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Deconstructing Harold Hill: An Insider’s Guide to Musical Theatre
Following on the success of the very popular and well-reviewed From Assassins to West Side Story comes Deconstructing Harold Hill . This is a book for all fans of musical theatre, and a must for directors and actors. Scott Miller's thoughtful analyses of some of the great works of the musical theatre take the buff or the professional on a journey of discovery. Each chapter looks at one musical,
Miller spotlights The Music Man, Chicago, The King and I, Passion, Ragtime, Sunday in the Park with George, and others. All are innovative works, providing a springboard for the kind of in-depth discussion among directors, their actors, and designers that can make working on a musical - or just seeing one - the most satisfying experience you've ever had. You'll never look at musicals the same way again!
Visit the website of Scott Miller's company New Line Theatre at newlinetheatre.com
Miller spotlights The Music Man, Chicago, The King and I, Passion, Ragtime, Sunday in the Park with George, and others. All are innovative works, providing a springboard for the kind of in-depth discussion among directors, their actors, and designers that can make working on a musical - or just seeing one - the most satisfying experience you've ever had. You'll never look at musicals the same way again!
Visit the website of Scott Miller's company New Line Theatre at newlinetheatre.com
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 1999
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About the author
Scott Miller
53 books17 followersScott Miller is the founder and artistic director of New Line Theatre, an alternative musical theatre company he established in 1991 in St. Louis, at the vanguard of a new wave of nonprofit musical theatre being born across the country during the early 1990s, offering an alternative to the commercial musical theatre of New York and Broadway tours. He has been working in musical theatre since 1978 and has been directing musicals since 1981. He has written the book, music, and lyrics for ten musicals and two plays. His play Head Games has enjoyed runs in St. Louis, Los Angeles, London, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland; and his musical, Johnny Appleweed, was nominated for four Kevin Kline Awards. He has written more than a dozen books about musical theatre, including The ABCs of Broadway Musicals series. He has also written chapters for several other collections of musical theatre essays, and pieces for several national theatre magazines and websites, and he has composed music for television and radio. For fifteen years, he co-hosted "Break a Leg - Theatre in St. Louis and Beyond," a weekly theatre talk show on KDHX-FM in St. Louis, and now he hosts the theatre podcast Stage Grok, available on iTunes. Miller holds a degree in music and musical theatre from Harvard University, and in 2014, the St. Louis Theater Circle awarded Miller a special award for his body of work in the musical theatre.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 11, 2017
Reading Scott Miller is like finally discussing musical theatre on a level. He had me from the moment he called Harold Hill 'a scumbag'.
August 7, 2018
Interesting Interpretations
Miller's From Assassins to West Side Story: The Director's Guide to Musical Theatre was a wonderful read. Deconstructing Harold Hill was equally insightful. However because of the focus on psychological dark side of these plays I found myself less interested in the plays "Passion", "March of the Falsettos" and "Sunday in the Park with George" than I had been, thus only a 4* rating.
8 plays are covered. The role of music in The Music Man is handled nicely; Miller points out that "Good Night My Someone" and "76 Trombones" are actually the same melody, allowing Marion and Harold to slip from one to the other. MM is also a story about a con artist who is selling a dream - and the biggest and most successful con is that the audience loves him not only because he's witty and charming but because this is theatre and theatre is made of dreams. Most have sat in on the performance of children or family, knowing that the quality isn't up there but loving it anyway. In MM we see a reflection of ourselves - how can we not help but falling in love.
The chapter on Camelot is a must read in order to understand the nature of the triangle between Arthur, Guenevere and Lancelot, not only that of carnal love, but of love towards duty and ideas. Miller emphasizes Guenevere's youth and raw sexuality, something that is lost from Julie-Andrews' portrayal in the movie. Good references and hints abound, including the suggestion of using the same actor for King Pellinore in the 2nd act as for Merlin in the first. Equally useful is are the interpretations given to "The King and I". Here the focus is on the progressiveness of King Mongkut as he seeks to modernize his nation yet retain traditional values. Anna represents the naivety of the West who pushes for reform without understanding that to do so on her terms would break the soul of the East. Both plays are romantic tragedies, one has to laugh and cry, and both use their final scenes to resolve themselves as messages of hope.
3 of the discussions turned me off on the plays themselves. Because of the illuminating presences of Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin (there's a DVD) Sunday in the Park with George had been on my "ought to see" list, however Miller makes the play too narcissistic, the background players intentionally cardboard, and Sondheim's George so detached that what is most important to him is "Finishing The Hat". The same inward view is applied to "March of the Falsettos" and "Passion". The precis of Passion does show potential IMHO - I just didn't like Miller's interpretation.
As for Chicago - what's not to love? The con is on. I liked how Miller connected people in the play to real historical figues. In part this is an indictment of a public lionizing rogues and villians. Everyone should know that Fosse's All That Jazz was based on his personal life and heart attack during the production of Chicago. Miller also gives a useful critique of what he considers to be the wrong way to present the show.
And finally "Ragtime", an epic paen to early 20th century American experience leading to a melting pot future exhibited by the blended nuclear family of Mother, Tateh and Edgar. Yet both literally and figuratively some of the colour becomes lost. There is the use of the Model T car ("The Wheels of a Dream") as an expression of Coalhouse's raised and ashed hopes, and as the image of a journey of a unknown destination. It is an interesting device that people in the play start without a name, and only gain one when they become famous. As in his other essays Miller artfully examines how music adds to the telling ranging from the acrobatic alliteration of the lyrics to the use of jazz, work songs, syncopation and gospel. It is a fully fleshed portrait of the play.
Overall a good read, worth having.
Miller's From Assassins to West Side Story: The Director's Guide to Musical Theatre was a wonderful read. Deconstructing Harold Hill was equally insightful. However because of the focus on psychological dark side of these plays I found myself less interested in the plays "Passion", "March of the Falsettos" and "Sunday in the Park with George" than I had been, thus only a 4* rating.
8 plays are covered. The role of music in The Music Man is handled nicely; Miller points out that "Good Night My Someone" and "76 Trombones" are actually the same melody, allowing Marion and Harold to slip from one to the other. MM is also a story about a con artist who is selling a dream - and the biggest and most successful con is that the audience loves him not only because he's witty and charming but because this is theatre and theatre is made of dreams. Most have sat in on the performance of children or family, knowing that the quality isn't up there but loving it anyway. In MM we see a reflection of ourselves - how can we not help but falling in love.
The chapter on Camelot is a must read in order to understand the nature of the triangle between Arthur, Guenevere and Lancelot, not only that of carnal love, but of love towards duty and ideas. Miller emphasizes Guenevere's youth and raw sexuality, something that is lost from Julie-Andrews' portrayal in the movie. Good references and hints abound, including the suggestion of using the same actor for King Pellinore in the 2nd act as for Merlin in the first. Equally useful is are the interpretations given to "The King and I". Here the focus is on the progressiveness of King Mongkut as he seeks to modernize his nation yet retain traditional values. Anna represents the naivety of the West who pushes for reform without understanding that to do so on her terms would break the soul of the East. Both plays are romantic tragedies, one has to laugh and cry, and both use their final scenes to resolve themselves as messages of hope.
3 of the discussions turned me off on the plays themselves. Because of the illuminating presences of Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin (there's a DVD) Sunday in the Park with George had been on my "ought to see" list, however Miller makes the play too narcissistic, the background players intentionally cardboard, and Sondheim's George so detached that what is most important to him is "Finishing The Hat". The same inward view is applied to "March of the Falsettos" and "Passion". The precis of Passion does show potential IMHO - I just didn't like Miller's interpretation.
As for Chicago - what's not to love? The con is on. I liked how Miller connected people in the play to real historical figues. In part this is an indictment of a public lionizing rogues and villians. Everyone should know that Fosse's All That Jazz was based on his personal life and heart attack during the production of Chicago. Miller also gives a useful critique of what he considers to be the wrong way to present the show.
And finally "Ragtime", an epic paen to early 20th century American experience leading to a melting pot future exhibited by the blended nuclear family of Mother, Tateh and Edgar. Yet both literally and figuratively some of the colour becomes lost. There is the use of the Model T car ("The Wheels of a Dream") as an expression of Coalhouse's raised and ashed hopes, and as the image of a journey of a unknown destination. It is an interesting device that people in the play start without a name, and only gain one when they become famous. As in his other essays Miller artfully examines how music adds to the telling ranging from the acrobatic alliteration of the lyrics to the use of jazz, work songs, syncopation and gospel. It is a fully fleshed portrait of the play.
Overall a good read, worth having.
January 27, 2018
Really enjoyed reading about the way these song were taken apart. Definitely worth reading for any broadway buff. Was a great find in the laundry room.
November 13, 2014
I ran across Scott Miller's analysis of the musical March of the Falsettos online and loved it so much I bought the book it appeared in so I could have a physical copy to read anytime.
Reading this was fascinating, even if I only currently love two of the musicals he discussed. (The aforementioned March of the Falsettos and also The Music Man.) There were quite a few musicals he analyzed that I had been planning on watching/listening to and the way he wrote about them made me want to drop the book and go watch/listen immediately!
Reading this was fascinating, even if I only currently love two of the musicals he discussed. (The aforementioned March of the Falsettos and also The Music Man.) There were quite a few musicals he analyzed that I had been planning on watching/listening to and the way he wrote about them made me want to drop the book and go watch/listen immediately!
June 11, 2012
I've enjoyed all of Scott Miller's books, and this is no exception. I just love watching him deconstruct musicals and learn why the things I enjoy are so good.
July 18, 2012
Very in-depth look at several musicals. My only complaint is that I'd like it to have covered even more productions!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews