Anything goes : a history of American musical theatre Ethan Mordden

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mordden, Ethan, 1947-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Musicals--United States--History and criticism.

Musicals.

Physical Description:

xii, 346 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, [2013]

Summary:

Anything Goes stages a grand revue of the musical from the 1700s through to the present day, narrated in Mordden's famously witty, scholarly, and conversational style. He peers with us over Stephen Sondheim's shoulder as he composes at the piano. He places us in a bare rehearsal room as the cast of Oklahoma! changes history by psychoanalyzing the plot in the greatest of the musical's many Dream Ballets. And he gives us tickets for orchestra seats on opening night-raising the curtain on the pleasures of Victor Herbert's The Red Mill and the thrill of Porgy and Bess. Mordden examines the music, of course, but also more neglected elements. Dance was once considered as crucial as song; he follows it from the nineteenth century's zany hoofing to tap "combinations" of the 1920s, from the injection of ballet and modern dance in the 1930s and '40s to the innovations of Bob Fosse. He also explores the changing structure of musical comedy and operetta, and the evolution of the role of the star. Fred Stone, the avuncular Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, seldom varied his acting from part to part; but the versatile Ethel Merman turned the headlining role inside out in Gypsy, playing a character who was selfish, fierce, and destructive.

Contents:

The first age. Source material ; The age of burlesque ; At the turn of the century

The second age. The witch of the wood and the bamboo tree ; Victor Herbert ; The new music ; The variety show

The third age. The structure of twenties musical comedy ; The structure of twenties operetta ; Dancing in the dark ; Blue monday blues ; The Rodgers and Hammerstein handbook ; Something to dance about ; After West side story ; The Sondheim handbook

The fourth age. Devolutions ; That is the state of the art.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references, discography and index.

Local Notes:

Forrest Performing Arts Complimentary Collection

ISBN:

9780199892839

0199892830

9780190227937

0190227931

OCLC:

859187334

Publisher Number:

40022670960