The Alchemy of Theatre - The Divine Science: Essays on Theatre and the Art of Collaboration (Applause Books) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Although Edward Albee says, 'No one collaborates with me on a play,' he is wrong. The theater, is built on collaboration. Maybe Mr. Albee writes the play, and maybe he is insistent that the play be performed exactly as he wrote it, but the actions, the sets, the dance steps, the lighting all come from other people. Like a sports team, an army or a corporation it takes a bunch of people to pull it off.

In this book, 28 of Broadway's best write essays on collaboration. The essays are broken down into four general categories:

Part I - Pen to Paper -- Playwrights, Composers, Liberettists, the people who write what's going to become the play.

Part II - Captains -- Theatre Owner, Producer, Director, Casting, Stage Manager.

Part III - Actor, Dancer.

Part IV - Completion -- Set Designer, Costume Designer, Lighting, Sound, Makeup, Advertising.

All in all, this is an insiders view of how they see the theater working. Needless to say, each view the theater differently, they se it from their own point of view. This is not only fair, this is what collaboration is all about.

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Product Description:
Featuring 28 of the top talents on Broadway! The Alchemy of Theatre lets the top talents in every theatrical field, from producing and writing to publicity and makeup, share their hard-earned wisdom. They speak on how to achieve success in an environment where giant egos are locked up together under mounting financial and emotional pressure, and are expected to deliver greatness. In short, this book is a how-to manual of collaboration by the professionals who do it best. Among those who have packed their lively essays with real-world stories of experience on legendary productions are directors Harold Prince, Susan Stroman, and George C. Wolfe; playwrights Wendy Wasserstein, recently deceased, and Edward Albee; stars Chita Rivera and Brian Stokes Mitchell; set designer Robin Wagner; songwriter Cy Coleman, in one of his last writing efforts before his death; costume designer William Ivey Long; producer Rocco Landesman; theatre operator Gerald Schoenfeld, chairman of The Shubert Organization; playwright and librettist Terrence McNally; lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer; Musical Director Paul Gemignani; and more than a dozen more. This book is nothing but true-life stories of how these precepts work in real life for some of the most talented people alive. "Every narrative gives an inside look at what makes theater magical and allows a performance to come together. For those who love the theater, this book is essential." Library Journal

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The Peanuts Illustrated Songbook (Piano Solo Songbook) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is great in three ways: First, the music itself is first rate.The arrangements in the book are the real thing and are quite a bit more difficult than the "easy" piano versions.Second, there are great-looking comics on most every page, which makes it a joy just to look at.Lastly, there is a lengthy history of Peanuts and how Vince became involved with it.
The only aspect keeping this book from a 5 rating is the binding.The book wouldn't lay flat on the piano, which made it practically impossible to play.I brought it to Kinko's and got it spiral bound for about $4, and now it works great.Poor thinking on the publisher's part, though.

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Product Description:
This coffee-table quality songbook is a celebration of the art of Charles Schulz and the music of Vince Guaraldi. Within its stunning full-color, high-gloss pages are: an introduction by veteran music journalist Hank Bordowitz, which provides background on how the Schulz/Mendelson/Guaraldi collaboration came to be, and reflections from fellow musicians influenced by Guaraldi's music; and piano solo arrangements of 30 terrific tunes, each featuring a Peanuts illustration by Schulz. The songs include: Baseball Theme * Blue Charlie Brown * The Christmas Song * Christmas Time Is Here * Freda (With the Naturally Curly Hair) * Happiness Theme * He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown * Linus and Lucy * Oh, Good Grief * The Pebble Beach Theme * Peppermint Patty * Red Baron * Schroeder * Skating * You're in Love, Charlie Brown * and more. This book will be an absolute treasure for any Peanuts or jazz fan!!

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