Ken Bloom

Frank Vlastnik

Finally, a book as glorious as its subject: this lush showcase for everyone who loves musicals covers the 101 most influential, popular, and enduring Broadway shows--all of which have toured the country and been performed in theatres large and small everywhere. Each listing includes expert commentary that sets the play in historical and cultural context, plus features on the creators and performers, plot synopses, cast and song lists, production details, backstage anecdotes, and more. Four or five beautifully reproduced photographs from each show--the majority never before published--accompany the text and make the shows leap off the page. Appendices and special features include cast albums, poster artists, revivals, guilty pleasures, Off-Broadway musicals, notable flops, and much more.

The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time

Broadway Musicals

Did you know that Frank Sinatra was nearly considered for the original production of Fiddler on the Roof? Or that Jerome Robbins never choreographed the famous "Dance at the Gym" in West Side Story? Or that Lin-Manuel Miranda called out an audience member on Twitter for texting during a performance of Hamilton (the perpetrator was Madonna)? In Show and Tell: The New Book of Broadway Anecdotes, Broadway aficionado-in-chief Ken Bloom takes us on a spirited spin through some of the most intriguing factoids in show business, offering up an unconventional history of the theatre in all its idiosyncratic glory. From the cantankerous retorts of George Abbott to the literally show-stopping antics of Katherine Hepburn, you'll learn about the adventures and star turns of some of the Broadway's biggest personalities, and discover little-known tidbits about beloved plays and musicals from The Black Crook to Beautiful.

The New Book of Broadway Anecdotes

Show and Tell

Describes one hundred and one of the most influential, popular, and enduring sitcoms, discussing their actors, creators, plots, running length, and appeal.

The 101 Greatest TV Comedies of All Time

Sitcoms

Volume 1 includes material "on nearly 3,300 American musicals. Volume 2 consists of complete indexes to more than 42,000 songs and more than 16,000 personnel, as well as a chronological listing of titles by year of production."

The Complete Musical Theatre Companion

American Song

American Song: A-S

American Song: T-Z and indexes

American Song: Indexes, The complete companion to Tin Pan Alley Song

American Song: Indexes. Collaborator index, song index, chronological index

Offers an alphabetical survey of the most popular film musicals in history, with commentaries, synopses, behind-the-scenes information, and lists of songs and cast members for each film.

The 101 Greatest Song-and-dance Movies of All Time

Hollywood Musicals

American song contains data on over 4,800 American musicals spread over two volumes. All Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions are included, together with all resident theatre productions of shows by major artists, shows that closed out of town prior to Broadway, shows that toured, selected nightclub shows, straight plays with original songs, vaudeville and burlesque shows.

This volume is another example in the Routledge tradition of producing high-quality reference works on theater, music, and the arts. An A to Z encyclopedia of Broadway, this volume includes tons of information, including producers, writer, composers, lyricists, set designers, theaters, performers, and landmarks in its sweep.

An Encyclopedia

Broadway

Covers the history of Broadway along with information on the composers, playwrights, directors, performers, producers, and theaters.

Its History, People, and Places : an Encyclopedia

Richard Carlin

"Eubie Blake tells the story of one of the key composers of 20th century American popular song. Through his music, he rose from the slums of Baltimore to the heights of Broadway success. His show Shuffle Along was the first African-American show to win a major white audience, becoming the tenth most popular show of the 1920s. The show introduced future black stars - including Josephine Baker, Paul Robeson, and Florence Mills - the syncopated chorus line, and introduced jazz-styled music to Broadway.Blake's composing skills were matched by his piano mastery. Even in the Depression, Eubie continued composing of innovative new works. At 61, he studied the Schillinger Method to expand his harmonic knowledge and ability to compose beyond the confines of traditional popular song.Blake's persistence in maintaining his ties to ragtime and Broadway paid off in the late '60s when he was rediscovered due to new recordings and personal appearances. In the last decade of his life he influenced an entirely new generation of pianists and composers from the jazz and classical worlds.This is the first biography to explore the wealth of personal records, interviews, and deep research to illuminate Blake's life and impact on over 100 years of American culture. It tells the true story of African-American performers struggling to achieve recognition and success in the popular music world at a time of deep racism. Blake's career blazed a path for countless others to rise above the limitations previously faced by blacks in the popular music world"--

Rags, Rhythm, and Race

Eubie Blake

American Song: Songwriters, The complete companion to Tin Pan Alley Song

The Routledge Guide to Broadway is the second title in our new student reference series. It will introduce the student to the Broadway theater, focusing on key performers, writers, directors, plays, and musicals, along with the theaters themselves, key awards, and the folklore of Broadway. Broadway is the center of American theater, where all the great plays and musicals make their mark. Students across the country in theater history, performance, and direction/production look to Broadway for their inspiration. While there are illustrated coffee table type books on Broadway, there are few that offer a comprehensive look at the key figures and productions of the last two centuries. The Routledge Guide to Broadway offers this information in an easy-to-use, inexpensive format that will appeal to students, professors, and theatrical professionals.

Ken Bloom

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