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The History of the Musical (Unabridged)
- Narrated by: Kim Criswell
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
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The History of the Musical (Unabridged)
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Publisher's Summary
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.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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.
What listeners say about The History of the Musical (Unabridged)
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Michael H Wall
- 31-01-2023
Perfect for an audiobook
I’ve always thought of audiobooks as a convenient way of reading. But this audiobook is way, way more than a printed book could ever be. Where some audiobooks have snippets of music, this one is built on the music. A hundred extracts from musicals of all eras allow you to directly experience what the text is describing. I particularly liked the extracts from very early musicals that you just don’t hear these days. The book is broad in scope so it doesn’t dwell on any one era or style as much as I might like. But what it does is give you a fantastic overview of the musical. It also avoids being US centric, while still of course giving credit to the huge contribution of US composers and lyricists. The text is conversational in tone and the reader reflects this perfectly in her delivery. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot.
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