Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| Eponine93 |
The Musical Worlds of Boubil and SchonbergFor any of you who haven't seen... http://www.playbill.com/news/article/106856.htmlIt sounds very interesting. Definitely going on my birthday gifts list. Have any of you guys bought it yet/are planning on? I would really like to know if it's worth it... |
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| sherwills |
I'm sure it will make a good buy. Just wondering when it will hit London bookshops. 
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| The Very Angry Woman |
I've already pre-ordered it, and want to plug a great site which could use the donations:
Click on the Amazon link at http://theatre-musical.com/ |
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| LesMisForever |
I wholeheartdly support what TVAW just recommended. |
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| EponinesRain |
Oooh, this looks like a worthy buy. I'll also definitely check out that site, TVAW. Yay, I'm excited b/c I love reading all the technical things about the production. Besides, it has pictures! haha... | ||||
| LesMisForever |
...which reminds me of George Bush's quote: "One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures.�
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| Lazarus (Adam G) |
[/i]The Musical Worlds of Boubil and Schonberg[/i]?
They might as well just write a book Les Miserables, seeing as how every musical they've ever written is just like it. |
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| LesMisForever |
EponinesRain...just for the record. I wasn't making fun of you, but i always find it funny when people refer to the pictures in books 
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| EponinesRain |
Oh, I know. No worries. I was going to quip about President Bush myself after your comment, hehehe.  I was also going to type "Yay, Peeeechurs!" as Lea Salonga does on her blog, but thought that the fangasm would show through. 
A slight tangent: Has anybody read Edward Behr's Les Miserables: A History in the Making? I read mixed reviews for it, though most of them are positive. Is that worth a purchase, as well? I hear he screws up some of the plot in his summary. |
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| Orestes Fasting |
It's a pretty good book. A lot of the information in it is out of date, but the parts about the making of the show--the transfer from the original Paris version to the London version to the Broadway version--are really neat. |
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| happyguava |
Yeah, I have it. I haven't read it cover to cover but I have liked what I have read. The libretto in the back is handy to have, although it doesn't have any of the weird new Broadway changes in it (I'm sorry, I can't stand that "everybody keep the faith... something about a bird..." thing.) It has nice pictures as well
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| EponinesRain |
Thank you both for your reviews and suggestions. The transfer of versions sounds interesting indeed, OF! And I don't like the "weird new Broadway changes," either, Happyguava.
But! I actually found out that my university library has the book so I think I'll skim through that and then decide if I'll purchase it or not. This coming from a poor college student, mind you.
Yes, the pictures are essential! Heheh, kidding. But, I am a really visual person, so they should be nice. Hurrah!
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| Elin |
The authors of The Pirate Queen, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Sch�nberg, will celebrate the release of their new biography, The Musical World of Boublil and Sch�nberg, today, Tuesday April 3rd at 6:00PM at the Barnes & Noble Lincoln Center (1972 Broadway).
http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=17202 |
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| EponinesRain |
Yay, I ordered my copy online and got it this weekend! But, I haven't had time to do a thorough reading and merely read selected passages. There's a lot of things about Les Mis in this book that I've seen before in Behr's book, as well as in Sternfeld's. Still, it introduces some background info that's new to me, primarily about the writing process for the lyrics. I go for much of the leitmotif stuff and bits about the orchestrations, and it seems like Vermette uses new phrases for old ideas. But, it is a pretty accomplished work and I'm usually too quick to judge, anyway. Like I said, I'll have to actually read more first. I guess I'll update a review in a couple of days if anybody's interested? | ||||
| Colle |
I am interested in reading a review, EponinesRain. Also, please tell about the photos(I have heard there are photos) of Les Mis, what actors and cast are in the pictures (that you can recongize). I do want to buy this book at some point. | ||||
| Brigantine |
to anyone who has this book- is there a section on Martin Guerre? | ||||
| EponinesRain |
Still inundated with work this week so my offer to review the book may have been premature- sorry! But I can tell you that there is a 48-page section of full-color photos! It covers all of B&S' works: Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre, and The Pirate Queen. Most of the Les Mis photos come from the very first production at the Barbican Theatre in London. I also see photos from the 1988 & 1989 London productions at the Palace Theatre. It features Patti LuPone, Barry James, Roger Allam, and Michael Ball. Then there's the March 12, 1987 Broadway photos with Colm Wilkinson, Frances Rufelle, David Bryant, and Randy Graff. There are photos of the original casts of B&S' other works, so there's photos of Lea Salonga, Simon Bowman, etc.
Yup. The thing is that the chapters aren't divided by productions; instead, they are categorized by the writing and production processes. For example, one chapter is devoted to the writing of the plot, then the writing of the lyrics, a focus on the directors of each show, and so forth. This makes it difficult to read if you're not familiar with all of the shows, but I still think it's an interesting read. It's more about the technicalities (Quique *ahem*) of the show. A lot of it is explained through lengthy interviews, as well. What is really cool is that chapter 7 is entitled "Showcase: A Fact File on The Productions". It lists the names of every single cast and crew member in these four shows, including the current 2006 West End cast. It has a Fact and Trivia section, every single award that had been won by a B&S production, and preliminary reviews of each show from different locations. It also lists all the different cast recordings made, the cities where they have played, and even notable guest appearances (in Les Mis' 21st Anniversary celebration). That kind of stuff!
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| The Very Angry Woman |
With bonus typos, too. |
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| EponinesRain |
Still? I got the Advanced Uncorrected Reader's Proof of the book, so I thought that all the typos would be corrected by the time the real version was released. But yeah, I was like, "It isn't John Cornell!" Oh well; that bites. |