Research Catalog

Title

"No legs, no jokes, no chance" : a history of the American musical theater / Sheldon Patinkin.

Author

Patinkin, Sheldon.

Publication

Evanston, Ill. : Northwestern University Press, 2008.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

xiv, 580 p. : ill.; 26 cm.

Summary

"Written by one of American theater's most avid and knowledgeable proponents, "No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance" traces the American musical from its rich and varied beginnings in European opera, American minstrel shows, and vaudeville through its many permutations to its current state--from, as Sheldon Patinkin puts it, La Boheme to Rent. Minstrelsy, burlesque, revue, dance, and choreographers, the "texts" of musical theater so often overlooked by its historians, finally receive due consideration in this thorough and thoroughly entertaining book about how American musical theater came to be and developed into what it is today. Patinkin writes about the infancy of the musical--the revues, operettas, and early musical comedies, as well as the groundbreaking shows like Oklahoma!, and Show Boat that brought the form to its "golden age" during World War II. With insightful references to how history, literature, theater, fashion, popular music, and movies influenced musical theater generally and certain shows in particular, he traces a direct lineage from older forms to contemporary musicals. The result is a broad, clear, and detailed picture of American musicals within both an aesthetic and a historical context. Patinkin conveys the pleasure of the ever-changing forms of musical theater even as he gives readers the analytical tools and terms to understand and better appreciate this uniquely American art. The book features a selection of black and white photographs from historical musical productions, and each chapter includes suggestions for materials to watch and listen to at home or in the classroom." -- Publisher's description

Subject

Musical theater > United States > History

Genre/Form

History

Note

• "Written in conjunction with a two-semester course taught with Estelle Spector at Columbia College Chicago ..."--P. [v].

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 539-540) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Overture : Beginning the the middle, 1943 -- Oklahoma! -- pt. 1. Ancestors and antecedents, 1791-1900 -- Opera and French and Viennese operetta -- The minstrel show, variety/vaudeville, and The Black Crook -- Gilbert and Sullivan -- American burlesque and the 1890s -- pt. 2. Early American musical comedies, operettas, and revues, 1901-1924 -- George M. Cohan, Victor Herbert, and Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. -- From Babes in Toyland to "Alexander's Ragtime Band" -- From The Firefly to Yip-yip-yaphank -- From The Scandals of 1919 to the Cotton Club -- From Lady, Be Good! to Rose-Marie -- pt. 3. The golden age of the Broadway song, 1925-1939 -- From The Garrick Gaieties to Strike Up the Band -- Show Boat -- From The New Moon to The Little Show -- The Gershwins and Irving Berlin in the 1930s -- Kern, Rodgers and Hart, and Cole Porter in the 1930s -- The rise of big bands and swing -- pt. 4. The transitional years, 1940-1945 -- From Pal Joey to Lady in the Dark -- From This Is the Army to Carousel -- pt. 5. The golden age of the Broadway musical, 1946-1964 -- From Annie Get Your Gun to Brigadoon -- From Kiss Me, Kate to South Pacific -- From Guys and Dolls to Peter Pan -- From Damn Yankees to My Fair Lady -- From West Side Story to The Sound of Music -- From Bye Bye Birdie to A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum -- From She Loves Me to Fiddler on the Roof -- pt. 6. Fade out--fade in, 1965-1969 -- From Kelly to Cabaret -- From Hair to 1776 -- pt. 7. The splintering of the form, 1970-2007 -- From Company to Jesus Christ Superstar -- From Grease to A Chorus Line -- From Pacific Overtures to Evita -- From 42nd Street to Cats -- From La Cage aux Folles to City of Angels -- From Assassins to Ragtime -- Exit music.

ISBN

• 9780810119949 (pbk. : alk. paper)
• 0810119943 (pbk. : alk. paper)

LCCN

^^2007023777

OCLC

• 144547942
• SCSB-10843800

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library