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Synopsis
Our Musicals, Ourselves is the first full-scale social history of the American musical theatre from the imported Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas of the late nineteenth century to such recent musicals as "The Producers" and "Urinetown". John Bush Jones uses musicals as a way of illuminating broader social and cultural themes of the times.
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First Sentence
December 31, 1899: It was New Year's Eve, a small but gala evening of theaire in Manhattan. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
December 31, 1899: It was New Year's Eve, a small but gala evening of theaire in Manhattan. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you're interested in the social context of the Broadway musical then this is an essential resource but it's more suitable for students than for casual fans of musical theatre.
Format:Paperback
Excellent book about American Musicals and what led up to them. Essential for all 'musicals' lovers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
A Socio-Political History of the Broadway Musical
19 April 2004
Format:Paperback
This book by a long-time professor of theatre arts at Brandeis University is a fascinating study of the social forces influencing the evolution of the Broadway music. Starting with the early part of the 20th-century and working his way slowly to the present day, John Bush Jones groups musicals according to their themes and intent, calling some simply 'diversionary' (the sort that is so often thought to be aimed at the 'tired businessman') and others 'issue-driven,' (those with a theme which somehow mirrors the society at large). Clearly his interest is primarily with the latter, although he does discuss some of the unconscious thematic issues of the former. He does sometimes tend to get a bit caught up in his own premises and oversell them, but by and large this is a scholarly, and entirely readable, history of an art form that was invented on our shores and brought to its peak here, although it has been imitated prolifically elsewhere. He makes the point that most of the creators were Jewish (as he is) but doesn't offer much of an explanation for why this might be so. He focuses repeatedly on such things as shows with African-American, Jewish, political, sociological and psychological themes. He offers a fine analysis of the so-called 'concept musical' (e.g., 'Company' or 'Chorus Line') which he prefers to call 'fragmented musicals,' a description which points out their lack of an ordinary linear plot line.
One could argue with some of his emphases and analyses, but one has to respect the depth and breadth of his research and knowledge. He analyzes sociopolitical themes at length in such musicals as 'Show Boat,' 'The Cradle Will Rock,' 'Pal Joey,' 'Oklahoma,' 'South Pacific,' 'Carousel,' 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Fiddler on the Roof,' and others. Sometimes he finds hidden meanings that I had a hard time agreeing with, but I can only admire his imaginative look at some musicals that many of us tend to see as primarily 'diversionary.'
The book includes appendices listing the most popular or important musicals grouped roughly by decade and the number of performances they achieved. And there is also an extensive bibliography. I've read many books about the musical theatre and this one is unique in its perspective; it brings an interesting slant to the subject. Thus, it is a worthy addition to the long list of important books about the art form.
Scott Morrison
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Marvelous New View of Musical Theater
7 Mar 2004
Format:Hardcover
As a lover of Musical Theater, and (minor) toiler in the vineyards, myself, I have probably read hundreds of books on the subject. Therefore, it is always a special treat to find one that brings a fresh slant to the subject. Jones' book does just that. By treating musical theater styles neither as a simple reflection of, nor an escape from the world at large, but rather as an integral part of the whole, he presents a broad, but always entertaining and on-target view of both the 20th century and musical theater's part within same. There are, as there always are in works of this scope, some factual errors (e.g. "No Strings" wasn't Richard Rodgers' only "public" credit as a lyricist. He's also so credited on the score for the TV musical "Androcles & The Lion". It ain't Broadway-in every sense-but it IS public!) but none that take anythng away from the over-all achievement of the work.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
The Making of the American Musical, by Patricia J. Brown, Esq., Fresno, CA
22 Aug 2005
Format:Paperback
I loved this book. Ever since my high school English teacher chastised me for trying to put Miller's The Crucible in the context of the McCarthy era, I have been fascinated with the social context surrounding the creation of art. Jones focuses on the political as well as social context that has given birth to the great...and the mediocre...of the American musical. First, his use of terms such as "diversionary" ring so true for those of us who love mindless fluff when we go to the theatre. Second, I was shocked at how little I had appreciated the contributions of African-Americans, inter alia, to the American stage prior to reading this book. But, mostly, I liked how he articulated how a writer's gestalt accounts for the end product on the stage and his description of how copy-cat musicals come into being. The book gave me the backstory to many of the original shows I had the good fortune to see on Broadway. I, for one, would love a Volume II of this book to be Jones' next foray. I especially offer this to aspiring young actors, writers, directors and songwriters as a required read before embarking on a life in musical theater. If you want to create art, you must know from whence you came.
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