2024 the best of broadway musicals review

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(as of Oct 26, 2024 10:30:12 UTC - Details)

A fully updated edition of the acclaimed and bestselling Broadway Musicals, now featuring an expanded off-Broadway section

Broadway Musicals is a richly illustrated, and information-packed celebration of the most popular and enduring Broadway shows of all time. Each show is featured in a detailed, photo-filled chapter that includes expert commentary, special features on the creators and performers, plot synopses, cast and song lists, production details, and backstage anecdotes. Also included are sidebars on Broadway flops, advertising posters, the greatest scores, and more. This edition includes several shows not in the original hardcover edition such as Avenue Q, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Wicked. An expanded off-Broadway section showcases beloved shows such as I Love You, You're Perfect, NowChange and Little Mary Sunshine.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Dog & Leventhal; Updated edition (October 27, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 344 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1579128491
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1579128494
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11 x 1.25 x 13.05 inches
Reviewer: Christopher Barrett
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very, very nice, but incomplete ~
Review: I wanted to add a positive review. My partner and I are huge fans of Broadway musicals, so I got her this for her birthday. We enjoy reading it very much. But there are a couple of things to point out:The jacket mentions several musicals, Les Miserables in particular, but there is no individual entry for said musical. There are several other shows mentioned but not included with their own entry, such as Miss Saigon. There are more, but the rest don't come to mind right away. We were wondering if perhaps since Les Miserables (and some others) were created for the stage overseas, perhaps that is why they were not included? Though Les Miserables is just one of the main examples I use since it was specifically mentioned on the inside flap and mentioned in several other entries in the core of this book.But for the positives. This is a rather large book, size wise and all. There are many enjoyable, glossy photos. Also, and most favorably is that the book has many entries for older Broadway shows which are no longer in existence. Many of these were well known in their own time, but little footage remains. The shows all seem to have some importance in the history of Broadway.I also enjoyed the little extra sections, such as the entry about the biggest Broadway flops (Seussical anyone?) and other entries about musicals with a great song but little else going for it, or a great cast with lackluster music.All in all a great coffee table book that will get attention. We have many friends and family members pick it up the minute they see it, and it's always a great conversation starter. A conversation which usually ends with us putting on The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall [Blu-ray]. I highly recommend it for the musical lover in your life!

Reviewer: John S Harris
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: An informative and entertaining read. Even better than I hoped it would be
Review: Some readers moaned about certain shows being omitted from this "greatest of all time" list. But the authors state their criteria up front and admit that some really great shows will not make their list for this-and-that reason, but that it doesn't mean they don't hold those shows in high regard.But this "greatest" list, or ANYONE'S "greatest" list for that matter, is not an absolute measurement. To complain is to miss the point, and to miss the joy of this book.The book is packed with great pics, interesting trivia, and production details and credits that are often overlooked or forgotten as the years roll by. If you're a fan of musical theater (and are secure enough in your own opinions to not take the "Greatest Shows of All Time" tag too seriously) then you will certainly get hours of enjoyment out of this book.It's fun to look back at some of the older shows and see the no-names who went on to become bigger names, either in the theatre world or elsewhere.Recommended.

Reviewer: Tom O'Leary
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Absolutely & Completely Glorious
Review: I bought this heavenly book as a Christmas present for my 89 year-old uncle who has severe memory issues. He lived in New York City in the 60’s & 70’s and saw the original productions of these timeless musicals. My uncle has fallen in love with this book the way he fell in love with these musicals. Thanks to this glorious book, his memories of these shows come cascading back. He is more lucid, thanks to this book, than he has been in years.THANK YOU

Reviewer: David L Keyes
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Revised and better, I think
Review: The first edition of this was a little bit all over the place. The revision provides an A to Z visit to a wide variety of musicals. Each entry provides a lot of interesting information about the featured musical over a two-page spread. Of course, we may not all agree on every choice the author has made, but for the most part it is a representative sample of some pretty good to great shows.

Reviewer: Cheryl
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Nice book. I’m giving it a 4 star because ...
Review: Nice book. I’m giving it a 4 star because the cover was alittle dirty and looked like it may have been returned or handles too much.

Reviewer: S. P. Thompson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Makes a wonderful gift
Review: I purchased this as a birthday present and the feedback I got was very good. It is filled with many interesting tidbits of history and brought out what was going on behind the glitter. I have read through some of the information on some of the plays and find it very good. Lots of interesting pictures that enhance the narrative.

Reviewer: Jazzman
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Breadth of information
Review: Bought this book for my grandchildren who are both interested in theater. They have "starred" in various school plays and are in a theater track in their high school. They both loved the book, and the large format provided room for lots of information. I felt a historical perspective would be interesting and it was for them.

Reviewer: Bubbles Corday
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: "This is a NICE book!"
Review: After watching this item for over a year, I purchased it as a surprise gift for someone whose college study was largely built around Broadway Musicals, and neither of us was disappointed. When I saw how beautiful it is, I almost didn't want to give it to him. My friend was ecstatic and kept saying over and over, "This is a NICE book!" It really is!

Reviewer: Juan Carlos Buelna Castro
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Fue un regalo y le encantó, perfecto para los amantes de Broadway.

Reviewer: harry perry
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: It was a gift & the recipient loved it

Reviewer: A. Non
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This is a beautifully-presented coffee-table book. It's an incredibly large, glossy hardback that will make a perfect gift to the Broadway buff in your life. Inside, there are details of 101 notable musicals spanning nearly one hundred years of Broadway history. There are perennial classics such as "Gypsy", "Cabaret", "Chicago" and "The King and I", modern favourites such as "Wicked" and "Avenue Q", and everything before and in between. The pages for each musical come with a production history, an original Broadway cast list, several photographs from the actual show, a short synopsis, and a song list (often reminding you why you loved a show so much in the first place) Also scattered through the book are short biographies of several notable Broadway actors, songwriters, etc. There are also many little quotes relating to performers and shows. One of my personal favourite quotes can be found in the pages for "Hair" and states that in "Hair" "you were a professional if you turned up". There are several pages about notable off-Broadway shows, the old revues, notable flops, bad shows that had good songs, and two interesting pages on the original Ziegfeld Follies of 1919, complete with some rare photographs. Whether you're an absolute Broadway fanatic, or just find the subject mildly entertaining, you're bound to find something to interest you in this large, lavish book.

Reviewer: MRSTU
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Bought this a leaving present for a work colleague who adores musicals (I was in charge of the leaving collection!) When it arrived I thought what I good quality book it was and it passed my "paper-quality-sniff-test" - (you can always smell really good quality paper!) The recipient was thrilled with it .

Reviewer: Garland
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This is a large size, high quality coffee table book with a beautiful cover. I looked through several books on the topic before deciding on this one. My decision was based on the fact that it seemed to have the best reviews. I gave it as a gift so I can't comment on the contents. Shipping and packaging was great. Based on my initial experience I would recommend this book.