The Book of Broadway: The 150 Definitive Plays and Musicals

322 Pages·2015·86.346 MB·English

by  Eric Grode

F
ERIC GRODE O
150 BB
150 roadway evokes vibrant pictures of
lights, theaters, producers, shows, actors,
THE 150 BEST, BIGGEST, MOST INFLUENTIAL, AND MOST THE
★ ★
dancers, and show tunes—but how does

one consolidate the glitz that is show
BOOK OF
FASCINATING BROADWAY SHOWS EVER PRODUCED. business on Broadway into a list of 150
K
definitive plays and musicals? Eric Grode draws
B
B on his love for theater and years of experience
as a critic for the New York Times and New York
RARE
Sun to present a list of the most successful,
DISCOVER LITTLE-KNOWN GEMS
O
influential, and enduring shows ever to grace
a Broadway stage.
& DEFINITIVE
CELEBRATE
R
R Countless variables can affect a show’s
designation as a definitive play or musical,
O
PLAYS AND
and the selections in The Book of Broadway
Y
BELOVED Y take more than just popularity or ticket sales
MUSICALS into account. Innovations in staging and
COVERAGE
costuming, impeccably written characters,
O
O B
and shows that were simply unlike any that
CLASSICS AA had been seen before are all elements
that can bump a show from good to classic.

OF THE PLAYS THAT Was it difficult to whittle down the vast
W
collection that is Broadway into only 150
EEric Grode is the director of the Goldring INCLUDING THOSE OF THE AA E W shows? Absolutely. How did a preliminary list
SHAPED BROADWAY
Arts Journalism Program at Syracuse of more than 300 plays and musicals become
University and a freelance arts writer TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY a final list of 150? Not easily. Grode examined
for the New York Times. He previously H the history, popularity, fascinating back stories,
served as the head theater critic for the and success of hundreds of shows to curate
New York Sun, and his articles and reviews CRITIC AND JOURNALIST ERIC GRODE HAS REPORTED ON MANY OF THE SHOWS DD DD the best and brightest. From Uncle Tom’s Cabin,
have also appeared in the Village Voice, New York which debuted in 1833, to such contemporary
magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and musicals as The Book of Mormon, both old
OVER HIS CAREER, TAKING HIM INTO THE REHEARSAL ROOMS, DOWN TO THE
T
more than a dozen other publications. He is and new shows are represented.
the author of Hair: The Story of the Show
ORCHESTRA PITS, AND BEHIND THE SCENES AT MANY OF THE FEATURED THEATERS. A
That Defined a Generation, the authorized A What’s the connection between 1949’s South
history of the Broadway musical. Follow him W Pacific, the 1954 Peter Pan musical, and the
W
on Twitter at @EricGrode. 1959 debut of The Sound of Music? Tony
SPANNING THE 1850S MORE THAN FILLED WITH FASCINATING HISTORY Award–winning star Mary Martin dazzled
O
audiences as she originated each of the lead
O
roles. Read about the perfect pairing of
300 ANECDOTES
TO THE PRESENT 300 twelve-year-old Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft
AA that convincingly brought Helen Keller and
Annie Sullivan to life in The Miracle Worker
& EXPLANATIONS R
IN A-TO-Z FORMAT R (1959). Annie (1977) makes the cut in part
because of its role introducing more children
OF WHY THESE SHOWS HAD into audiences that historically had been all

adults. How about The Lion King (1997), which
COLOR & BLACK-AND- THE INFLUENCE THEY DID YY BB used a combination of modern technology
TO ALLOW FUN DISCOVERIES ALONG THE WAY
WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS and centuries-old puppeteering to stunning
visual effect and forever changed how Disney
approached theater?
Discover the merits of these 150 shows that
ISBN: 978-0-7603-4562-7
have secured a place as one of Broadway’s most
ERIC GRODE
influential shows and continue to contribute to
N
A
E theater’s enduring legacy.
Visit www.QuartoKnows.com
Jacket design by Landers Miller Design, LLC Follow us on $50.00 US / £35.00 UK / $60.00 CAN

t h e b o o k
o f b roa dway
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Eric Grode
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ISBN: 978-0-7603-4562-7
First published in 2015 by Voyageur Press, an imprint of Quarto
Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Digital edition: 978-1-62788-706-9
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA
Hardcover edition: 978-0-76034-562-7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
© 2015 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.
Text © 2015 Eric Grode Grode, Eric.
The book of Broadway : the 150 definitive plays and musicals /
All photographs are courtesy Photofest unless noted otherwise. Eric Grode.
Photofest is a New York–based photo archive with over two million pages cm
images, including extensive performing arts collections from more Includes bibliographical references and index.
than a century of American theater. ISBN 978-0-7603-4562-7 (hc)
1. Theater--New York (State)--New York--History--20th century. 2.
All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages American drama--20th century--History and criticism. 3. Musicals--
for the purposes of review, no part of this publication may be New York (State)--New York--History and criticism. I. Title.
reproduced without prior written permission from the Publisher. PN2277.N5G75 2015
792.09747’10904--dc23
The information in this book is true and complete to the best 2015001991
of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without
Editor: Grace Labatt
any guarantee on the part of the author or Publisher, who also
Project Manager: Caitlin Fultz
disclaims any liability incurred in connection with the use of this
Art Director: James Kegley
data or specific details.
Layout: Diana Boger
We recognize, further, that some words, model names, and Cover image: Broadway at Night by Larry Nicosia
designations mentioned herein are the property of the trademark
Title page: Sandra Church as Louise in Gypsy, which debuted
holder. We use them for identification purposes only. This is not an
in 1959.
official publication.
Dedication: The marquee for the original production of South
Voyageur Press titles are also available at discounts in bulk Pacific, which ran on Broadway from 1949 to 1954.
quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use. For details write to
Special Sales Manager at Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 Printed in China
First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.
To find out more about our books, visit us online at 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
www.voyageurpress.com.
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To B, J, and E,
wiTh all my lovE.
C
2
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C O N T E N T S
inTroducTion ThE Band wagon caTs a doll’s housE
9 34 60 86
aBiE’s irish rosE ThE BEauTy QuEEn charlEy’s aunT douBT
10 of lEEnanE 62 88
36
ThE adding chicago EasT
machinE ThE Black crook 64 lynnE
12 38 90
ThE childrEn’s
amadEus ThE Book hour EviTa
14 of mormon 66 92
40
angEl sTrEET a chorus linE falsETTos
16 Born yEsTErday 68 94
42
angEls in amErica ciTy of angEls fEncEs
18 Brigadoon 70 96
44
anniE clyBournE park fiddlEr on
20 Bus sTop 72 ThE roof
46 98
anniE gET company
your gun ByE ByE BirdiE 74 finian’s rainBow
22 48 100
ThE cruciBlE
anyThing goEs caBarET 76 folliEs
24 50 102
dEaTh of
arcadia capTain Jinks of a salEsman ThE fronT pagE
26 ThE horsE marinEs 78 104
52
as Thousands a dElicaTE BalancE girl crazy
chEEr ThE carETakEr 80 106
28 54
ThE diary ThE glass
awakE and sing! carousEl of annE frank mEnagEriE
30 56 82 108
BaBEs in arms caT on a dinnEr aT EighT glEngarry
32 hoT Tin roof 84 glEn ross
58 110
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grEasE inhEriT ThE wind a liTTlE mrs. warrEn’s
112 138 nighT music profEssion
166 190
guys and dolls JErsEy Boys
114 140 long day’s ThE mulligan
JournEy inTo guards’ Ball
gypsy JEsus chrisT
nighT 192
116 supErsTar
168
142 ThE music man
hair
look Back 194
118 JoE TurnEr’s
in angEr
comE and gonE my fair lady
harvEy 170
144 196
120
looT
Juno and naughTy mariETTa
ThE hEirEss 172
ThE paycock 198
122
146 a man for all
no, no, nanETTE
hEllo, dolly! sEasons
ThE king and i 200
124 174
148
noisEs off
h.m.s. pinaforE man of la mancha
kiss mE, kaTE 202
126 176
150
ThE odd couplE
ThE homEcoming “masTEr
lady in ThE dark 204
harold”. . .
128
152
and ThE Boys of ThEE i sing
how To succEEd
lEs miséraBlEs 178 206
in BusinEss
154
wiThouT rEally ThE mErry widow oh, Boy!
Trying ThE lifE and 180 208
130 advEnTurEs of
mETamorphosEs oklahoma!
nicholas nicklEBy
ThE icEman 182 210
156
comETh
ThE miraclE on ThE Town
132 lifE wiTh faThEr
workEr
212
158
ThE imporTancE 184
our Town
of BEing EarnEsT ThE lion king
a moon for
214
134 160
ThE misBEgoTTEn
pal JoEy
in liTTlE Johnny 186
216
dahomEy JonEs
ThE mosT
136 164
happy fElla
188
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ThE pErsEcuTion porgy and BEss ThE skin of vEry good EddiE
and assassinaTion 238 our TEETh 294
of JEan-paul 268
privaTE livEs waiTing for
maraT as
240 slEuTh godoT
pErformEd By
270 296
ThE inmaTEs ThE producErs
of ThE asylum of 242 ThE sound waiTing for lEfTy
charEnTon undEr of music 298
promisEs, promisEs
ThE dirEcTion
272
244 waTch your sTEp
of ThE marQuis
souTh pacific 300
dE sadE
pygmalion
274
218 246 wEsT sidE sTory
spring awakEning 302
pETEr pan (play)
ragTimE
276
220 248 who’s afraid of
a sTrEETcar virginia woolf?
pETEr pan
a raisin in ThE sun
namEd dEsirE 304
(musical)
250
278
222 wickEd
rEnT
ThE sTudEnT 306
ThE phanTom of
252
princE in
ThE opEra
yip yip yaphank
rosEncranTz hEidElBErg
224
308
and guildEnsTErn 280
ThE philadElphia
arE dEad you can’T TakE iT
swEEnEy Todd
sTory
254 wiTh you
282
226
310
1776
ThE TimE of
picnic
256 ziEgfEld folliEs
your lifE
228 of 1919
shE lovEs mE 284
312
pippin
258
ToBacco road
230 acknowlEdgmEnTs
show BoaT 286
314
ThE piraTEs
260
Torch song
of pEnzancE
BiBliography
ThE show-off Trilogy
234
314
262 288
ThE playBoy
indEx
of ThE wEsTErn shufflE along a Trip To
316
chinaTown
world 264
290 aBouT ThE
236
six dEgrEEs
auThor
of sEparaTion unclE Tom’s caBin
320
266 292
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