Showcase

by Roy Newquist

Introduction by Brooks Atkinson. A candid cross section of the show world by the people who make it show business. Illustrations by Irma Selz. Published simultaneously in Canada by George J. McLeod Limited, Toronto.

Interviews with: Edward Albee, Julie Andrews, Ann Corio, Hume Cronyn, Sammy Davis Jr., Agnes DeMille, Dame Edith Evans, Janet Gaynor, Sir John Gielgud, George Grizzard, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Calvin Jackson, Danny Kaye, Ernest Lehman, Jack Lemmon, Tanya Moiseiwitsch, Gerry Mulligan, Phyllis Newman, Mike Nichols, Peter O'Toole, Robert Preston, Harold S. Prince, Rosalind Russell, Jessica Tandy.

Library of Congress Catalog Number 66-12615

412 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Roy Newquist was a copy supervisor for various advertising agencies in Minneapolis and Chicago (1951-63), a literary editor for Chicago's American and a critic for the New York Post (1963). He also hosted a radio program called Counterpoint, WQXR, New York. His published books include Counterpoint (1964) and Conversations (1967).

Reviews

[Judith McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this book as a teen who lived in the Chicago suburbs. I did not own it but my local library did. Unfortunately I have not seen this book since the 1960s-1970s anyplace and would love to read it again should it be found. What I principally remember are the sheer range of interview subjects, some of whom were not known to speak at length to journalists.

Well worth reading if you can find a copy.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this book has been out-of-print for decades. It is a wonderful snapshot of a time (1966) in the American theater with people who were at the top of their game. My favorite chapters were: Mike Nichols just as he was about to direct his first film "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", Peter O'Toole having just reached super-star status with "Lawrence of Arabia", Edward Albee as "Tiny Alice" was playing on Broadway, Julie Andrews right after "The Sound of Music" and George Grizzard. A very few of the folks interviewed here have faded from the public eye, but mostly we get such a rich tapestry of the Who's Who of the time. Fascinating and worth the effort to find if you are interested in the theater in America.