American musical theatre : a chronicle

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Title:

American musical theatre : a chronicle

Author:

Bordman, Gerald Martin.

ISBN:

9780199729708

Personal Author:

Bordman, Gerald Martin.

Publication Information:

New York : Oxford University Press, 2010.

Edition:

4th ed.

Physical Description:

xiv, 1017 pages ; 26 cm

General Note:

Includes indexes.

Abstract:

"Bordman's exhaustive chronology traces the musical from its origins through the 1989-90 season, providing a delightful mix of history, criticism, and theatrical lore. This second edition revises and updates the first ( LJ 10/1/78) and expanded (Oxford Univ. Pr., 1986) editions, most notably in its appendix which covers early popular musical shows and farce-comedies that were not part of mainstream Broadway."--Publisher's description.

Contents:

Foreword -- Preface to the fourth edition -- Preface to the first edition -- Prologue: Origins to 1866 -- Act One: Early successes, 1866-1892 -- Scene One: Opéra bouffe and native elements, 1866-1878 -- Scene Two; H.M.S. Pinafore and the great transformation, 1878-1892 -- Intermission: Further British influences and new stirrings, 1892-1902 -- Act Two: The emergence of American talent, 1902-1907 -- Intermission: Viennese operetta and the American retreat, 1907-1914 -- Act Three: The birth of the modern musical, 1914-1921 -- Intermission: The Cinderella era, 1921-1924 -- Act Four: The golden age of the American musical, 1924-1937 -- Scene One: Songwriters' shows as pure entertainment, 1924-1929 -- Scene Two: Depression and "talkies": Broadway's answer, 1929-1937 -- Intermission: Broadway's response to the swing era, 1937-1942 -- Act Five: The American musical as a conscious art form, 1942-1965 -- Scene One: Americana amid a new seriousness, 1942-1951 -- Scene Two: Increasing problems -- lowering standards, 1951-1965 -- Intermission: Exhaustion, 1965-1969 -- Act Six: Full circle; or, return of the Brits, 1969-1995 -- Scene One: Startlingly new, delightfully old, 1969-1981 -- Scene Two: A musical trade imbalance, 1981-1995 -- Intermission: Technological spectacles, restrospectives, and revivals, 1995-2000 -- Act Seven: The twenty-first century, 2000-2010 -- Scene One: Movies hit Broadway, 2000-2005 -- Scene Two: Pop music takes over the musical, 2005-2010.

Subject Term:

Musicals -- United States -- History and criticism.

Musicals. (OCoLC)fst01030814

Added Author:

Norton, Richard, 1938-

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Sugar Grove - Todd Library	Reference Book	ML1711 .B67 2010	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Hailed as "absolutely the best reference book on its subject" by Newsweek, American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle covers more than 250 years of musical theatre in the United States, from a 1735 South Carolina production of Flora, or Hob in the Well to The Addams Family in 2010. Authors Gerald Bordman and Richard Norton write an engaging narrative blending history, critical analysis, and lively description to illustrate the transformation of American musical theatre through such incarnations as the ballad opera, revue, Golden Age musical, rock musical, Disney musical, and, with 2010's American Idiot, even the punk musical. The Chronicle is arranged chronologically and is fully indexed according to names of shows, songs, and people involved, for easy searching and browsing. Chapters range from the "Prologue," which traces the origins of American musical theater to 1866, through several "intermissions" (for instance, "Broadway's Response to the Swing Era, 1937-1942") and up to "Act Seven," the theatre of the twenty-first century. This last chapter covers the dramatic changes in musical theatre since the last edition published - whereas Fosse, a choreography-heavy revue, won the 1999 Tony for Best Musical, the 2008 award went to In the Heights, which combines hip-hop, rap, meringue and salsa unlike any musical before it. Other groundbreaking and/or box-office-breaking shows covered for the first time include Avenue Q, The Producers, Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, Monty Python's Spamalot, Wicked, Hairspray, Urinetown the Musical, and Spring Awakening.Discussion of these shows incorporates plot synopses, names of principal players, descriptions of scenery and costumes, and critical reactions. In addition, short biographies interspersed throughout the text colorfully depict the creative minds that shaped the most influential musicals. Collectively, these elements create the most comprehensive, authoritative history of musical theatre in this country and make this an essential resource for students, scholars, performers, dramaturges, and musical enthusiasts.

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

This chronology of American musicals, first published in 1978 and expanded in 1985, is surely one of the most thorough treatments of the subject to be produced. The author divides his history of this unique American art form into 11 chronological chapters that are roughly analogous to thematic changes in public taste and artistic trends. A prologue, ending at the year 1866, explains the historical and artistic antecedents to the musical form that we recognize today. Other chapters include such periods as 1914-21, which the author considers to be the era that gave birth to the modern musical; 1924-37, which he labels the golden age; and 1965-69, which he labels simply "Exhaustion." This second edition brings coverage up through the 1989-90 season. Within each thematic chapter, musicals are listed in the order of their appearance for a particular Broadway season, for example, 1954-55 began with the flop country music review Hayride, which opened in September, and ended with an equally dismal outing, something called Seventh Heaven. In between, however, were such hits as Peter Pan and Damn Yankees. The descriptions of each play are detailed. All of the major characters are described as well as identification of who played them. The plot is also given in detail, and in the case of major hits, a lengthy critical analysis often follows. While principal songs are noted, a complete list of the songs is not included, which seems a curious omission for a book about musicals. Brief biographies of important people in musical theater are also interspersed. A new appendix discusses early (pre-World War I) musicals that were missed in previous editions. Three indexes follow: show titles and, when appropriate, the books on which they were based; all songs mentioned in the text; and people and theaters. Ken Bloom's American Song: The Complete Musical Theatre Companion (Facts On File, 1985) lists cast, songs, composers, lyricists, etc., for more than 3,000 shows through 1984 but lacks the readable plot summaries and commentary found in American Musical Theatre. This new book will be of value in academic and public library collections with a strong performing arts emphasis, especially where previous editions have been well received. (Reviewed July 1992)

Library Journal Review

This updated and revised edition (following the 2001 third edition) incorporates developments to musical theater from the last decade. Bordman (coauthor, The Oxford Companion to American Theatre) and Norton (A Chronology of American Musical Theater) open this admittedly New York-centric guide with a prolog on the late 18th-century genesis of musical theater. Throughout, sidebars offer thumbnail profiles of actors, directors, and notable figures in musical theater history. The content is organized chronologically by season, and several paragraphs detail the significance and critical reception of each year's debuts. This is the most up-to-date subject reference available and an enjoyable read. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.