"No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance": A History of the American Musical Theater

by Sheldon Patinkin

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.

672 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2007

Reviews

[Vanessa Ledesma · Rating 5 out of 5]

We had to read this in my musical theater lecture class in college taught by the other himself, Sheldon Patinkin. There is so much knowledge in this book about musical theater. Anything you want to know, it's probably in here.

[charlotte lun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for a research paper at school - it was very informative, just not something I would read in my free time.

[Jim Bartruff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough and readable with lots of useful information from someone who obviously cares a great deal about the subject!