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Review
'This smart and witty survey of [Inverne's] eclectic "Top 100" finds room for Porgy and Bess alongside The Rocky Horror Show, Candide with Hairspray, The Lion King and G & S, both Cabaret and its parent The Threepenny Opera, Billy Elliot: the musical but also Jerry Spring: the opera.' --The Independent, October 9, 2009
'The latest in this excellent series has everything you need to know about musicals.'
--Choice Magazine, September 2009
'The latest in this excellent series has everything you need to know about musicals.'
--Choice Magazine, September 2009
Book Description
An engaging and easy-to-use pocket guide on one of the most enduringly popular arts.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I came across James Inverne's Musicals a few months ago and was really excited about its witty and personal exploration of the musical. I was however surprised to find the sheer about of factual mistakes littered throughout it. While it is a thoroughly enjoyable read I was shocked to find the author an established journalist manages to inform the reader that Gary Marshall (of Happy days and Pretty Woman fame) directed Oscar winning movie musical Chicago rather than Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, & Nine) that veteran film actor John Mills stared in the original west end cast of Cats or that Stephen Schwartz apparently is spelt Schwarz (unfortunately one of many misspelt names littered through the book). Its a shame really that more care wasn't taken to insure the accuracy of another wise brilliant book.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
James Inverne is an outstanding writer. His boundless enthusiasm for the subject comes across in this highly readable pocket guide to stage musicals.
Sensibly laid out, we are first treated to a personal exposition on the history of the stage musical, before the author picks 100 of the best. Of course, with so many to choose from, you'll have plenty of fun disagreeing with his choices. "Annie," "The Fantasticks" and "Grand Hotel" are absent, to name but three, yet included are those on the opera / musical borderline like "Candide."
Each selection is given an introduction, trivia spot, synopsis and `recommended recording' treatment. Occasionally the balance in length between them has a reader thinking, "I'd like to know more about..., so why did he discuss...?" but each is still informative enough that your CD collection will grow exponentially after reading.
Insightful essays on matters musical follow. The writer's own top 10 will obviously please nobody but himself; rightly so, and it is just a pleasure to learn far more about his own tastes. His musings on "Musicals Go To The Opera" seem, to my own (probably philistine) ear, to rather over-complicate the issue. It's pretty simple; when hearing a musical theatre diva in full belt, I can distinguish every word and think "wow!" An opera singer in full vocal exposition simply induces a headache within minutes.
Wrapping up the book is Mr Inverne's choice of 10 musical flops. Again his list will spark huge debate, with such treasures-that-deserve-to-be-buried as "Bernadette," "A Doll's Life," "Jeeves" and "Kelly" missing. Still, it leaves plenty of room for a sequel.
The only failure of this book is in its editing. In several places an uneducated pen has cut important detail from the text, leaving a howler behind. The former is occasionally to the detriment of show descriptions; the latter will irritate musical theatre buffs, and require quiz compliers to cross-check details.
Still, this a must for all musical theatre fans wishing to learn a little more about them; particularly assisting newcomers as an introduction to this strange and wonderful world.
Sensibly laid out, we are first treated to a personal exposition on the history of the stage musical, before the author picks 100 of the best. Of course, with so many to choose from, you'll have plenty of fun disagreeing with his choices. "Annie," "The Fantasticks" and "Grand Hotel" are absent, to name but three, yet included are those on the opera / musical borderline like "Candide."
Each selection is given an introduction, trivia spot, synopsis and `recommended recording' treatment. Occasionally the balance in length between them has a reader thinking, "I'd like to know more about..., so why did he discuss...?" but each is still informative enough that your CD collection will grow exponentially after reading.
Insightful essays on matters musical follow. The writer's own top 10 will obviously please nobody but himself; rightly so, and it is just a pleasure to learn far more about his own tastes. His musings on "Musicals Go To The Opera" seem, to my own (probably philistine) ear, to rather over-complicate the issue. It's pretty simple; when hearing a musical theatre diva in full belt, I can distinguish every word and think "wow!" An opera singer in full vocal exposition simply induces a headache within minutes.
Wrapping up the book is Mr Inverne's choice of 10 musical flops. Again his list will spark huge debate, with such treasures-that-deserve-to-be-buried as "Bernadette," "A Doll's Life," "Jeeves" and "Kelly" missing. Still, it leaves plenty of room for a sequel.
The only failure of this book is in its editing. In several places an uneducated pen has cut important detail from the text, leaving a howler behind. The former is occasionally to the detriment of show descriptions; the latter will irritate musical theatre buffs, and require quiz compliers to cross-check details.
Still, this a must for all musical theatre fans wishing to learn a little more about them; particularly assisting newcomers as an introduction to this strange and wonderful world.
Format:Paperback
This is a useful handy-sized reference book, although it's not by any means a definitive list - the author having chosen his favourite musicals for inclusion. If you're a serious fan of MT history, or need something more weighty, then there are better reference books around. If you're just interested (or want to improve your pub quiz scores)then it's worth a read. The style is quite good - he writes with great enthusiasm - but it certainly isn't "everything you want to know about musicals".
Listmania!
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