The History of the Musical (Unabridged)
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Narrated by:
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Kim Criswell
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By:
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Richard Fawkes
About this listen
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.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2001 Richard Fawkes (P)2001 AudioBooks Ltd.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Performance
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Story
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- Shakespeare Appreciated: (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)
- By: William Shakespeare, Simon Potter, Phil Viner
- Narrated by: Joan Walker, Nick Murchie, Coralyn Sheldon
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Experience Macbeth as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.
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Now I get it...
- By Amazon Customer on 01-23-13
By: William Shakespeare, and others
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The History of Theatre
- By: David Timson
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, cast
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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Nice job! Very good basic overview of theater!
- By Tim on 01-30-09
By: David Timson
-
The History of Opera
- By: Richard Fawkes
- Narrated by: Robert Powell
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the colorful story of sometimes temperamental composers and even more temperamental singers working in an art form which has produced some of man's noblest artistic creations. This absorbing history is illustrated by over 100 musical examples by Naxos artists as well as some of the greatest singers of the 20th century, including Enrico Caruso and Fyodor Chaliapin.
-
-
somewhat disappointing
- By Walter on 02-01-04
By: Richard Fawkes
-
Putting It Together
- How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George
- By: James Lapine
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper, Alyssa Bresnahan, Eva Kaminsky, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Putting It Together chronicles the two-year odyssey of creating the iconic Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George. Through conversations between Lapine and Sondheim, as well as most of the production team, and with a treasure trove of personal photographs, sketches, script notes, and sheet music, the two Broadway icons lift the curtain on their beloved musical. Putting It Together is a deeply personal remembrance of their collaboration and friendship and the highs and lows of that journey, one that resulted in the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.
-
-
Revisiting a truly great theatrical experience
- By Robert Beuth on 08-10-21
By: James Lapine
-
Something Wonderful
- Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution
- By: Todd S. Purdum
- Narrated by: Todd S. Purdum
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play.
-
-
Fabulous book about Rodgers & Hammerstein!!!
- By BigWally on 06-27-18
By: Todd S. Purdum
Editorial reviews
An enjoyable stroll down Broadway and "the West End" of London, this audiobook traces the development of musical theater, explaining the influence of many famous composers and songwriters over the past 150 years, as well as the impact of history on this art form. In a strong, clear voice, Kim Cresswell's narration varies from light-hearted, easy-going tones, to darker, more somber ones, using inflection and emphasis to indicate the evolution in musical theater. Well-selected excerpts from the various shows enhance the overall impact, and sound quality is excellent, even for the older pieces. The introductions include names of performers, title of the song, and name of the show. This all-around quality production will have you humming for days.
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