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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2018 13:15:54 GMT
Like many on here, I received the London Theatres book for Christmas.
Its beautiful. I'm slowly making my way through it, taking a theatre-a-day approach.
Just been reading some reviews on Amazon and a couple allude to the notion that some of the accounts per theatre may bend the truth some what.
I was surprised to read that -apparently- Andrew Lloyd Webber, after purchasing the Palace Theatre, took residence of the accommodation above the theatre where he wrote much of the score of Phantom.
Just wondering the legitimacy of this. It's quite an interesting fact, if he really did write the score for a musical about a love sick musical genius who lives in a theatre, whilst himself living about the corridors of the Palace.
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Post by loureviews on Jan 8, 2018 7:38:34 GMT
I wondered that too - it could have been his office if he didn't actually live there. Would have definitely given him inspiration!
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Post by confessor on Jan 11, 2018 20:31:07 GMT
For anybody who may be interested, the Dorling Kindersley Musicals: Definitive Illustrated Story is on sale in some branches of The Works for just £5 (currently on Amazon for just over £20). If you happen to be near Witham in Essex they had 2 copies when I was in there earlier this week.
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Post by justfran on Mar 8, 2018 9:44:30 GMT
Thanks to the recommendations on here I’ve just finished reading Places Please by Daniel Robert Sullivan. It did take me a little while to get into it but a really enjoyable book by the end. Particularly liked the stories in the apendix by Jersey Boys fans.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 13, 2018 1:21:21 GMT
Is anybody reading Lord Lloyd Webber's book at the moment? Opinions on it?
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Post by viserys on Mar 13, 2018 7:20:03 GMT
I've only just begun and as I manage about ten minutes' reading time in bed before falling asleep, it'll be slow going!
I haven't moved beyond him being 13 yrs or something, but I'm liking it so far. I tend to pick up on little things, like a casual mention that the South Pacific cast recording was on top of the charts for a year and thinking how musicals used to be such a mainstream thing and are so niche today.
Will report back whenever I manage to finish it.
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Post by crowblack on Mar 13, 2018 9:57:27 GMT
Not strictly theatre but closely related: I recently picked up a copy of The Craft of the Screenwriter from a second hand bookshop (glad they still exist) - it's a series of in-depth, frank and fascinating interviews by John Brady with the leading American screenwriters of the mid to late 20thc, Neil Simon, Ernest Lehman, William Goldman, Paddy Chayefsky etc.. It's a really great read - the interviewees are, of course, great story-tellers and their voice comes off the page. I'm interested in the writing process and it's good on frantic overnight rewrites and struggles, screenwriters looking wistfully at playwrights who have the chance to reshape and rescue their work.
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Post by anita on Mar 13, 2018 10:18:41 GMT
Is anybody reading Lord Lloyd Webber's book at the moment? Opinions on it? I have a copy but not started yet as finishing another book first. I'm a quick reader & will probably read it next week. |
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Post by loureviews on Mar 13, 2018 11:58:20 GMT
Some titles round my house:
John Gielgud - An Actor and his Time
The Guys and Dolls Book
Antony Sher - Year of the King
Frederick Nolan - The Sound of their Music (Rodgers and Hammerstein)
Oliver Ford Davies - Playing Lear
Noel and Cole: the Sophisticates
Britain's National Theatre
MacQueen Pope - The Footlights Flickered
Alan Jay Lerner - The Musical Theatre
The Lost Theatres of London
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 12:06:25 GMT
I just finished reading "At Freddie's" by Penelope Fitzgerald - kindle version is currently £1.49It was written in the early 80s, set in the early 60s, based around a stage school in Covent Garden. Penelope Fitzgerald taught English at Italia Conti at one point so presumably that formed some of the basis of it. Anyway, some interesting stuff about the Old Vic (the owner of the school worked with Lillian Baylis in the 20s), the National (which is being built during the period of the novel), employment practices for child actors in the 60s, and a lot about the backstage goings on during a production of King John at the "Nonesuch Theatre" which judging by the location is the Duchess or the Lyceum. Introduction to the current edition is by Simon Callow who was trying to get a film of the novel off the ground at one point. |
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Post by lynette on Mar 21, 2018 17:28:15 GMT
Have I mentioned the book about the film Casablanca by Noah Isenberg? Fascinating. They can actually see where certain lines came from, which writer or actor..
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 18:02:58 GMT
I've only just begun and as I manage about ten minutes' reading time in bed before falling asleep, it'll be slow going! I haven't moved beyond him being 13 yrs or something, but I'm liking it so far. I tend to pick up on little things, like a casual mention that the South Pacific cast recording was on top of the charts for a year and thinking how musicals used to be such a mainstream thing and are so niche today. Will report back whenever I manage to finish it. I believe it was the South Pacific film soundtrack that was on the charts for that extended period of time, soundtracks have a bigger reach than cast recordings, usually. On popularity of musicals, however, The Greatest Showman album has topped the album charts in many countries, including the UK, where it spent ten weeks at number one. Musicals can still be mainstream if they actually get made. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2018 13:21:57 GMT
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Post by moelhywel on Sept 19, 2018 21:50:41 GMT
A new book about the National Theatre, Dramatic Exchanges by Daniel Rosenthal is due to be published on 1st November by Profile Books, priced £25. Subtitled The Lives and Letters of the National Theatre it is “A rich collection of correspondence like no other, this book offers a fascinating and celebratory look at the world of theatre and beyond. This book brings together for the first time eight hundred of the most inspiring, dramatic and amusing letters from the life of Britain’s most beloved theatre, from fantastical good luck missives to long conspiratorial letters. Together they reveal the stories behind some of the most lavish, triumphant, daring and disastrous productions in the theatre’s history.”
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Post by lynette on Sept 23, 2018 22:27:19 GMT
A new book about the National Theatre, Dramatic Exchanges by Daniel Rosenthal is due to be published on 1st November by Profile Books, priced £25. Subtitled The Lives and Letters of the National Theatre it is “A rich collection of correspondence like no other, this book offers a fascinating and celebratory look at the world of theatre and beyond. This book brings together for the first time eight hundred of the most inspiring, dramatic and amusing letters from the life of Britain’s most beloved theatre, from fantastical good luck missives to long conspiratorial letters. Together they reveal the stories behind some of the most lavish, triumphant, daring and disastrous productions in the theatre’s history.” His history of the NT was a page turner and very revealing. So I hope this is more of the same. I'll browse when next at NT. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2018 14:16:11 GMT
Has anyone read the Dear Evan Hansen book already? It's on Amazon and I might buy it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 20:12:04 GMT
Finally got round to reading the (big white) Dear Evan Hansen book released last year.
I really like that they’ve included the full libretto with analysis and notes throughout but in terms of detail of the shows history and development it was quite a hard read. It’s very entheustic, fatiguingly so. Obviously the writer/editor were keen to show their love for the show but it’s confidence and positivety was a bit too much for me. It felt a little likely a promotional sales pitch rather than book of detail and production scope.
Some interesting bits though.
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Post by joem on Oct 28, 2018 22:36:09 GMT
I have owned Thomas Middleton's Complete Works in a single volume since last Xmas (present) and am seriously wondering how I am ever going to read it. I like reading in bed or in the bath but this weighs in at over seven pounds. You would need the wrists of the world heavyweight boxing champion to be able to hold that for any length of time. Myself, I have small wrists.
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Post by dani on Oct 28, 2018 22:58:58 GMT
I have owned Thomas Middleton's Complete Works in a single volume since last Xmas (present) and am seriously wondering how I am ever going to read it. I like reading in bed or in the bath but this weighs in at over seven pounds. You would need the wrists of the world heavyweight boxing champion to be able to hold that for any length of time. Myself, I have small wrists. I saw this on sale recently. 2,000 pages in one volume = eek. You can buy a complete works of Shakespeare with fewer pages than that! Although the one I have is about 3,500 and weighs six pounds. I can only look at it when I am sitting at a table. |
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Post by lynette on Oct 29, 2018 17:40:04 GMT
Daniel Rosenthal's next thriller read coming out beginning November, the letters generated by the NT, to directors and so on.
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Post by learfan on Oct 29, 2018 18:11:11 GMT
I have owned Thomas Middleton's Complete Works in a single volume since last Xmas (present) and am seriously wondering how I am ever going to read it. I like reading in bed or in the bath but this weighs in at over seven pounds. You would need the wrists of the world heavyweight boxing champion to be able to hold that for any length of time. Myself, I have small wrists. I saw this on sale recently. 2,000 pages in one volume = eek. You can buy a complete works of Shakespeare with fewer pages than that! Although the one I have is about 3,500 and weighs six pounds. I can only look at it when I am sitting at a table. I have the Middleton, its obviously one to dip in and out of. A must have for anyone into English Renaissance Theatre. |
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Post by learfan on Oct 29, 2018 18:13:51 GMT
A new book about the National Theatre, Dramatic Exchanges by Daniel Rosenthal is due to be published on 1st November by Profile Books, priced £25. Subtitled The Lives and Letters of the National Theatre it is “A rich collection of correspondence like no other, this book offers a fascinating and celebratory look at the world of theatre and beyond. This book brings together for the first time eight hundred of the most inspiring, dramatic and amusing letters from the life of Britain’s most beloved theatre, from fantastical good luck missives to long conspiratorial letters. Together they reveal the stories behind some of the most lavish, triumphant, daring and disastrous productions in the theatre’s history.” His history of the NT was a page turner and very revealing. So I hope this is more of the same. I'll browse when next at NT. Hmm, only a page turner if you had trouble getting to sleep. I mean i have it but its a v dry read. The new one sounds intriguing but will wait for an Amazon deal first. After having a browse obvs! |
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Post by tmesis on Oct 29, 2018 21:55:19 GMT
Lots already mentioned I love but here are some more (sorry if already out there) -
Best of all -
David Merrick:The abominable Showman by Howard Kissel. Unputdownable.
Covering McKellan by David Weston
Maggie Smith by Michael Coveney
The Redgraves by Donald Spotto
Ethel Merman by Brian Kellow
The Old Vic by Terry Coleman
Jerry Herman by Stephen Citron
Ned Sherrin the autobiography
Julie Andrews Home (autobiography)
Oh What a circus by Tim Rice
Alec Guinness by Piers Paul Reade
Putting it On by Michael Codron and Alan Strachan
Sir John Gielgud: A Life in Letters edited by Richard Mangan
I have lots of opera and ballet books too...
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Post by tmesis on Oct 30, 2018 12:38:28 GMT
Is anyone else missing the Bookwarehouse shop that used to be opposite The Old Vic. It used to have some great bargains, particularly theatre-related but also some excellent music books, biographies and novels. There were others in the chain - Notting Hill, Holborn, Camden etc. - but the Waterloo one was always best and they've all gone now.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2018 13:01:13 GMT
Is anyone else missing the Bookwarehouse shop that used to be opposite The Old Vic. It used to have some great bargains, particularly theatre-related but also some excellent music books, biographies and novels. There were others in the chain - Notting Hill, Holborn, Camden etc. - but the Waterloo one was always best and they've all gone now. Last I checked, it had just relocated further down Lower Marsh. Well, it downsized as well, but it was still there when I was last in the area. |
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