Profile for BaltimoreWriter

Thanks so much, JSquared2. I read and adored SMASH, but it was published in 1980, turned into a TV show, and will soon become a musical. The novels mentioned here came out in the past two years, and some Broadway fans may not be aware of them.

So many vintage shows are being updated and changed, maybe the only way to know what the creators of golden age musicals had in mind is to read about them in non-fiction and fiction. Here are four recent novels that give you a birdseye backstage view and lots of clever dish: Producer Jack Viertel's BROADWAY MELODY (Benzinger and Frank) in which three Broadway denizens conduct a triangular relationship across several decades.Librettist Stephen Cole's MARY & ETHEL...AND MIKEY WHO? (Moreclacke),...

Thanks. I can't believe I forgot CITY OF GIRLS. I loved that novel.

As the author of a recent novel about Broadway's Camelot (One More Seat at the Round Table), I am always on the hunt for backstage stories, and recently I've found several that I've personally read and want to recommend. It's a growing sub-genre, and one that is dear to my heart. Maybe you can think of other books I've missed.The Adored One by Susanne Dunlap, Atmosphere Press, the story of Ziegfeld Follies star Lillian Lorraine and her romance with Flo Ziegfeld.Broadway Butterfly by Sara Dive...

Thanks so much. That is exactly what I needed!

I'm writing a novel about a Broadway musical that did its out-of-own tryout at the Boston Shubert (now the Boch Center - Shubert Theatre) in the 1960s. Is there anyone who can give me a few details about the backstage? How to access the stage door, the location of the dressing rooms, etc. I don't need much. Just enough for ambience. Thanks for any light you can shed. (I know it's a long time ago, but in my experience backstage configurations in classic theaters don't change much.)