Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts
It's not just a street anymore-it's a genre of its own, and it's celebrated in Tom Shea's Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts. Part of Potomac's popular Most Wanted series, Broadway's Most Wanted sings the praises of musical theater with a dash of whimsy thrown in. Shea honors those who have made musical theater what it is today-the good, the bad, and the ugly. Oh, the ugly! When a show hits gold, the world's a wonderful place, but a bomb is just as precious and enjoyable in its own perverse way. With more than forty top-ten lists packed full of fun and facts, Shea shows you the best-and worst-that Broadway, off-Broadway, and the rest of the musical theater has to offer.

So while you learn about the amazing people behind the hit Bye Bye Birdie, including the incomparable Chita Rivera, you'll also read about the ill-fated and laughable Bring Back Birdie, which quickly indicated why Broadway doesn't do sequels (especially twenty years after the original). While chuckling over how Jimmy Durante and Ethel Merman bickered over top billing for 1936's Red, Hot, and Blue-with the comical result of their names being written diagonally, crossing in an X-you'll also find praise for Paul Ford, Stephen Sondheim's rehearsal pianist, who helps the legendary composer bring his music to life. Musicals run the gamut of topics, and Shea waxes melodic on political, western, rock and roll, and comic-book musicals, plus so much more. They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway; Tom Shea shines just as brightly with Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts.
1112853010
Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts
It's not just a street anymore-it's a genre of its own, and it's celebrated in Tom Shea's Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts. Part of Potomac's popular Most Wanted series, Broadway's Most Wanted sings the praises of musical theater with a dash of whimsy thrown in. Shea honors those who have made musical theater what it is today-the good, the bad, and the ugly. Oh, the ugly! When a show hits gold, the world's a wonderful place, but a bomb is just as precious and enjoyable in its own perverse way. With more than forty top-ten lists packed full of fun and facts, Shea shows you the best-and worst-that Broadway, off-Broadway, and the rest of the musical theater has to offer.

So while you learn about the amazing people behind the hit Bye Bye Birdie, including the incomparable Chita Rivera, you'll also read about the ill-fated and laughable Bring Back Birdie, which quickly indicated why Broadway doesn't do sequels (especially twenty years after the original). While chuckling over how Jimmy Durante and Ethel Merman bickered over top billing for 1936's Red, Hot, and Blue-with the comical result of their names being written diagonally, crossing in an X-you'll also find praise for Paul Ford, Stephen Sondheim's rehearsal pianist, who helps the legendary composer bring his music to life. Musicals run the gamut of topics, and Shea waxes melodic on political, western, rock and roll, and comic-book musicals, plus so much more. They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway; Tom Shea shines just as brightly with Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts.
5.99 In Stock
Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts

Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts

by Tom Shea
Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts

Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts

by Tom Shea

eBook

$5.99  $6.95 Save 14% Current price is $5.99, Original price is $6.95. You Save 14%.

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers

LEND ME® See Details

Overview

It's not just a street anymore-it's a genre of its own, and it's celebrated in Tom Shea's Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts. Part of Potomac's popular Most Wanted series, Broadway's Most Wanted sings the praises of musical theater with a dash of whimsy thrown in. Shea honors those who have made musical theater what it is today-the good, the bad, and the ugly. Oh, the ugly! When a show hits gold, the world's a wonderful place, but a bomb is just as precious and enjoyable in its own perverse way. With more than forty top-ten lists packed full of fun and facts, Shea shows you the best-and worst-that Broadway, off-Broadway, and the rest of the musical theater has to offer.

So while you learn about the amazing people behind the hit Bye Bye Birdie, including the incomparable Chita Rivera, you'll also read about the ill-fated and laughable Bring Back Birdie, which quickly indicated why Broadway doesn't do sequels (especially twenty years after the original). While chuckling over how Jimmy Durante and Ethel Merman bickered over top billing for 1936's Red, Hot, and Blue-with the comical result of their names being written diagonally, crossing in an X-you'll also find praise for Paul Ford, Stephen Sondheim's rehearsal pianist, who helps the legendary composer bring his music to life. Musicals run the gamut of topics, and Shea waxes melodic on political, western, rock and roll, and comic-book musicals, plus so much more. They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway; Tom Shea shines just as brightly with Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, and Box-Office Busts.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781612340333
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
Publication date: 09/30/2004
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 433
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

Tom Shea is an accomplished singer and actor and, to his knowledge, the only person to have appeared in The Golden Apple; Lady in the Dark; One Touch of Venus; Knickerbocker Holiday; Utopia, Ltd.; and The Grand Duke. He lives in Chicago.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrationsix
Prefacexi
Introductionxii
I'm the Greatest Individual: 10 Notable Tony Winners1
With Their Awful Clothes and Their Rock-and-Roll: 10 Musicals Written by Famous Rock Artists7
I Can't Do the Sum: 10 Numerical Broadway Musicals14
Next Stop, Neverland: 10 Musicals Set in Imaginary Locations17
I Think It's Funny: 10 Musicals Based on the Comics24
Show Me: Behind the Scenes31
It's a Hell of a Town: 10 Fun City Musicals38
We Shout, "Look Out, Yale!": 10 Musicals about Sports45
Again, from the Top: 10 Prominent "Revisals"52
Duelling Musicals!: Musicals that Share the Same Source Material60
The Wages of Sin: TV Shows Featuring Broadway Stars71
Fill the World with Ships and Shoes: 10 Musicals about Big Business76
That Was a Flop?: 10 Misleadingly Great Broadway Cast Albums83
Cinema Theatricalo: Movies about the Creation of Musical Theater91
Food, Glorious Food!: 10 Broadway Musicals You Could Eat95
Cold and Dead: 10 Musicals About Killers100
Every Movie's a Circus: 10 Legendary Broadway Performers Who Lost Their Roles in the Movie Version107
I Think I Can Play This Part: 10 Broadway Performers Who Did the Movie Version117
All Hail the Political Honeymoon: 10 Musicals about Politics and Politicians123
Don't Fence Me In: 10 Rootin' Tootin' Western Musicals129
Bring the House Down: Pop Stars Who Crossed Over to Broadway134
Come Back to Me: 10 Hollywood Stars Who Crossed Over to Broadway139
It's a Hit, It's a Palpable Hit: Hit Songs You Never Knew Came from Musicals145
I Love a Film Cliche: Movie Musicals that Made It to the Stage153
We Sail the Seas: 10 Musicals Set on the Water159
I'm a Bad, Bad Man: 10 Great Musical Villains164
Blow, Gabriel, Blow: Depictions of Faith in Broadway Musicals169
It's Better with a Bard: 10 Musicals Based on Shakespeare174
You're Responsible! You're the One to Blame! It's Your Fault!: 10 Musicals to Scratch Your Head Over180
Wig in a Box: 10 Musicals Featuring Characters in Drag185
Bigger Isn't Better: 10 "Small" Shows192
It's an Art: 10 Musicals about Other Art Forms196
Children Will Listen: Parents and Children in the Musical Theater201
Keep it Gay: 10 Musicals With, Um, Happy Bachelor Characters207
Where Did We Go Right?: 10 Surprise Hit Musicals213
Am I My Resume?: Musical Actors Who Write219
I Saw Stars: Recent TV Shows With Tony Winners and Nominees223
All We'll Do Is Just Dance: 10 Dance Musicals228
Hard to Be a Diva: 10 Outrageous Offstage Moments233
All Things Bright and Beautiful: 10 Musicals about the Animal Kingdom240
Let's Do It: 10 Musicals About S-E-X246
Oh, I Say!: 10 Broadway Musicals Whose Titles Are Complete Sentences251
Monorail!: 10 Musical Theater Spoofs256
Historical News Is Being Made: 10 Innovative Musicals264
Sunrise, Sunset: 10 of New York's Longest-Running Musicals274
Index281
About the Author303
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews