musical. In this decade, there were 98 new musicals (with original music) produced on Broadway. (Compare this to the years 2000 to 2009, which saw 38 new musicals and 42 revivals.) This reference covers those musicals, as well as a number of musical revues, imports from London’s West End, revivals, and pre-Broadway closings.The technical details for each production include opening and closing dates; number of performances; names of the writers, composers, directors, and casts; and a brief description. This is followed by a full listing of the musical numbers and a narrative (ranging one to three pages) about the show. The narrative portions of the entries consist of facts and figures, quotes, and interesting details—and Dietz does a wonderful job of remaining objective, not allowing personal bias or preference to show. There are 12 appendixes, including an alphabetical listing of shows, a chronology by season, a chronology by classification (i.e., 'Revues' and 'Institutional Revivals'), and a list of shows by Broadway theater. There are a number of books about Broadway musicals, but this one—set to be the first in a new series examining musicals by decade—stands out as a rich and readable resource. General theater enthusiasts will enjoy perusing this book, and students or researchers in the field will find this to be a great starting point. Recommended for medium and large public-library reference collections as well as academic libraries supporting performing-arts programs. (Booklist)

Numerous and notable musicals made their initial runs in the 1960s. . . .[The author] compiles plot summaries, cast members, composers, writers, directors, producers, and information about the musical, for shows produced from 1960 to 1969, encompassing the 1959-1960 through the 1969-1970 seasons. Additional information in each entry includes the number of performances, specific songs, opening and closing dates, and reception history. Dietz adds his own critical commentary, as he calls the 1960s the 'last hurrah of the traditional book musical.' In that decade, 98 new book musicals with new music appeared on Broadway. This is compared to the recent decade of 2000-2009, which saw only 38 premiere with new musical content. However, there were several more revivals. The book presents 271 musicals that opened on Broadway during the 1960s; this includes 98 with new music, 3 with pre-existing music, 22 revues, 16 personality revues, 58 revivals, and several imports. Several appendixes add data. . . .The first, an alphabetic list of musicals, designates the years only when another musical of that title was produced. Others appendixes present chronologies (one by season, another by classification), discography, filmography, the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, three lists by the theater producing the musical (e.g., New York City Center Light Opera Company, New York City Opera Company, Lincoln Center), published scripts, and theaters (with the musicals they presented). The author uses italics to display cast members who were billed above the musical’s title. (American Reference Books Annual)

Edition details

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1442230711
• ISBN 13: 9781442230712
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 622