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The Untold Stories of Broadway: Tales from the world's most famous theaters
** Due to Amazon limitations, the Kindle version of The Untold Stories of Broadway has been divided into two parts. To read the entire Volume 1, please download Parts 1 & 2 of The Untold Stories of Broadway for Kindle.
Do you wish you were in the audience during Barbra Streisand's final performance of Funny Girl on Broadway?
Do you wonder how far Jonathan Groff was willing to go to score tickets to Thoroughly Modern Millie?
And are you dying to know which beloved TV star and Tony Award winner was caught with his pants down in front of a movie legend?
From opening nights to closing nights. From secret passageways to ghostly encounters. From Broadway debuts to landmark productions. Score a front row seat to hear hundreds of stories about the most important stages in the world, seen through the eyes of the producers, actors, stage hands, writers, musicians, company managers, dressers, designers, directors, ushers, and door men who bring The Great White Way to life each night. You'll never look at Broadway the same way again.
This is the first book in a multi-volume series that will tell the stories of all of the Broadway houses. Volume 1 includes the Winter Garden, the Richard Rodgers, the Marriott Marquis, the Al Hirschfeld, the Neil Simon, the August Wilson, the Mark Hellinger, and the Lyceum: eight Broadway theaters that light up New York City.
Do you wish you were in the audience during Barbra Streisand's final performance of Funny Girl on Broadway?
Do you wonder how far Jonathan Groff was willing to go to score tickets to Thoroughly Modern Millie?
And are you dying to know which beloved TV star and Tony Award winner was caught with his pants down in front of a movie legend?
From opening nights to closing nights. From secret passageways to ghostly encounters. From Broadway debuts to landmark productions. Score a front row seat to hear hundreds of stories about the most important stages in the world, seen through the eyes of the producers, actors, stage hands, writers, musicians, company managers, dressers, designers, directors, ushers, and door men who bring The Great White Way to life each night. You'll never look at Broadway the same way again.
This is the first book in a multi-volume series that will tell the stories of all of the Broadway houses. Volume 1 includes the Winter Garden, the Richard Rodgers, the Marriott Marquis, the Al Hirschfeld, the Neil Simon, the August Wilson, the Mark Hellinger, and the Lyceum: eight Broadway theaters that light up New York City.
- GenresNonfiction
634 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2013
107 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 14, 2019
Tepper has embarked on quite the project - interviews with numerous people who have worked on Broadway in various capacities over the years. Her focus is on the actual theaters, what makes them unique and the various stories from shows that ran in each of them. Part 1 focuses on four theaters - the Richard Rodgers, the Wintergarden, the Marriott Marquis, and the Al Hirschfield. Interesting looks at the theater history through the years.
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March 12, 2023Done with Part 1 of Volume 1, and I have thoughts! This is an exquisite collection of Broadway history told through interviews with industry professionals. Weaving through the chronology theater by theater, hearing stories from performers, producers, directors, writers, house managers, choreographers, etc. is a very readable and enjoyable way to journey through the history of the industry.
I will say that the author’s personal additions sprinkled throughout didn’t always feel necessary. There were sometimes historical or contextual additions that were useful, but she would also insert her own experiences as if she were among the interviewees. It felt a bit like she was trying to insert herself and her experiences into the narrative, seeming to believe they were as important to include as the tales of established legends. It felt a bit awkward. She has some interesting stories, but not in the same league as the people she interviewed.
Overall though, I loved it. I loved the stories and the evident work the author put into completing this excellent compilation of tales. A must-read for anyone who loves Broadway, and the more familiar you are with the theaters, shows, and interviewees themselves the more fun you will have reading it.
PS - Spoiler alert, one particular interview point did not age well. Scott Rudin “was a great casting director”? Singing his praises feels very yikes reading in 2023.
I will say that the author’s personal additions sprinkled throughout didn’t always feel necessary. There were sometimes historical or contextual additions that were useful, but she would also insert her own experiences as if she were among the interviewees. It felt a bit like she was trying to insert herself and her experiences into the narrative, seeming to believe they were as important to include as the tales of established legends. It felt a bit awkward. She has some interesting stories, but not in the same league as the people she interviewed.
Overall though, I loved it. I loved the stories and the evident work the author put into completing this excellent compilation of tales. A must-read for anyone who loves Broadway, and the more familiar you are with the theaters, shows, and interviewees themselves the more fun you will have reading it.
PS - Spoiler alert, one particular interview point did not age well. Scott Rudin “was a great casting director”? Singing his praises feels very yikes reading in 2023.
April 7, 2020
If you love Broadway, these books become addicting!
I love these stories and anecdotes and facts about the Broadway experience by people who lived it. The author goes theater by theater and you get stories from stars, producers, door men, and everyone who takes part. The stories are remarkable.
I love these stories and anecdotes and facts about the Broadway experience by people who lived it. The author goes theater by theater and you get stories from stars, producers, door men, and everyone who takes part. The stories are remarkable.
January 18, 2018
Theater geek heaven in a book.
July 29, 2021
Enjoyable
I learned a lot of interesting things about theater history, shows, different occupations and the theaters featured in this book.
I learned a lot of interesting things about theater history, shows, different occupations and the theaters featured in this book.
September 19, 2021
Each chapter tells the story of a Broadway theater through a mix of oral histories interspersed with commentary by the author. It was interesting if a bit long. Since it leans heavily on oral histories, most everything is about what happened in the last 40 years.
I started by reading a bit of the book every day then switched to trying to finish it. I got bogged down in large part because the author had some pet musicals she focused on. They were musicals I had never heard of and I found my attention wandering. I plan to read more of the series but will go back to reading in short chunks.
I started by reading a bit of the book every day then switched to trying to finish it. I got bogged down in large part because the author had some pet musicals she focused on. They were musicals I had never heard of and I found my attention wandering. I plan to read more of the series but will go back to reading in short chunks.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews