Coming Up Roses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s

Mordden, Ethan

ISBN 10: 0195117107 / ISBN 13: 9780195117103

Published by OUP USA, 1998

About this Item

This is a definitive study of the American musical in the 1950s, the decade of perhaps its greatest accomplishments and when interest in the Broadway stage and its music was at its height. Ethan Mordden is a recognized authority and has written a number of significant books and articles about the Broadway musical. Num Pages: 272 pages, black & white illustrations. BIC Classification: 1KBB; 3JJPG; AVGM. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 244 x 164 x 23. Weight in Grams: 554. . 1999. First Edition, First Printing. hardcover. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780195117103

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Coming Up Roses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s
• Publisher: OUP USA
• Publication Date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195117107
• ISBN 13: 9780195117103
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

The 1950s saw an explosion in the American musical theater. The Broadway show, catapulted into the limelight in the 20s and solidified during the 40s thanks to Rodgers and Hammerstein, now entered its most revolutionary phase, brashly redefining itself and forging a new kind of storytelling. In Coming Up Roses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s, Ethan Mordden gives us a guided tour of this rich decade.
With loving detail, Mordden highlights the shift in Broadway from shows that were mere star vehicles, showcasing a big-name talent, to the bolder stories, stuffed with character and atmosphere. During this period, subject matter became more intricate, even controversial, and plots more human and complex; Mordden demonstrates how, in response, musical conventions were polished, writing became more finely crafted, and dance became truly indispensable. Along the way we meet the key players: such greats as Ethel Merman, George Abbott, Jerome Robbins, Gwen Verdon, Bob Fosse, Stephen Sondheim, Frank Loesser, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein, and many others. We get the backstage scoop on why Guys and Dolls is so well-made, why West Side Story is so timeless, why The King and I and Gypsy pushed the envelope, and why no one ever talks about Ankles Aweigh. All this is peppered with a dash of industry gossip--the directorial struggles, last-minute script rewrites and cast replacements, the power of the poster listings--that made Broadway so nerve-wrackingly vibrant.
This passionate and informed study illuminates a crucial period in American musical theater and shows us the origins of many of the musicals recently revived to huge success on Broadway.

About the Author

Ethan Mordden is a recognized authority on the American musical, and the author of Broadway Babies and Make Believe: The Broadway Musical in the 1920s, both published by Oxford. He lives in Manhattan.