The Season by William Goldman

William Goldman is my favorite author - I've loved just about every book he's written, and this was no exception.

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This is scarily coincidental . . . I was cleaning out my room less than an hour ago, stumbled upon my old copy of The Princess Bride, and began to read.

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I completely agree. I read this book while I was in high school and returned to it many times over the years. I think, along with Not Since Carrie, it's required reading for anyone who wants to know about the Commercial American Theatre.

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It was a great read & one of the best books written about Broadway

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I'd LOVE to write a modernized version, detailing this upcoming season or even the last one. Alas, I am a nobody without a publisher, literary agent, or, most importantly, connections.

Anyone want to help? PM me.

There's a lot to be written about the 06-07 season: Raul Esparza unintentionally coming out to the NY Times; Donna Murphy's damage control and rumors of her husband's stroke; how art doesn't equal profit; everything about Pirate Queen....

Trouble is that this idea has already been explored....that's what Show Business, Dori Berenstein's film was about.

Updated On: 7/4/07 at 11:16 PM

By "how art doesn't equal profit" . . . I assume you're referring to Company and Grey Gardens?

A family friend has had several books about Shakespeare in the cinema published through Ohio University Press. If you have any affiliations with a publishing university, I'd look there first.

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Art not equaling profit refers to Coram Boy, Company, Grey Gardens, Spring Awakening, and LoveMusik (which was commercially funded, despite being produced by a non-profit).

Another excellent topic for a chapter: it looked better on paper (Deuce, LoveMusik, Butley, Year of Magical Thinking...)

I'd love to work on something about last season, but with so much already closed, there's no chance for something substantial. Maybe if I can get someone to finance (as well as find connection)...eh, who am I kidding?

Updated On: 7/4/07 at 11:25 PM

Unfortunately.

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The book would be important as a snapshot of a time in Broadway and American cultural history, but it is also so well written it really is in a class by itself. Required reading for both a professional and an academic in theatre.

It is also an excelent example of never knowing how things connect - in his book "What Lie Did I Tell?" Goldman details how his the section that talked about Carl Reiner's play was directly responsible for Carl giving his son Robert (then known better as Meathead) The Princess Bride as "something that might interest you". Only 10+ years latter the film came out!
So ya jest don know what road is gonna lead you to success- but obviously being nice helps.

Think how much things have changed since the book was published almost 40 years ago. Sondheim and Lloyd Webber's work leading to the megamusical, Important playwrights changed from Neil Simon and Edward Albee to August Wilson, Harvey Fierstein, Wendy Wasserstein and Beth Henley. Harold Prince, Tommy Tune and Michale Bennett gained muscle while David Merrick lost it, four theatres opened, while four others were torn down, TKTS was established to get people into theatre seats, and stars who would work a season or two on Broadway now only do limited engagements.

Of course, this is only scratching the surface, but there have been some remarkable changes in theatre, and an updated version would be fascinating to read.

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Fans of Goldman's The Season should seek Jack Gaver's Season In, Season Out, which offers a similar overview of the 1965-66 Broadway season.

Updated On: 7/5/07 at 10:39 PM