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The History of the Musical (Unabridged)
- Narrated by: Kim Criswell
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
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New York City native and gifted pianist George Gershwin blossomed as an accompanist before his talent as a songwriter opened the way to Broadway, where he fashioned his own brand of American music. He composed a long run of musical comedies, many with his brother Ira as lyricist, but his aspirations reached beyond commercial success.
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Publisher's Summary
The musical is one of the great art forms of the 20th century. Showboat, Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Oliver, Cabaret - one masterpiece after another packed the theaters on Broadway, in London's West End, and around the world. And it made a successful transfer to cinema. A truly popular art, the musical closely reflected society and its needs - sometimes providing a message and often providing a much-needed romantic escape.
In this audio-original production, author Richard Fawkes traces the development of the musical, from its origins in European light opera and operetta to its transformation in the hands of the great American song composers and lyricists - among them Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe. The talent of Lloyd Webber and Sondheim has assured that in the 21st century, it is as lively as ever.
Presented by the vivacious singer Kim Criswell, who starred in Cats, sang on Broadway, won awards for her recordings, and has lived and breathed the musical since she was a young girl. This enthralling story is told with nearly 100 famous musical extracts.
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What listeners say about The History of the Musical (Unabridged)
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 07-25-20
Enjoyable and insighful
Very much enjoyed this book. Well paced coverage of the history of musicals, with due focus on the origins. The numerous musical excerpts makes the book a great listening experience.
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