Musical Theatre: History, A

Description: Musical Theatre: A History is a new revised edition of a proven core text for college and secondary school students - and an insightful and accessible celebration of twenty-five centuries of great theatrical entertainment.As an educator with extensive experience in professional theatre production, author John Kenrick approaches the subject with a unique appreciation of musicals as both an art form and a business. Using anecdotes, biographical profiles, clear definitions, sample scenes and select illustrations, Kenrick focuses on landmark musicals, and on the extraordinary talents and business innovators who have helped musical theatre evolve from its roots in the dramas of ancient Athens all the way to the latest hits on Broadway and London's West End.Key improvements to the second edition:* A new foreword by Oscar Hammerstein III, a critically acclaimed historian and member of a family with deep ties to the musical theatre, is included* The 28 chapters are reformatted for the typical 14 week, 28 session academic course, as well as for a two semester, once-weekly format, making it easy for educators to plan a syllabus and reading assignments.* To make the book more interactive, each chapter includes suggested listening and reading lists, designed to help readers step beyond the printed page to experience great musicals and performers for themselves.A comprehensive guide to musical theatre as an international phenomenon, Musical Theatre: A History is an ideal textbook for university and secondary school students.

Review: Kenrick demonstrates his considerable knowledge in this enjoyable, well-written volume . . . Specific examples about particular performers (e.g., Al Jolson) and shows (e.g., Franz Lehar's Merry Widow) enliven the text . . . A section of photos, most not the usual views, is a modest addition. In place of references, the author lists titles cited in a useful annotated bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. * Choice *
A comprehensive history of stage musicals . . . As informative as it is entertaining, Musical Theatre is richly illustrated with anecdotes of shows * The Pass *

Contents: Foreword by Oscar Hammerstein III (Author of The Hammersteins)Introduction: "Let's Start at the Very Beginning"Chapter 1: Ancient Times to 1800 - "Playgoers, I Bid You Welcome!" Chapter Two: Continental Operetta (1840 - 1900) - "Typical of France" Chapter 3: Music Halls and Minstrel Shows: When Ribaldry and Racism Sang and Danced Chapter 3: "The Music of Something Beginning" - American Explorations (1624-1890) Chapter 5: Object All Sublime - Gilbert & Sullivan (1880-1900) Chapter 6: Vaudeville and Burlesque - From Small Time to Big Time Chapter 7: The Merry Widow - Refusing to Say "I Love You" Chapter 10 - A New Century: Herbert, Cohan & Berlin (1900-1913) Chapter 9: Florenz Ziegfeld - The Follies and Beyond Chapter 12: Jerome Kern and American Ascendance (1914-1919) 0> Chapter 11: Career in Profile - Al Jolson Chapter 12: The 1920s - Part I Chapter 12: The 1920s Part II Chapter 14: Depression Era Miracles (1930-1939) Chapter 10: Rodgers & Hammerstein - A New Beginning (1940-1960) Chapter 17 - After Oklahoma (post-1943) 1 Chapter 17: Anatomy of a Hit - My Fair Lady (1956) Chapter 18: Career in Profile - Ethel Merman Chapter 19: Abbott, Robbins & Fosse (1950-1963) Chapter 20: More Golden Age Musicals - (1950s-1960s) Chapter 21: The 1960s - "The Parade Passes By" Chapter 22: 1970s Part I - Sondheim & Prince Chapter 12: The 1970s - "You Gotta Hang on till Tomorrow" (1970-1979) Chapter 24: The 1980s - "And the Wind Begins to Moan" Chapter 25: The 1990s - "The American Dream" Chapter 26: The 2000s - "Where Did We Go Right?" Chapter 27: The 2010s - Tourists Reign Supreme Chapter 28: The Future GlossaryAnnotated Bibliography



Author Biography: John Kenrick combines a passion for entertainment history with the practical know-how earned working on stage productions at every level from amateur to Broadway. This New York native pulls back the curtain and introduces audiences and students to the fascinating people behind show business legends. Every month, his website Musicals101.com introduces thousands of visitors to the history of stage and screen musicals. He has appeared on PBS, Biography, BBC TV and radio, National Public Radio and the Travel Channel. John currently teaches at the New School University and New York University's Steinhardt School.