Broadway Musicals: From the Pages of the New York Times

By Ben Brantley

Over the last century the New York Times 's six leading critics--Brooks Atkinson, Howard Taubman, Clive Barnes, Walter Kerr, Frank Rich, and Ben Brantley--have offered the most authoritative and influential commentary on the Broadway musical. This definitive volume includes the original reviews of the 119 most important, selected by current chief theater critic Ben Brantley and accompanied by photographs from each show's first production as well as celebrated revivals. From the golden age of the musical, with its divas, legendary directors, lyricists, and choreographers, right up to The Book of Mormon , Brantley gives context to this treasure trove of reviews with a thoughtful introduction and essays that guide the reader through each decade. Praise for Broadway Musicals "A standing O for theater critic Ben Brantley's staging of Broadway Musicals: From the Pages of the New York Times --the newspaper's most influential reviewers, from Brooks Atkinson to Frank Rich." --Elissa Schappell "The most gorgeous new book this season " --Joan Hamburg, WOR Radio

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1419703374
• ISBN13: 9781419703379
• Release Date: October 2012
• Publisher: Abrams Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 5.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 10.3" x 12.2"

Customer Reviews

"They say there's always magic in the air" - George Benson.

This book deserves a lot more than just a glance. At first glance, this looks like an overpriced, glitzy coffee table book. You do not have time to read the cover, so you never notice that it is put together by Ben Brantley, known as the chief theater critic of the New York Times, for which he has been reviewing plays since 1993. You might not even notice that it says from the pages of the New York Times. Now all the pictures hit you, and you say," I have been there; I have done that." Or you say, "I wish I had been there. I wish I had done that." Now that the glancing is over, you have time to look at the book. At first, the thought is, "I have seen that person in the movie. I did not know they were in the play." You could have floored me when I found out that John Carradine was in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" by Howard Taubman. I saw the movie and local productions; however, this book still brings back those experiences. After reminiscing over the plays, I saw you see the ones I missed and wonder if they are ever going to come to my area. Now you have time to see how the book is laid out, looking at the Table of Contents and the extensive index. The book is divided into seven sections in chronological order. Some are decades. Some are Eras. I cannot tell you which you will find the most intriguing, as it is a matter of individual taste. Probably the first thing you should have been looking at, which is usually the last thing that you look at when deciding to purchase the book, is the actual reviews. Yes, you have probably seen it 1 million times, and yes, you probably know the people in the places involved; but there is always a fresh view that makes your experience richer or at least tells you your shoes are untied. Now, get over the price and think about what life would be like if you did not have this book.