Nick Wakeham casts an eye over some of the latest books with a theatrical theme.
WHEN BROADWAY WENT TO HOLLYWOOD – ETHAN MORDDEN (Oxford University Press – ISBN: 978-0199395408)
Ethan Mordden is no stranger to anyone interested in the musical theatre, having written quite a number of books on the subject.
His latest publication, When Broadway Went to Hollywood, follows the film musical from its inception in the silent era (I kid you not) to the present day.
But this isn’t simply an anthology of film musicals, this book deals with how the writers of these musicals had to change their work ethic from what they were used to when working for a Broadway producer to being employed by the large film studios.
For instance, on Broadway, a producer would ask for a musical complete with songs that were, more likely than not, going to be used in that show – whereas in Hollywood they would be asked to write a whole catalogue of songs when maybe one (or two if they were lucky) made it to the film.
Even when a successful stage musical was destined for the Hollywood treatment, the songs that made it such a hit on stage could find themselves being thrown out with the bath water – and, worse still, other songs by other composers being brought in to pad it out!
Some chapters are more fascinating than others. For instance, the insights given to the works of Porter, Gershwin and Rodgers and Hart are extremely interesting, and the Irving Berlin section brings to life the character of the great man himself and the inordinate impact he had on both the stage and film musical.
I found his sections on the actual Hollywood biopics of the composers most captivating and can do nothing but agree with him that Hollywood almost entirely rewrote some of these lives to suit their ends. Nothing new there then.
I studied music back in the day, but I have to say that some of the book had me getting a bit of a scrambled brain. Mordden likes to throw in many musical references to the songs, such as: ‘flattened submediant major with a minor seventh’ and ‘dominant seventh chord and 4/4 time’.
This had me actually stopping my read to work out what he meant by this – which ruined the flow of the book. As for anyone reading this who has no knowledge of the art of actually writing music, then they might find all that a bit pretentious and, dare I say it, off-putting.
All in all, I loved the book. Apart from the musical notation references, it is extremely easy to read and has that ‘can’t-put-it-down’ feel. It is fascinating to see how Hollywood latched on to the musical but how they went about treating it. It shows how some great musicals made into films fail while others bloom and sparkle. A great book for all musical theatre lovers.
SHOW & TELL – Ken Bloom (Oxford University Press – ISBN: 978-0-19-022101-0)
I love books like this. Anything that tells stories of celebrities and makes me laugh or gasp is a winner in my mind. Ken Bloom, an aficionado of all things Broadway, has put together a book of choice remarks or insights into the world of theatrical entertainment and it is a hoot.
Okay, some of the stories are old hat and have been recycled, and some leave you hanging at the end of the piece wondering just why it had been included but, on the whole, this is a delicious compendium of theatrical gold.
I would advise the reader not to treat it as a book but as a large tin of assorted confectionery, there to be opened and dipped into whenever the mood takes you. And, just like the tin of chocolates, there are going to be those you love and want more of, and those that leave you with that ‘they were okay’ feeling.
Did you know that Ann Miller’s feet were so bad during the run of Follies at the Paper Mill Playhouse that stagehands had to carry her on and off the stage for her numbers? Did you know that Jerry Robbins didn’t choreograph ‘America’ or the ‘Dance at the Gym’ in West Side Story?
There are lots of little gems in this book but I have to say my favourite is: Andrew Lloyd Webber once asked Alan Jay Lerner: ‘Why do people take an instant dislike to me?’ to which Lerner replied: ‘It saves time.’ Love it!
D’OYLY CARTE – THE INSIDE STORY – Roberta Morrell (Troubador Books – ISBN: 9781785893803)
Many years ago, I auditioned twice for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. The first time in London when I was told I was much too young to join a touring company and the next time in Manchester when I believe the note made by Dame Bridget herself on my audition form was NUTS (Not Up To Standard!).
I gave up after that and, on reading this book, I am in one way glad I did. I didn’t realise at the time what 48 weeks on the road entailed and I have every respect for the artists who belonged to what can only be termed a fantastic institution. I for one miss them terribly.
I was expecting a lot of really nice juicy inside stories about the way the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company treated its artists. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of stuff mentioned in the book but I think Roberta Morrell is too nice a person to go into the ‘muddy’ side of things.
However, it is a truly fascinating insight into what it was like to be part of a company who were together 48 weeks of the year, touring to all parts of the country and having to put up with everything that entails.
If I have a little niggle about the book, it is that Morrell tends to repeat a lot of the text from one chapter to another. It got to a point where I began to doubt my sanity, wondering if I had just read that somewhere else! I don’t actually put the blame at Morrell’s feet for this, rather the proofreader or copywriter who was involved in readying the book for publication.
I always loved the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, and by that I mean the original one, not so much the new incarnation. Every time the company was at a theatre near to me, I always went to see it in action.
The standard of performance was, on the whole, exceptionally high and this book goes a long way towards explaining why, on occasions, that standard may have slipped – due to the complete lack of rehearsal afforded to newcomers.
I miss being able to see the operas performed in the manner of the D’Oyly Carte and only wish that they had all been filmed live on stage before the company was forced to disband.
Morrell has written a lovely book, full of memories and mischief and, although it doesn’t dig as deep as I would have liked, it is still a wonderful reminder of a great opera company long lost and much missed.
THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT PLAYS 2014-2015 – edited by William W Demastes (Applause Theatre and Cinema Books – ISBN: 978-1495046483)
The latest instalment from series editor William W Demastes is now out and available to buy in the UK. In this volume, he looks at the trinity Shakespeare coined as the lunatic, the lover and the poet, exploring whimsical, imaginative, romantic and humorous themes.
In the introduction, Demastes writes: “What really hits home in Shakespeare’s plays is how he uses his own seething brain to put things onstage that cool reason will never be able to comprehend. He shows us that the world is more than facts and figures, that humans are connected by more than a balance sheet, and that life is more than biology.”
This is a wonderful collection for those interested in keeping up with new playwrights.
If you are not already familiar with this wonderful series of books, then it may be worthwhile looking them up and starting your collection.
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