Book description
With hit TV shows picking the leads in productions of Oliver! and
The Sound Of Music, and smash musicals like Hairspray and Wicked all
the West End rage, musical theatre is as popular as it's ever been.
James Inverne provides an indispensable guide to his top one hundred
greatest shows of all time - and ten of the worst. Whether you know
your Pal Joey from The Producers, your West Side Story from your Witch
Witch, the Faber Pocket Guide To Musicals is packed with entertaining
behind-the-scenes stories, essential songlists and comprehensive
recording guides. Did you know, for instance, that one of the best
recordings of Les Miserables is in Hebrew? Or that the Mel Brooks
wasn't the first person to want to make a musical of The Producers (it
was Eric Idle)? Or the ridiculous story of the huge purpose-built
theatre constructed in Holland to house a flop about Grace Kelly? Key
features include: The hundred greatest musicals Numbers to listen for
Snapshot plot summaries Ten terrible musicals Recommended recordings
James Inverne has been writing about musical theatre for years and
brings copious knowledge, passion for the subject and a sense of fun
to a genre that continues to entertain us all. Make the most of the
musicals with this vital book.
James Inverne is one of the UK's leading arts journalists. He
currently edits Gramophone, the world's best-selling classical music
magazine, and before that spent more than five years with Time
magazine as European Performing Arts Correspondent. He has regularly
written reviews and major features for many publications, including
the Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Telegraph, The Times and the Mail
On Sunday. Previous books include Inverne's Stage and Screen Trivia,
The Impresarios and Jack Tinker: A Life In Review. Prizes include the
Press Gazette Award for Exclusive of the Year.
