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Off the Shelf
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By Stephen Peithman
Musical Stages
Books, CDs and DVDs
that celebrate musical theatre
Reports of a downturn of interest in the Broadway musical
seem to be greatly exaggerated, considering the continuing
release of musical theatre books, CDs and DVDs. This
month we provide a sampling of some of the most recent of
these.
Broadway Musicals, Show by Show, is the sixth edition of the
classic reference by Stanley Green, updated for the first time in
12 years by his widow, Kay Green. Not every Broadway musical is
listed—only those that ran more than 500 performances, with a
high-quality score and “general acceptance as a significant work
in the field.” That still adds up to 300 shows in the book, and
ones most likely to be sought out. Included are photos, cast lists,
a brief but informative commentary on each show and several
detailed indexes. [$18.99, Applause Books]
In The Great American Book Musical: A Manifesto, A
Monograph, A Manual, author Denny Martin Flinn defines what
he believes made the greatest of Broadway musicals great—first
by tracing the developing integration of musical techniques,
and then by examining the contributions of libretto, music, lyrics
and staging to the most successful musicals. He singles out
shows from Oklahoma! to A Chorus Line, from West Side Story
to Dreamgirls, with an obvious affection for his subject. Some
fact-checking would have been helpful before this book went
to press, but one finishes it having a better sense of what makes
musicals work well, and what future musical writers might do to
achieve success, as well. [$19.95 Limelight Editions]
Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz,
by Carol de Giere, comes just after Schwartz’s latest show,
Wicked, celebrated its fifth anniversary on Broadway. With
Schwartz’s help—as well the help of his family, friends and colleagues—de
Giere provides an extensive biography of the composer
and of the development of the Broadway musical over
the past three decades. Schwartz’s best-known shows (aside
from Wicked) are Godspell and Pippin, but his less familiar shows
like Working, The Magic Show and The Baker’s Wife also marked
intriguing developments in the musical form. Unfortunately, the
second half of the book focuses almost entirely on Wicked, which
tends to throw the book out of balance as a survey of Schwartz’s
entire oeuvre. On the positive side are “Creativity Notes,” separate
commentaries in which Schwartz offers insights, humor or
lessons from his experience in getting a musical to the stage.
[$34.95, Applause Books]
Fifty years before Schwartz, Rudolf Friml was the composer
of some of the greatest hits of his day—all operettas—including
Rose Marie, The Vagabond King, and The Three Musketeers. His was
a European perspective and style, and it’s no wonder that he was
so skillful at evoking far-away places and eras. Friml wrote many
other kinds of music as well, but it’s his operettas that define his
career—and, when public interest in operetta declined at the
end of the 20s, so did his career. In Rudolf Friml, author William
Everett provides the first scholarly account of the composer’s life
and output, positioning it in the context of the times in which
Friml lived. It’s good to have this well-researched and written
reminder of his importance to the development of American
musical theatre. [$35, University of Illinois Press]
Rodgers & Hammerstein's follow-up to Oklahoma! and
Carousel was Allegro in 1947. It told the story of a doctor's life
from birth to re-birth, when he leaves a big-city hospital and
returns to practice in the small town where he was born. A new
two-CD release from Sony is the show’s first complete recording,
beautifully capturing the interweaving dialogue and song
that was cutting edge in 1947. It’s beautifully done, although
it also makes clear why Allegro didn't win an audience—and
how it inspired the experiments of Stephen Sondheim (who
was a gofer on the original production). The ensemble includes
Audra McDonald, Norbert Leo Butz, Liz Callaway and Marni
Nixon. Songs include “A Fellow Needs a Girl,” “You Are Never
Away,” and “The Gentleman Is a Dope,” and a handsome
booklet provides extensive notes. [$24.98, Sony Masterworks
Broadway]
A far cry from Allegro is Frankenstein, the 2007 Off-Broadway
musical adapted from Mary Shelley's novel. It was neither an
artistic nor financial success, but it spawned a recently released
recording, which makes clear that it’s the lyrics by Jeffrey Jackson
that make the show, not the derivative pop tunes by Mark Baron
that frame them. The original production’s imaginative staging
is, of course, not visible—not even in the photos in the accompanying
booklet—so what you hear is what you get. The result is
interesting, but not as gripping as you’d expect from the subject
matter. [$14.99, Ghostlight Records]
Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway captures the final performance
of the hit musical’s 12-year run, both from the audience’s
perspective and from the stage and wings. The show, by
Jonathan Larson, is well served by this recording—although,
of course, it can’t possibly capture the excitement of a live
performance. Besides the full-length musical, the DVD and
Blu-Ray discs include a retrospective documentary featuring
cast and crew, the final curtain call, and several short features.
The Blu-Ray disc also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the
New York theatre that was transformed into Rent’s home, plus
a feature on the casting of the show. [$24.95 DVD, $38.96 Blu-
Ray, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]
26 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com