It Happened on Broadway : An Oral History of the Great White Way

"In this deliciously revealing oral history of Broadway from World War II through the early 1980s, more than one hundred theater veterans-including Carol Channing, Hal Prince, Donna McKechnie, Hal Holbrook, Andrea McArdle, and Al Hirschfeld-deliver the behind-the-scenes story of the hits, the stars, the feuds, and the fiascoes. Along the way there are evocations of the great comedians and dramatic actors who had that indefinable magic that made them stand out above the rest. With verve, love, and passion, this book gives us the story of more than half a century of great theater-from the inside out."-- Provided by the publisher "Here, in a book filled with the light and magic of Broadway, are the living memories of the people who created it woven together by noted oral historians Myrna and Harvey Frommer. It Happened on Broadway contains not only the stories of actors, directors, producers, composers, lyricists, and playwrights but also critics, publicists, set designers, and stage managers. Together they recreate the lowering musical and dramatic successes of the years before and after World War II, the triumph of the book musical, the emergence of the dance musical, and the era of spectacle musical. There are tales such as the one John Raitt recalls about the time he was handed a fifteen-foot piece of sheet music that turned out to be the soliloquy for Carousel and Carol Chonning's account of her unplanned debut on a grammar school stage. There are evocations of the great comedians, singers, dancers, and dramatic actors who had that indefinable magic that mode them stand out above the rest. There are stories from Gwen Verdon, Marge Champion, and Donno McKechnie remembering their late husbands, the choreographers Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, and Michael Bennett." "It Happened on Broadway tells the story of more than half a century of American theater at its very best."--BOOK JACKET. In this deliciously revealing oral history of Broadway from World War II through the early 1980s, more than one hundred theater veterans - including Carol Channing, Hal Prince, Donna McKechnie, Hal Holbrook, Andrea McArdle, and Al Hirschfeld - deliver the behind-the-scenes story of the hits, the stars, the feuds, and the fiascoes. Along the way there are evocations of the great comedians and dramatic actors who had that indefinable magic that made them stand out above the rest. With verve, love, and passion, this book gives us the story of more than half a century of great theater - from the inside out. (Publisher)