The rise and fall of the Broadway musical / Mark N. Grant.
| Author/creator |
Grant, Mark N., 1952- |
| Format | Book and Print |
| Publication Info | Boston : Northeastern University Press, ©2004. |
| Description | x, 365 pages, 12 pages of illustrations : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Subject(s) |
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| Contents | From soaring divas to growling rockers: how changes in singing forged and felled the show tune -- How mavericks, highbrows, and enlightened collectivism invented the book and lyrics and tweaked the music -- Revolutions in Broadway rhythm: how the rock groove decomposed the musical and dismantled the fourth wall -- The loudspeakers are alive with the sound of music: how electronics trumped the artful acoustics of Broadway -- Wagging the musical: how director-choreographers co-opted a writer's medium -- The age of McMusicals: vaudeville redux. |
| Abstract | Many of today's Broadway shows, from Rent to The Lion King, have become commercial hits, but do they have the cultural importance or the dramatic and musical artistry of such enduring productions as Oklahoma!, Show Boat, or Kiss Me, Kate? This book traces the transformation of singing and melody, libretto and lyric writing, dance rhythms, sound design, and choreography and stage direction through three distinct eras: the formative period (1866-1927), the golden age (1927-1966), and the fall (1967 to the present). The author explores how and why the unsophisticated genre of pre-1927 musical comedy evolved into the creative, innovative, and immensely popular theatre produced by the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein and then steadily faded as a significant entertainment genre in American culture, giving rise to the "McMusicals" of today. This provocative, sometimes irreverent work offers a refreshing perspective on the history of American musical theatre and provides strong views on restoring the genre to its former greatness. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 329-337) and index. |
| LCCN | 2004014100 |
| ISBN | 1555536239 (cloth : alk. paper) |
Available Items
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions | |
| Music | Music Stacks | ML1711.8.N3 G727 2004 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |