Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals (eBook)

This book examines in specific detail every musical show that opened on Broadway during the 1980s. Included in each entry are details regarding cast and credits, plot, critical reviews, London productions, recordings, published scripts, and film versions. The book also includes extensive commentary for each major show. While concept musicals such as Nine and Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George continued to be produced, several London hits came to New York, most notably Les Miserables and four successful shows by the decade’s most successful composer Andrew Lloyd Webber: Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Song & Dance, and Starlight Express.

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For Broadway audiences of the 1980s, the decade was perhaps most notable for the so-called ';British invasion.' While concept musicals such as Nine and Stephen Sondheims Sunday in the Park with George continued to be produced, several London hits came to New York. In addition to shows like Chess, Me and My Girl, and Les Miserables,the decade's most successful composerAndrew Lloyd Webberwas also well represented by Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Song & Dance, and Starlight Express. There were also many revivals (such as Show Boat and Gypsy), surprise hits (The Pirates of Penzance), huge hits (42nd Street), and notorious flops (Into the Light, Carrie, and Annie 2: Miss Hannigans Revenge).In The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals, Dan Dietz examines in detail every musical that opened on Broadway during the 1980s. In addition to including every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book highlights revivals and personal-appearance revues with such performers as Sid Caesar, Barry Manilow, Jackie Mason, and Shirley MacLaine.Each entry includes the following information Opening and closing datesPlot summariesCast membersNumber of performancesNames of all important personnel including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directorsMusical numbers and the names of performers who introduced the songsProduction data, including information about tryoutsSource materialCritical commentary Tony awards and nominations Details about London and other foreign productionsBesides separate entries for each production, the book offers numerous appendixes, including a discography, filmography, and published scripts, as well as lists of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, black-themed shows, and Jewish-themed productions. A treasure trove of information, The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals provides readers with a comprehensive view of each show. This significant resource will be of use to scholars, historians, and casual fans of one of the greatest decades in musical theatre history.