Show Boat- Page 3

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:35pm

Great magruder! I was thinking we only touched on a bit of Golden Apple, but for those unfamiliar, it might be good to give a little basic info and then move on to what makes it unusual/important entry in Broadway Musical History.

When I get back, I'll grab Milk and Honey. I don't know much about it other than a couple of interesting facts, so it'll be fun to get back into my research mode again. When I'm in Houston, I'll see if I can get hold of Stuart Ostrow and get some info from him as well. I haven't talked to him in a couple of years. It would be great to see him again.

[magruder]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:44pm

Ohmygosh. Be sure to get him to tell you some Barbara Harris stories from The Apple Tree.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 2:49pm

I'll tackle GOLDEN APPLE. I'm not sure if anyone opted for it or not.

Bulldog.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 3:00pm

magruder - I certainly will. He did tell me a funny story about the original set for Apple Tree. Coincidentally, the same year I worked on a new musical with Jerry Bock and I meant to ask them both to autograph my LP of Apple Tree. I completely forgot! Bock did sign my LPs of Fiddler and Fiorello, though.

Back to Apple Tree - Ostrow talked about the day the original set design was revealed which consisted of these huge clear plastic luminous structures of trees and animals all around the stage (I don't remember if it was Tony Walton who did the original design or not, I'd have to look at my notes). The effect, he said, was rather breathtaking and gorgeous.

After Mike Nichols and Ostrow viewed the set from the audience, Mike called the actors to the stage to begin rehearsals. They waited....the stage manager called places again. Two voices could be heard coming from the stage saying "we're here!" Nichols asked where and the actors said, "on stage!" At that point, the design was immediately scrapped.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 3:01pm

I thought magruder was taking Golden Apple. Magruder - are you taking Of Thee I Sing?

[magruder]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 3:04pm

Of Thee I Sing for me, baby. Broadway Bulldog for Golden Apple.

After all, "If a girl is sexy, she may be Mrs. Prexy."

Updated On: 12/30/03 at 03:04 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 3:16pm

Sounds like assignment wrap-ups.

Love THE APPLE TREE too.

Bulldog.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 3:18pm

Great. I'll get started on Milk and Honey when I return from my trip.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 3:47pm

Haha thanks for the vote of confidence. I look forward to hearing about all these shows. Looks like we've got some good topics for awhile now, sadly some of them I have only heard about for the first time here. Does anyone know of any books that does a good job of recaping broadway history and important moments and stuff like that? I feel like I've missed a lot and I'd like to try to get caught up.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 4:27pm

Probably the most entertaining book out there is Not Since Carrie: 40 Years of Broadway Musical Flops by Ken Mandelbaum. I've read it three times.

For a quick general review of the most popular shows in Broadway history, try Broadway Musicals Show By Show by Stanley Green. It's revised each year to include the most current season.

[magruder]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 4:34pm

Stanley Green's World of Musical Comedy and Musicals Show by Show are both very good for a comprehensive survey of musicals. Ethan Mordden has written a decade by decade series of books about musicals from the 1940s through the 1970s. He's highly opinionated, but enjoyable to read. Ken Mandelbaum's Not Since Carrie is pretty indispensable for a history of flop musicals.

Brooks Atkinson, former theatre critic of the New York Times, also wrote a very enjoyable book, Broadway, about the era of his criticism. There are also several books of collective reviews from the New York Times that are informative. One, called On Stage, I believe, has reviews from the 1920s through the 1970s. I also enjoyed Frank Rich's Hot Seat, which is a collection of his reviews from 1981 to 1994.

You can venture out to some very enjoyable autobiographies...
things like Harvey Sabinson's Darling, You Were Wonderful, Moss Hart's Act One, Cy Feuer's I've Got the Show Right Here, Richard Rodgers' Musical Stages, and if you can deal with more graphic sex than an 8th Avenue porn palace, Original Story by Arthur Laurents. Go to your local library or bookstore and look up books about George Abbott, Josh Logan, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett and Gower Champion. (Is there a book about Champion? At the very least, try to read up on his staging of Carnival).

I'll try to think of other suggestions.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/30/03 at 4:47pm

Moss Hart's ACT ONE was the first non-fiction book on a life in the theatre that I recall reading. It was quite an experience for me. All the books mentioned are worth picking up.

Best advice I can give is to go to your local library and go to the Theatre section and start looking at any book that takes your fancy. You might not even check them all out, but just opening the covers and skimming through pages and you'll find something to hook you. find what interests you and allow your interest to lead you. Check out books of musical plays so you can read the book and lyrics maybe even hear the songs if you have the CD.

There is no quick, one or two book, catch-up. If you're appetite is true, you'll be reading and listening and viewing the rest of your life.

So very glad you've taken an interest in the shows of the past.

If you have an interest in the '36 SHOW BOAT film, drop me a private message.

Bulldog.