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Review
"A columnist and critic offers an irreverent history of the Broadway musical, a diverse and lively art form that, judging from the flood of revivals these days, may be in its death throes. "Broadway Babies is an eccentric, funny, shrewd and somewhat dismaying book.."
-"St. Paul Pioneer Press
"Wise but wicked in his analysis...Steyn leaves no turn unstoned....At last, a book of theater criticism with real teeth; it may rankle, but it never bores."
-"Out Magazine
"[B]rilliantly opinionated British critic [Mark Steyn] knows the history of Broadway (and West End) musicals, and he makes us care that the current crop lacks conviction and craft. He excoriates meretricious gimmicks and he makes us yearn for shows that are authentic and believable because they are rooted in the human experience."
-"Wall Street Journal, 5/99
""Broadway Babies offers an unapologetically anecdotal and extremely personal account of musical theatre from "The Black Crook (1866) to "Rent (1996). With an emphasis on the last seventy years, Steyn charts the musical's highs, lows, and the banalities in-between, and he raises provocative questions about the future of the form. His discussion is peppered with observations from individuals associated with the most sublime - as well as the most ridiculous - shows ever produced, and he fearlessly takes on some of the sacred deities of the musical theatre. For even the most casual musical devotee, "Broadway Babies will surely provoke, frustrate, and occasionally entertain."
-"Broadside
"Steyn on Broadway is a very compelling autopsy report."
-"Booklist 4/99
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
-"St. Paul Pioneer Press
"Wise but wicked in his analysis...Steyn leaves no turn unstoned....At last, a book of theater criticism with real teeth; it may rankle, but it never bores."
-"Out Magazine
"[B]rilliantly opinionated British critic [Mark Steyn] knows the history of Broadway (and West End) musicals, and he makes us care that the current crop lacks conviction and craft. He excoriates meretricious gimmicks and he makes us yearn for shows that are authentic and believable because they are rooted in the human experience."
-"Wall Street Journal, 5/99
""Broadway Babies offers an unapologetically anecdotal and extremely personal account of musical theatre from "The Black Crook (1866) to "Rent (1996). With an emphasis on the last seventy years, Steyn charts the musical's highs, lows, and the banalities in-between, and he raises provocative questions about the future of the form. His discussion is peppered with observations from individuals associated with the most sublime - as well as the most ridiculous - shows ever produced, and he fearlessly takes on some of the sacred deities of the musical theatre. For even the most casual musical devotee, "Broadway Babies will surely provoke, frustrate, and occasionally entertain."
-"Broadside
"Steyn on Broadway is a very compelling autopsy report."
-"Booklist 4/99
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
The Broadway musical was a glorious seventy-year tradition, proceeding smoothly from Jerome Kern to Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim, and giving us along the way the best songs in American popular music, the art of lyric-writing, the structural integrity of the musical play and a new form of dramatic choreography. But what's left of that in a lush, 'through-composed' operetta such as Phantom of the Opera or a dance-free 'chamber opera' such as Aspects of Love? Mark Steyn considers the pioneers who made the Broadway musical the central thruway of American popular culture, and the reasons why it crumbled away to a dusty backroad. But, fifteen years after Cats, he also contemplates the health of British musicals and wonders whether they, too, have met their Sunset Boulevard.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mark Steyn's look at the history of the musical is a fascinating book because it is written both with the head and from the heart. It's undeniably biased (he makes no pretence of that) but that's because it is written with a real passion about a subject that he truly loves, which also makes it a very witty and deceptively easy read.
It's divided into two halves. The first part deals with the mechanics of the musical: book, lyrics, music etc whilst the second is an examination of its place in our culture, with reference to the key `players': Kern, Hammerstein, Sondheim, Lloyd Webber etc. It has snappy chapter titles and a good index which makes it easy for references. Indeed, it's a book I come back to time and again.
Occasionally his enthusiasms or dislikes get the better of him and spill over too subjectively - you will be left in no doubt of his feelings about the work of Lloyd Webber and Sondheim from his extremely cutting remarks - but he ultimately does give a very fair analysis.
More importantly he is also a passionately political writer, who obviously believes the Arts to be an integral part of our society and our lives; there to question and challenge, but also all too often symptomatic of deeper problems.
Although the first chapters tend to be repetitive, this is a well-written and highly engaging book, which deserves to be read by everyone - and particularly by those who think they have no interest in the musical or in the imnportance of the arts in Britain and America today.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm currently writing a thesis on Musical Theatre. Won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that I've read dozens of books, articles, essays and journals about the form, content, composers, lyrcists, styles, developments etc etc. I've also listens to what seems like hundreds of soundtracks and about as many stage and screen productions too. I'm tired.
Mark Steyn's book made it worthwhile. Subjective, yes - highly so. Witty, pun-loaded, and irreverent - absolutely. Insightful, passionate, inspired, well-structured - check.
This book is absolutely essential reading for anyone with even a passing interest in musical theatre/theatre/drama/songwriting/the arts/showbusiness. Even if you don't, it's a really good read - well-paced, snappy and easily digestible.
Buy this book immediately. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There are so many books that claim to give you an overview of Musical Theatre, and most don't. What you end up with is a list of when things opened, when they closed and why America is the be all and end all of the genre. Steyn who is an adept, witty and accessible writer moves outside of these narrow points of focus. Simply put this book is the perfect primer, that never once becomes a bore to read, it is full of facts, full of gossip and yes as noted by other reviewers some bad jokes, above and beyond that it gives a balanced and fair minded view of the Musical, its development and history, the people, the shows and the trends that have made the genre what it is today. The only bad note is that he should update it more, or at least Faber should ask him to and he should write more on the subject as he clearly knows far more than Ganzl, Shenton and the other hacks that write on the subject. Cannot recommend this highly enough.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Hip Hooray and Ballyhoo!
If you're into Musical Theatre, either as a performer or informally, this book really tells you what makes it tick. Read more
Published on 7 May 2009 by M. J. Saxton
The best book on musicals I have ever read
Funny, (with some terrible jokes), intelligent and devastatingly accurate in his analysis of the Broadway musical and how Lloyd Webber has taken the form back 100 years to... Read more
Published on 30 Jun 1999
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