SING OUT, LOUISE!: 150 STARS OF THE MUSICAL THEATRE REMEMBER 50 YEARS ON BROADWAY

Gathers Broadway anecdotes auditions, firings, working with stars, traveling productions, closings, directors, and understudies

After focusing on the recollections of opera singers in their book I Remember Too Much , McGovern and Winer now turn to the memories of Broadway's veteran stage performers. Dancers and singers, stars and supporting players voice opinions about landing or losing roles; about why landmarks like Oklahoma , A Chorus Line and Cats triumphed; and about why such promising vehicles as 1776 --complete with a Bernstein score--flopped. They also talk about working with the gracious Katherine Hepburn in Coco ; the thorny Lauren Bacall in Applause ; the despotic Yul Brynner in The King and I ; and the peerless pro and beloved colleague, Robert Preston in The Music Man . Significantly, most interviewees worry about recent trends such as high ticket prices, Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster formula, the caliber of performers and more. One of the disadvantages of this format is that it is disjointed, switching from one time frame to another and from one star to another. Still, readers should find the reminiscences powerfully nostalgic, if not the insider's book one anticipates. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The large cast assembled here includes both well-known (Gwen Verdon, Tony Randall, and Chita Rivera) and lesser-known performers. Countless anecdotes highlight every aspect of performing, from what it feels like to be an understudy to standing in for a star to auditioning for a part to losing a role. Life on the road, out-of-town tryouts, hit shows and flops are discussed in a conversational, candid style. Honest accounts of working with legendary directors and choreographers like Jerome Robbins and George Abbott illuminate life backstage. Juicy details about famous performers on Broadway add a touch of glitz. In his foreword, Jerry Orbach writes: "There's no solidrecord of what we've done the way there is in the movies. It's important that we remember things, and put them down on paper." Any library with a theater collection will certainly be glad they did! (Illustrations not seen.)-- Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.