What would you do if you were walking down a street and suddenly the person beside you broke into song? You're just minding your own business and this weirdo next to you begins singing about how often he has walked this street before, but when he's done it in the past, the pavement always stayed beneath his feet. Would you assume that this man was several stories high and walk faster? While trying to get away from this potentially dangerous weirdo, you turn a corner and come face to face with a malicious street gang whose members are armed with switchblades and zip guns. Most likely you would assume you had entered some alternative reality. The key word here is reality. You are still in reality; it's just that you have entered the reality of a musical. This book will help you understand the skills and techniques required to sing and act simultaneously within the musical theater song.

Featuring interviews with top directors and choreographers, Creating Musical Theatre is the first book to give a fascinating insight into the creative processes driving the musical theatre revival.

Acting in Musical Theatre remains the only complete course in approaching a role in a musical. It covers fundamental skills for novice actors, practical insights for professionals, and even tips to help veteran musical performers refine their craft. Updates in this expanded and revised second edition include: A brand new companion website for students and teachers, including Powerpoint lecture slides, sample syllabi, and checklists for projects and exercises. Learning outcomes for each chapter to guide teachers and students through the book’s core ideas and lessons New style overviews for pop and jukebox musicals Extensive updated professional insights from field testing with students, young professionals, and industry showcases Full-colour production images, bringing each chapter to life Acting in Musical Theatre’s chapters divide into easy-to-reference units, each containing group and solo exercises, making it the definitive textbook for students and practitioners alike.

Actors and singers use different training and distinctive vocabularies to hone their skills. Chris Will’s accessible handbook bridges the gap between the two, helping singing actors integrate theater and music into successful performances. Will covers all the essential skills you need to succeed in musical theater. How to Succeed in Musical Theater starts with discussions of how to merge theater and music before moving into the specific challenges facing the musical theater song. Copious exercises are spread throughout the book to strengthen learning through doing. Whether you're a seasoned performer or just starting out, this little book will be a constant companion on the road to success in musical theater.

Once the creator and star of Yiddish musical films in Poland between the wars, Raisel is now a grandmother (Bubbie) in ’70s New York. Bubbie longs to tell the stories of her acting troupe’s successes and heroism to her granddaughter Jenny. Sadly, her TV-comedy-writer daughter, Red, insists on leaving the past behind, unless Bubbie will talk about the events that have plagued them both since Red’s childhood.

In this textbook for performers, the position of a Swing-an Understudy for the Ensemble-on Broadway is examined from every angle, showing just how vital Swings are to the success of any musical theatre production. Authors J. Austin Eyer and Lyndy Franklin Smith draw on their own experiences as performers, and gather first-hand stories from other Swings about the glories and hardships of their industry. The book features interviews with over 100 Broadway pros-Swing veterans, Stage Managers, Casting Directors, Choreographers, and Directors-including Rob Ashford, Susan Stroman, Jerry Mitchell, Larry Fuller, Tony Stevens, Beverley Randolph, and Frank DiLella. Broadway Swings is the ideal guide for anyone considering a career in this most unique of positions, or anyone curious about what really goes on, behind-the- scenes, in a long-running show.

Curran Theatre, San Francisco Civic Light Opera Association, Allen L. Chickering, president presents Robert Morse in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," with Rudy Vallée, music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based upon the book by Shepherd Mead, Penny Worth, Joy Claussen, Christian Grey, Sammy Smith, John Myhers, Ruth Kobart, Mary Jo Catlett, Bill Mullikin, produced by Glenn Jordan, assistant to the producer Bill Holland, scenery and lighting by Robert Randolph, costumes by Robert Fletcher, musical direction by John Berkman, orchestrations by Robert Ginzler, musical numbers and dances by William Joyce from the original by Bob Fosse, directed by Mr. Morse.