Book Recommendations

[theatretalk]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 11:39am

I love theater, and I want to start reading books about theater so that I can develop a greater appreciation of the past and present. I would love recommendations on any good biographies of people involved in theater. Anybody have any suggestions for really good theater related books? I am opened to reading anything related to theater and I am excited to get some recommendations!
Updated On: 2/20/09 at 11:39 AM

[ashley0139]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 12:02pm

Ghostlight by Frank Rich is a good one.

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 12:14pm

the new KANDER & EBB book published by Yale University.Also all Ethan mordden books and the best of all: A CHORUS LINE AND THE MUSICALS OF MICHEL BENNETT by Ken Mandelbaum.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 12:37pm

On the Line, which is the cast's account of creating A Chorus Line.

Everything Was Possible, by Ted Chapin, who is currently president of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. This is his production diary from the time he spent working as an intern on the original production of Follies.

Letting Down my Hair, by Lorrie Davis. Her account of spending two years with Hair, starting with rehearsals for the original Broadway production. It's out of print, but Amazon usually has used copies available and it has also turned up on ebay.

[boombaboy]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 1:03pm

All the recommendations posted so far are terrific. I particularly enjoyed reading Charles Strouse's new autobiography, "Put On A Happy Face." Also, for sheer hilarity, read James Kirkwood's account of the production of "Legends" (which is being dramatized at City Center next month and should be a riot) called "Diary of a Mad Playwright." I fell down laughing reading that one. But some of my favorite books about the American Theater were written by the late great Ruth Gordon, who toured extensively, wrote plays and screenplays (and great books like "My Side" and "Myself Among Others") and starred on Broadway back in the days of Cornell, Hayes and was good friends with Woollcott and Wilder. A real glimpse of our glorious theatrical past told by a lady who could spin a great yarn.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 1:15pm

The books on "No No Nanette" and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" are both good. "Not Since Carrie" is a fun read.

And, I actually prefer the OOP "What They Did For Love" to "On the Line"

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 1:16pm

On a lighter side, I enjoyed Marc Acito's 2 books. The first was "How I Paid for College - A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater" and the follow-up,"Attack of the Theater People". They are fun books with some pretty colorful characters and lot of show references. I think he is working on a third book.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 3:45pm

Everything Was Possible! Everything Was Possible! Everything Was Possible! It's the greatest book written on the theatre in the world. Read it today!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 3:48pm

"Everything Was Possible" about FOLLIES by Ted Chapin is a wonderful book.

William Goldman's "The Season" is probably the definitive theater tome.

And Mandelbaum's "Not Since Carrie"

[Eris0303]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 4:14pm

Anything by Seth Rudetsky

"How Does the Show Go On?" is aimed at the younger set but is still pretty interesting.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 4:20pm

Start with Moss Hart's ACT ONE.



It's still the definitive young-man-dreams-of-Broadway-glory story.
Act One: An Autobiography

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 4:26pm

Louis Sheaffer's O'Neill: Son and Playwright and O'Neill: Son and Artist

Jared Brown's The Fabulous Lunts
An Actor and His Time by John Gielgud
Michael Mayer's Ibsen: a biography
James Shapiro's A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599
Anthony Burgess's Shakespeare
The Girl Who Fell Down: A Biography of Joan McCracken by Lisa Jo Sagolla
Letters From an Actor by William Redfield
Act One by Moss Hart
Playwrights, Lyricists, Composers, on Theater and Broadway Song & Story, both edited by Otis L. Guernsey
The Making of a Musical by Richard Altman (about the creation of Fiddler on the Roof)
The books on Oklahoma! by Max Wilk (though avoid his book on The Sound of Music) and Tim Carter
Sondheim & Co. by Craig Zadan
The Season by William Goldman (outdated but still a great read)
Cole Porter by William McBrien

Many other good suggestions have already been made. I didn't want to repeat any, but I will second the recommendation of Everything Was Possible.

Some of the books I mentioned are out of print, but most can be found either from amazon sellers or from sites like abebooks.com for low prices.

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 6:43pm

This book about the making of THE BEST LITTLE...TEXAS ? Anyone knows the title ? Thank you!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/09 at 6:54pm

Two of my favorites are Ever After: The Last Years of Musical Theater and Beyond and Our Musicals, Ourselves.