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Post by happysooz2 on Apr 24, 2024 10:22:30 GMT
I have absolutely gobbled up ‘Murder at the Adelphi.’ Massive thank you for the recommendation. I really got out of the habit of reading over lockdown, and my phone addiction doesn’t help. So while I have read it on my phone, it was rather marvellous to be able to download it and start it as soon as I saw the recommendation. Maybe books about theatre will be my re-entry point to reading. Might read that one about Wicked next, or maybe see if there’s anything about JCS.
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Post by thedrowsychaperone on Apr 24, 2024 11:01:14 GMT
Can we make this an out-and-out thread of theatre-related book recommendations? (If there's not such a thing already)
Seth Rudetsky's autobiographical-inspired novel "Broadway Nights" is a fluffy riot, highly enjoyed that some years back!
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Post by happysooz2 on Apr 24, 2024 11:06:20 GMT
@burlybear could we change the word ‘jobs’ to ‘books’ in the title?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 24, 2024 11:31:38 GMT
We already had a books thread so I’ve merged.
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Post by openbook on Apr 24, 2024 16:48:07 GMT
About a year ago I read Joy Ride by John Lahr. An excellent collection of his writings for the New Yorker, with very in depth portraits of theatre people (mostly writers and directors) such as Arthur Miller, Tony Kushner, Susan Stroman, wallace Shawn and many others.
One of my favourite anecdotes is about a couple watching the play ‘the clean house’ (which I’ve seen in Oxford with Patricia hodge and elenor bron) and he turns to her and said ‘well, it wasn’t not good’ and she agrees and they turn to the woman next to them and asked her and she said ‘true, it wasn’t not good’ and they never found out that it was Sarah Ruhl who wrote the thing!
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Post by kate8 on Apr 24, 2024 20:51:31 GMT
If we‘re including novels, I’d recommend The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz. It’s part of a whodunnit series with the meta aspect that Horowitz himself is a character. So in this one he‘s got a play on in the West End and a critic is murdered after giving the play a bad review. Really entertaining if you enjoy a cosy Murder mystery.
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Post by justfran on Jun 5, 2024 18:54:56 GMT
I've not read this personally, but am certainly aware of it Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent The New York Times bestselling memoir of Anthony Rapp, star of Broadway's Pulitzer Prize–winning musical Rent. Anthony Rapp had a special feeling about Jonathan Larson's rock musical Rent as early as his first audition, which won him a starring role as the video artist Mark Cohen. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent opened to thunderous acclaim off-Broadway—but even as friends and family were celebrating the show's first success, they were also mourning Jonathan Larson's sudden death from an aortic aneurysm. And when Anthony's mom began to lose her battle with cancer, Anthony found himself struggling to balance his life in the theater with his responsibility to his family. In Without You, Anthony tells of his exhilarating journey with the cast and crew of Rent as well as the intimacies of his personal life behind the curtain. Marked by fledgling love and devastating loss, Without You is an exceptional memoir of the world of theater, the love of a son for his mother, and maturity won far too early. I remember reading Without You years back as a holiday read and finding it extremely moving. I remember it being about 50/50 his personal life and actual behind-the-scenes stories, but it has been a while. Either way, think I'm going to revisit it now that this thread has jogged my memory. Thanks to it being mentioned on here, I managed to find a copy of Without You and recently finished reading it. It was an enjoyable and at times tough read, very moving. I found the parts about Rent and all of the background of it very interesting and would have preferred a full book on this [but appreciate that's not what it is or was advertised as]. Anthony Rapp has also turned this into a stage show. |
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Post by theatresellers on Jun 5, 2024 20:38:04 GMT
About a year ago I read Joy Ride by John Lahr. An excellent collection of his writings for the New Yorker, with very in depth portraits of theatre people (mostly writers and directors) such as Arthur Miller, Tony Kushner, Susan Stroman, wallace Shawn and many others. One of my favourite anecdotes is about a couple watching the play ‘the clean house’ (which I’ve seen in Oxford with Patricia hodge and elenor bron) and he turns to her and said ‘well, it wasn’t not good’ and she agrees and they turn to the woman next to them and asked her and she said ‘true, it wasn’t not good’ and they never found out that it was Sarah Ruhl who wrote the thing! Why do you think she was at a performance of her own play? To see if the audience thought it was not good? or something else? |
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Post by tysilio2 on Jun 7, 2024 11:04:50 GMT
I remember reading Without You years back as a holiday read and finding it extremely moving. I remember it being about 50/50 his personal life and actual behind-the-scenes stories, but it has been a while. Either way, think I'm going to revisit it now that this thread has jogged my memory. Thanks to it being mentioned on here, I managed to find a copy of Without You and recently finished reading it. It was an enjoyable and at times tough read, very moving. I found the parts about Rent and all of the background of it very interesting and would have preferred a full book on this [but appreciate that's not what it is or was advertised as]. Anthony Rapp has also turned this into a stage show. You may want to try looking at 'Seasons of Love - Why Rent Matters' by Emily Garside (who is a former contributor to this board). I'm about 1/3rd of the way through it now. |
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Post by partytentdown on Jun 7, 2024 19:07:08 GMT
Thought readers of this thread might be interested in the 2024 shortlist for the Society of Theatre Research Theatre Book Prize:
A Sense of Theatre by Richard Pilbrow (Unicorn)
The story of the creation of the National Theatre, told by someone who, uniquely, was there from the start, participated in its realisation and has been creatively engaged in the Theatre over the subsequent five decades. A Sense of Theatre bridges an insightful account of the evolution of an architectural masterpiece with a deep exploration of how the building has shaped later theatre making.
Different Aspects by Michael Ball (Blink Publishing)
In 1989, a young Michael Ball landed the lead role in the musical Aspects of Love. It was a moment that changed his life forever. Over three decades later, Michael returned to a new production of the same show. In Different Aspects, Michael takes us backstage inside the making of a West End hit, while also diving back into his memories to explore a career that has made him a household name.
Exploring Shakespeare by Bill Alexander (Nick Hern Books)
Theatre director Bill Alexander takes us inside the rehearsal room to reveal – in unprecedented detail – exactly what happens there. He examines the key relationship between the actors and the director, how they work together to bring Shakespeare’s vision to life, and how choices are made that will shape every aspect of the play in production. There are detailed studies of eight plays spanning the full length and breadth of the Shakespearean canon.
Out for Blood: a Cultural History of Carrie the Musical by Chris Adams (Methuen Drama)
How did a show that was supposed to fill the RSC’s coffers become the by-word for musical theatre flops? Patching together memories, archive material and contemporary reports, Out For Blood dives into the origins and development of this infamous show and examines how a promising entertainment product can swiftly gain a notorious reputation, what makes or breaks a Broadway show, and how even the most unlikely of musicals can find its place in the hearts of fans around the world.
Searching for Juliet by Sophie Duncan (Sceptre)
Searching for Juliet takes us from the Renaissance origin stories behind Shakespeare’s child bride to enslaved people in the Caribbean, Italian fascists in Verona, and real-life lovers in Afghanistan. From the Victorian stage to 1960s cinema, Baz Luhrmann, and beyond. Drawing on rich cultural and historical sources and new research, Sophie Duncan shows why Juliet is for now, for ever, for everyone.
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench (Michael Joseph)
Judi Dench opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra. She reveals her behind the scenes secrets; inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour and striking honesty.
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Post by danb on Jun 7, 2024 21:01:03 GMT
I have absolutely gobbled up ‘Murder at the Adelphi.’ Massive thank you for the recommendation. I really got out of the habit of reading over lockdown, and my phone addiction doesn’t help. So while I have read it on my phone, it was rather marvellous to be able to download it and start it as soon as I saw the recommendation. Maybe books about theatre will be my re-entry point to reading. Might read that one about Wicked next, or maybe see if there’s anything about JCS. Mine’s sat on the book shelf awaiting a holiday. Can’t wait! |
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Post by anthony40 on Jun 8, 2024 15:54:06 GMT
It's already in my Amazon basket to purchase at the end of the week when I get paid.
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Post by anthony40 on Jun 17, 2024 14:01:33 GMT
It's already in my Amazon basket to purchase at the end of the week when I get paid. My copy of Murder at the Alelphi has just arrived today |
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Post by anita on Aug 1, 2024 9:29:27 GMT
Just ordered Eric Idle's book "The Spamalot Diaries" from Amazon. - Out 8/10.
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Post by danb on Aug 1, 2024 13:41:38 GMT
Obviously I’m here on holiday having forgotten my ‘Murder at the Adelphi’. 🙄
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Post by anthony40 on Aug 11, 2024 18:43:06 GMT
Obviously I’m here on holiday having forgotten my ‘Murder at the Adelphi’. 🙄 I'm actually reading it now. I'm over 250 pages in. It a pretty simple read- that said, it's thoroughly enjoyable. Though I have found a couple of times, he does repeat a line or two. |
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Post by barelyathletic on Aug 19, 2024 14:08:47 GMT
I recently reread William Goldman's brilliant The Season documenting the Broadway year from 1967 - 1968 backstage and from the the seats. He talks to critics, playwrights, directors, producers, actors and it all makes for a fascinating insight into theatre in New York. I'd love to have a tv series do the same for London's West End (I loved the BBC doc fly-on-the-wall series The House way back in 1995) or a similar new book would go down well with me.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 23, 2024 14:41:29 GMT
I’ve just finished listening to Patti Lupone’s autobiography. Soooo much more impactful than the text version that I read a few years ago but couldn’t remember very much of. She reads it to you in that aggressive, staccato voice like she’s shooting bullets from a Kalashnikov rifle into your chest.
There’s an absolutely preposterous anecdote about flying to London on Concorde trying to get to the Adelphi for Sunset Boulevard curtain up which I’m sure has a grain of truth in it somewhere. Very entertaining anyway.
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Post by anthony40 on Aug 26, 2024 20:22:10 GMT
Does anyone know if there was ever a hardback book for either Starlight Express (the original version) or Frozen stage shows?
I have the hardback books for Cats, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard and Aspects of Love, but not Starlight Express.
In fact, I don't even know if a hardback book was released at the time however given that there was for previous and post show, I would assume there was.
Similarly, I have the hardback book for Disney's stage shows Beauty & The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan and AIDA, given the success of both the animated feature and now the stage show, I would have thought that would have.
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Post by danb on Aug 26, 2024 20:38:00 GMT
I love the AIDA book, mostly because we never got to see it on stage. I also have the ‘Tommy’ book from when it opened on Broadway and the amazing ‘Rent’ hardback full of anecdotes around the creation of the show. I sold my Wicked ‘Grimmerie’ when I was hard up. Best of all though is the Les Mis hardback full of stage schematics, repro tickets & artefacts. Love it.
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Post by anthony40 on Aug 27, 2024 7:28:33 GMT
I love the AIDA book, mostly because we never got to see it on stage. I also have the ‘Tommy’ book from when it opened on Broadway and the amazing ‘Rent’ hardback full of anecdotes around the creation of the show. I sold my Wicked ‘Grimmerie’ when I was hard up. Best of all though is the Les Mis hardback full of stage schematics, repro tickets & artefacts. Love it. I have all of the above- except Tommy. |
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Post by anita on Aug 27, 2024 9:46:20 GMT
Does anyone know if there was ever a hardback book for either Starlight Express (the original version) or Frozen stage shows? I have the hardback books for Cats, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard and Aspects of Love, but not Starlight Express. In fact, I don't even know if a hardback book was released at the time however given that there was for previous and post show, I would assume there was. Similarly, I have the hardback book for Disney's stage shows Beauty & The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan and AIDA, given the success of both the animated feature and now the stage show, I would have thought that would have. The only "Starlight Express" book I know of is by the skating instructor. - It was a very boring read. |
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Post by d'James on Aug 27, 2024 15:32:49 GMT
Does anyone know if there was ever a hardback book for either Starlight Express (the original version) or Frozen stage shows? I have the hardback books for Cats, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard and Aspects of Love, but not Starlight Express. In fact, I don't even know if a hardback book was released at the time however given that there was for previous and post show, I would assume there was. Similarly, I have the hardback book for Disney's stage shows Beauty & The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan and AIDA, given the success of both the animated feature and now the stage show, I would have thought that would have. The only "Starlight Express" book I know of is by the skating instructor. - It was a very boring read. I have two hardback Starlight books from the German production. |
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Post by nottobe on Aug 27, 2024 16:39:03 GMT
Simon Russell Beale's memoir 'A Piece of Work: Playing Shakespeare and Other Stories' releases next Thursday. I've not pre-ordered it yet as I am hoping he may do a book signing or an event in London, as the book tour he is doing seems to miss London.
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Post by danb on Aug 27, 2024 17:04:45 GMT
There was a quite good Mamma Mia book that ended up in ‘Poundland’.
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