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American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle 4th Edition

by Gerald Bordman (Author), Richard Norton (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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Hailed as "absolutely the best reference book on its subject" by Newsweek, American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle covers more than 250 years of musical theatre in the United States, from a 1735 South Carolina production of Flora, or Hob in the Well to The Addams Family in 2010. Authors Gerald Bordman and Richard Norton write an engaging narrative blending history, critical analysis, and lively description to illustrate the transformation of American musical theatre through such incarnations as the ballad opera, revue, Golden Age musical, rock musical, Disney musical, and, with 2010's American Idiot, even the punk musical.

The Chronicle is arranged chronologically and is fully indexed according to names of shows, songs, and people involved, for easy searching and browsing. Chapters range from the "Prologue," which traces the origins of American musical theater to 1866, through several "intermissions" (for instance, "Broadway's Response to the Swing Era, 1937-1942") and up to "Act Seven," the theatre of the twenty-first century. This last chapter covers the dramatic changes in musical theatre since the last edition published-whereas Fosse, a choreography-heavy revue, won the 1999 Tony for Best Musical, the 2008 award went to In the Heights, which combines hip-hop, rap, meringue and salsa unlike any musical before it. Other groundbreaking and/or box-office-breaking shows covered for the first time include Avenue Q, The Producers, Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, Monty Python's Spamalot, Wicked, Hairspray, Urinetown the Musical, and Spring Awakening.

Discussion of these shows incorporates plot synopses, names of principal players, descriptions of scenery and costumes, and critical reactions. In addition, short biographies interspersed throughout the text colorfully depict the creative minds that shaped the most influential musicals. Collectively, these elements create the most comprehensive, authoritative history of musical theatre in this country and make this an essential resource for students, scholars, performers, dramaturges, and musical enthusiasts.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0199729700
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199729708
  3. Edition
    4th
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    December 29, 2010
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    10 x 7.1 x 2.1 inches
  8. Print length
    1017 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Absolutely the best reference of its kind."--Newsweek

"One of the most thorough treatments of the subject to be produced."--RBB/Booklist

"A chronicle of unapproached detail, sweep, and relish."--The Washington Post

"Fun to read...a labor of love."--The New York Times

"American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle, Fourth Edition now runs over 1,000 pages....easier to read and easier for browsing."--Steven Suskin, Playbill.com

"....fair, perceptive and interesting readingL.. giving the reader a real feel for what the show was like."--Brad Hataway, Theatre Shelf

"This is the most up-to-date subject reference available and an enjoyable read."-- Library Journal

"The fourth edition of American Musical Theatre brings readers up-to-date with early-twenty-first-century developments of musicals and the musical-theater industry through a new section by coauthor Norton... Bordman's passion for this genre is obvious, and the writing is informative and intelligent. Norton follows in the same format for 2000-2010... There are many other Broadway encyclopedias that offer show-by-show details, but Bordman's and Norton's narratives provide an additional perspective beyond lists of facts."-- Booklist

Book Description

Now in its 4th Edition, completely up-to-date, with coverage from the latest developments and innovations in American musical theatre.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 4th edition (December 29, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 1017 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199729700
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199729708
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.51 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10 x 7.1 x 2.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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  1. Gerald Martin Bordman

    Gerald Martin Bordman

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

GG
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wealth of Information
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
Here you have the history of every musical on Broadway. It’s easy to locate what you need and it’s well written.
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Samuel Black
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprises on Every Page
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2012
Verified Purchase
This relatively new book can actually keep me awake. This is a monthly chronicle, so every page has musical theater performances for more than a century. All the ups and downs of the American musical scene are revealed, oftentimes with surprising tongue-in-cheek humor.
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John Esche
4.0 out of 5 stars Bordman's overviews wonderfully knowledgable
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2012
Gerald Bordman's CHRONICLES (his Musical Theatre overview was merely the first - there is also an indispensable three volume look at the non-musical theatre in New York from 1869 to 1969; 1869-1914, 1914-1930 - a relatively thin volume but covering a very rich period between WWI and the great Depression, and 1930-1969; all back in the days when Broadway produced at least five to ten PLAYS for every musical!) are among the best light reference books on the detailed products of the New York stage there are. His works are unique in not only giving an assessment of the developing theatre scene, putting shows in a context of the world around them, but giving bare bones synopses of most shows to make them more than just cold titles in a record. Bordman has his biases among the more recent shows he has seen (the first edition of his MUSICAL THEATRE CHRONICLE was infamous for his opinion that it was only the low running cost of the recently opened smash hit A CHORUS LINE which would keep it on the boards since musical theatre goers couldn't be expected to care about listening to other people's problems!) but for the most part he tries for and achieves objectivity and a simple readability which puts him ahead of even the definitive (but long out of print) George C.D. Odell ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK STAGE for the early years of New York theatre (his AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE, A Chronicle, goes back to 1753). The chief criticism of Bordman is that he needs another update - to take his NON-Musical books (which only START at the date most earlier texts cite as the beginning of a uniquely American MUSICAL theatre) back as far as his Musical Theatre Chronicle (which only comes up to April of 1985 in the latest edition) and to bring all four books up as close as possible to the present day - or at least to the 2000-2001 Season.
One person found this helpful
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Irena
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2014
Verified Purchase
Very nice book
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PETER PINNE
5.0 out of 5 stars AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE - A CHRONICLE *****
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2014
Excellent reference work. Norton's update is reader-friendly, erudite and pithy like Bordman's original.
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John L. Leckel
5.0 out of 5 stars American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2005
AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE: A CHRONICLE is the definitive work concerning the American musical theatre. It is organized by date of first production, and, as such, presents a picture of each year's musical productions since the beginning of the art form. It is easier to use than Odell's ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK STAGE, and picks up where Odell leaves off. Together they cover the subject exhaustively.
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Mark Andrew Lawrence
2.0 out of 5 stars Opinion overrides facts in this less-than-essential tome
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2005
In a reference book covering virtually every musical to open on Broadway through the 1989 season, Bordman provides opening dates and theatres for each show.

Unfortunately, Bordman comes across as stuffy old professor who doesn't much like his subject matter. He feels the Broadway musical reached its peak with ROSE MARIE (1924), has little use for the advances in book writing made by Oscar Hammerstein, and has a major dislike of Stephen Sondheim. He downplays the major advances in musical theatre made in the 1970s by Hal Prince, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, and others. He also takes an annoying condescending approach to most serious musicals preferring the fun and frivolity of the operettas and musical comedies of the 1920s. Of course the author is entitled to his opinion, but the book would be more useful if he delved more deeply into the reasons why this type of entertainment has changed, instead of just bemoaning the changes.

While it is somewhat useful to have the key data in one volume, the stuffiness or the writing, the lack of insight and the fact that the book is now 15 years out-of-date render it less than essential.
11 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars A major disappointment
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2003
If you love musical theatre works from 1866 thru 1960 - this is the book for you. Exhaustively researched. However, if you never ended the affair, and love Sondheim, Coleman, Fosse, Kander & Ebb, Champion, Lapine, Tune, Bennett, McNally, Herman, Hamlisch, Patinkin, Peters and LuPone - well, this probably ISN'T the book for you. The first 100 years are wonderfully detailed. Six paragraphs on "Show Boat" alone. Great. However, the author seems to have lost interest in his subject matter. The greatest shows of the past forty years are lucky to get a single paragraph. The last sections of the book feel passionless and rushed, the reportage at best perfunctory. It's too bad that someone like Ethan Mordan couldn't revisit and revise these decades. $ - wow! Listen, buy a used copy of the first edition (it goes up to 1978), than look for some of Mordan's books or Ken Mendelbaum's "Not Since Carrie."
12 people found this helpful
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