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A Chorus Line and the Musicals of Michael Bennett
Although focusing on the unique creative process that resulted in the phenomenally popular musical, "A Chorus Line," this study also examines the development of other Bennett successes--such as "Follies," "Dreamgirls," and Company"
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 21, 2019
I know 4 stars is a good rating, and that reflects how much I enjoyed this, but it’s hard to put my finger on why this wasn’t a home run. I love Ken Mandelbaum’s writing (I’ve read NOT SINCE CARRIE probably 6 times, and probably many more than that) and A CHORUS LINE is the show that made me want to have a life in theater, not because of the tale it told but because of its theatrical magic... so why didn’t a biography of the artist who created that masterpiece, written by a theater nut like me, make more of an impact? Maybe because it was overlong, maybe because it went SO far into CHORUS LINE’s ins and outs without focusing enough on his other extremely interesting shows, maybe because compiling so many direct quotes started to put the whole thing at a distance... or maybe because Bennett ultimately seems like a scary, manipulative bully, despite frequent mentions of his loyalty and generosity, as well as his obvious genius.
November 20, 2016
Few people would dispute the statement that music is a powerful force in our lives. Part of the reason for this is that it allows us to relive moments which were especially meaningful or important to us. If, like me, you attended high school and college in the 1970's, hearing songs from that era can immediately transport you back to that time.
If you were to ask me for a musical memory from 1976, the year of my high school graduation, there is no question that the first thing which would pop into my head would be the score of "A Chorus Line." It was all the rage at that time. In fact, it would go on to become the longest running musical in Broadway history (though that is no longer the case.) I can even tell you that I was listening to the album being played on WBAU on the way to my senior prom.
One major reason for its success is the genius of creator/choreographer/director/dancer Michael Bennett whose passion and innovative concepts are largely responsible for its success. Along with musicals such as "Showboat," "Pal Joey," "Oklahoma!" and now "Hamilton," "A Chorus Line" is of historical importance because it is so innovative and creative that it forever changed the face of the Broadway musical.
For all these reasons, and because Ken Mandelbaum's work is so highly respected by those who love theater history, this book jumped to the very top of my reading list as soon as it appeared on BARD (The Braille and Audio Reading Download site. I believe I read it when it first came out, but that was so long ago that I just knew I had to revisit it.
While the title may seem a little clunky, it tells the reader exactly what to expect. This is not a biography in the traditional sense, but rather a chronological examination of Bennett's work with major emphasis placed on "A Chorus Line."
The book is divided into four parts.
Part I, "The Tradition," is a short discussion of the evolution of the place of dance in the Broadway musical. It provides background information the reader will need in order to understand why Bennett's work matters.
Part II, "Enter Michael Bennett" takes us from Bennett's childhood years through his work prior to "A Chorus Line." As previously stated, this is not a biography and so what we learn of his childhood is directly connected to what we will later read about his work. I was thrilled by the detailed descriptions of the choreography in many of his early shows. Even though I know the scores backwards and forwards and have seen many of these musicals time and time again, I am often not all that aware of how the dance numbers are staged; (that's one disadvantage of being a blind theater lover.) Don't get the wrong idea though; nowhere does the book get so bogged down in description that you will become bored. Every word of it is absolutely necessary to a clear understanding of Bennett's contributions.
Part III could have been called "Everything You Ever Wanted To know About " A Chorus Line." It contains nine chapters, each of which deals with a different aspect of this groundbreaking musical. The genesis of this show has fascinated me for years and so I found that chapter especially interesting. (I won't say more about that here only because if you know nothing about it, I don't want to take away from the book itself.) These chapters are very detailed and it is possible that casual readers might become a bit bored with them, though I find it hard to imagine such a reaction. I hung on each and every word!
The fourth part of the book, "time to Grow, time to Go" (which is actually a quote from a lyric in "A Chorus Line") deals with Bennett's later work and with the impact his life and work will have as the world moves on without him. (Bennett died in 1989 at age 44 as a result of AIDS.)
The epilogue does a great job of summarizing and synthesizing what we have learned about this complex man throughout the book. I came away with a renewed and deepened appreciation for Bennett's work, but also with the idea that I probably would not have liked him very much. What mattered to him was his work. He could be amazingly kind and supportive to his colleagues; in fact, he thrived on the collaborative process. But, if he felt it necessary for the success of his work, he could also be incredibly cruel and manipulative (possibly without realizing it.)
The book contains two appendices. Appendix A, the Chorus Line Years" contains even more information about "A Chorus line." These sections are not primarily about Bennett which is probably why they appear in the appendix. For me, they were a welcome addition, but I'm not sure what the casual reader will think
Appendix B gives information about where readers can find videos featuring Michael Bennett and his work. This book has a 1989 copyright date and so this may not be as useful as it once was; much of what is mentioned can probably be found on YouTube or in other venues nowadays.
One thing I love about this book is that most of it is told through direct quotes from those who worked with Bennett. Mandelbaum compiles these quotes into a cohesive story, but only adds his own commentary when that is necessary in order to gain an understanding of what is being said. I've not seen this strategy used very often, but I must say that I found it to be extremely effective. It allows us to get a much more balanced and complete picture of the man simply because so many people are telling us about their experiences with him.
The Broadway musical has been the soundtrack of my life since I was a little boy. So I find it very difficult to put myself in the place of the average reader. As a result, I'm not sure whether to recommend this book to him or her. In fact, I'd love to hear what those who don't share my "addiction" think of it. For me, Mandelbaum provided a never to be forgotten reading experience and wrote a book which will stay on my shelf for many years to come.
If you were to ask me for a musical memory from 1976, the year of my high school graduation, there is no question that the first thing which would pop into my head would be the score of "A Chorus Line." It was all the rage at that time. In fact, it would go on to become the longest running musical in Broadway history (though that is no longer the case.) I can even tell you that I was listening to the album being played on WBAU on the way to my senior prom.
One major reason for its success is the genius of creator/choreographer/director/dancer Michael Bennett whose passion and innovative concepts are largely responsible for its success. Along with musicals such as "Showboat," "Pal Joey," "Oklahoma!" and now "Hamilton," "A Chorus Line" is of historical importance because it is so innovative and creative that it forever changed the face of the Broadway musical.
For all these reasons, and because Ken Mandelbaum's work is so highly respected by those who love theater history, this book jumped to the very top of my reading list as soon as it appeared on BARD (The Braille and Audio Reading Download site. I believe I read it when it first came out, but that was so long ago that I just knew I had to revisit it.
While the title may seem a little clunky, it tells the reader exactly what to expect. This is not a biography in the traditional sense, but rather a chronological examination of Bennett's work with major emphasis placed on "A Chorus Line."
The book is divided into four parts.
Part I, "The Tradition," is a short discussion of the evolution of the place of dance in the Broadway musical. It provides background information the reader will need in order to understand why Bennett's work matters.
Part II, "Enter Michael Bennett" takes us from Bennett's childhood years through his work prior to "A Chorus Line." As previously stated, this is not a biography and so what we learn of his childhood is directly connected to what we will later read about his work. I was thrilled by the detailed descriptions of the choreography in many of his early shows. Even though I know the scores backwards and forwards and have seen many of these musicals time and time again, I am often not all that aware of how the dance numbers are staged; (that's one disadvantage of being a blind theater lover.) Don't get the wrong idea though; nowhere does the book get so bogged down in description that you will become bored. Every word of it is absolutely necessary to a clear understanding of Bennett's contributions.
Part III could have been called "Everything You Ever Wanted To know About " A Chorus Line." It contains nine chapters, each of which deals with a different aspect of this groundbreaking musical. The genesis of this show has fascinated me for years and so I found that chapter especially interesting. (I won't say more about that here only because if you know nothing about it, I don't want to take away from the book itself.) These chapters are very detailed and it is possible that casual readers might become a bit bored with them, though I find it hard to imagine such a reaction. I hung on each and every word!
The fourth part of the book, "time to Grow, time to Go" (which is actually a quote from a lyric in "A Chorus Line") deals with Bennett's later work and with the impact his life and work will have as the world moves on without him. (Bennett died in 1989 at age 44 as a result of AIDS.)
The epilogue does a great job of summarizing and synthesizing what we have learned about this complex man throughout the book. I came away with a renewed and deepened appreciation for Bennett's work, but also with the idea that I probably would not have liked him very much. What mattered to him was his work. He could be amazingly kind and supportive to his colleagues; in fact, he thrived on the collaborative process. But, if he felt it necessary for the success of his work, he could also be incredibly cruel and manipulative (possibly without realizing it.)
The book contains two appendices. Appendix A, the Chorus Line Years" contains even more information about "A Chorus line." These sections are not primarily about Bennett which is probably why they appear in the appendix. For me, they were a welcome addition, but I'm not sure what the casual reader will think
Appendix B gives information about where readers can find videos featuring Michael Bennett and his work. This book has a 1989 copyright date and so this may not be as useful as it once was; much of what is mentioned can probably be found on YouTube or in other venues nowadays.
One thing I love about this book is that most of it is told through direct quotes from those who worked with Bennett. Mandelbaum compiles these quotes into a cohesive story, but only adds his own commentary when that is necessary in order to gain an understanding of what is being said. I've not seen this strategy used very often, but I must say that I found it to be extremely effective. It allows us to get a much more balanced and complete picture of the man simply because so many people are telling us about their experiences with him.
The Broadway musical has been the soundtrack of my life since I was a little boy. So I find it very difficult to put myself in the place of the average reader. As a result, I'm not sure whether to recommend this book to him or her. In fact, I'd love to hear what those who don't share my "addiction" think of it. For me, Mandelbaum provided a never to be forgotten reading experience and wrote a book which will stay on my shelf for many years to come.
December 5, 2015
While looking for a biography of Michael Bennet this was this only book I was able to find at my local library. Sadly, the book is written in a manner that depends on interviews without any real inherent structure or style. While Mandelbaum certainly has access to wonderful interviews and information about Bennett and the theatre world the book is marred by his episodic writing style that disjoints rather then connecting the stories.
March 19, 2021
I dearly hope I always love learning about A Chorus Line. At the present, passages in this moved me to tears (the description of the 3,389th performance is one). The loss of Michael Bennett's talent is just made more unfathomable through this book. I only really had two issues. I know the title implies a heavy focus on A Chorus Line, but I do think such huge works as Dreamgirls and Follies at least could have been given more than a chapter each. My other issue is Mandelbaum seems determined to undermine Bennett's bisexuality. He grudgingly admits Bennett identified as bi, quotes those close to him stating he had interest in men and women, and includes his marriage to McKechnie. He then tries to make the case that Bennett's marriage was essentially to replicate Fosse's (I don't know maybe) and that he did have attraction to women because he wanted to and wanted to have kids. . . Reasoning that is a little hard to swallow in 2021, particularly considering Mandelbaum presents no hard evidence to back up his claims.
Mandelbaum does describe Bennett's career beautifully and also the many aspects of his character, perhaps most notably his generosity. This is one to read if you have an interest in Bennett's work or just A Chorus Line in general.
Mandelbaum does describe Bennett's career beautifully and also the many aspects of his character, perhaps most notably his generosity. This is one to read if you have an interest in Bennett's work or just A Chorus Line in general.
June 18, 2020
It might skimp on Bennett's personal history and relationships, but I've never read a better account on what makes his stage work so special. I miss Ken Mandelbaum.
June 23, 2011
A kick!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews