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Find out more about books, CDs and DVDs the monkey has enjoyed on
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Latest Review
"Great Showbiz and Theatrical Anecdotes,
A Connoisseur’s Collection"
By Ned Sherrin.
JR Books Ltd. £9.99. ISBN: 978-1-90621784-6
Available from www.amazon.co.uk (where this review also appears).
What can be said about Ned Sherrin that has not been already? The back jacket
reminds us of his many talents as broadcaster, writer, director and presenter,
and his untimely death left a vast gap in the entertainment world. His parting
gift to us is this sharing of what he loved best; people and places instantly
recognisable to anyone who has ever seen a play or watched a great film.
Always informative, frequently hilarious (and occasionally downright bawdy) this
is a seemingly definitive A to Z of showbiz gossip and scandal. Sources are
sometimes first hand, his years of contact with famous names combine with a
phenomenal memory and extensive past library of work to provide much of the most
credible material. Other times, references are carefully authenticated by those
who ‘claimed to be there.’ Unlike others, Sherrin tries to avoid the hoarier
tales whose constant retelling is their only validation. He admits to leaving in
a few for completeness and to ward against reader comment, but for the most part
the original prevail.
Roaming London and Broadway’s backstage, Hollywood’s soundstage and most
frequently the dressing rooms and private homes of those employed there,
Centuries of the very best tales are drawn together. Stars from David Garrick to
Ian McKellen, writers Shaw to Shaffer, composers Hart to Lloyd Webber all have
the best of their public and private moments recalled with the author’s
trademark clarity, incisive wit and turn of phrase.
It’s the sometimes less familiar names who provide the most wonderful moments,
though. Michael Bryant’s Badger discovery beautifully deflates an over-eager
young choreographer, and the hoary old Pia Zadora / Anne Frank legend is finally
laid to rest. The author doesn’t stint either when there are many tales to tell.
Four pages of Sir Henry Irving’s wit ends in a ribald Shakespearian story that
would make Juliet blush; the three on Alan Jay Lerner simply remind us how to
bring down your final curtain in style.
Not for your elderly friend whose idea of theatre is a “nice romantic musical”
perhaps, the language is very much the saltier stuff of the theatrical bar
raconteur; but certainly required reading for anyone with even a passing
interest in the lives of performers both past and present. Ned Sherrin’s voice
speaks to the reader in a way few else can, and reading the final page is again
to feel the pang of loss of his company, but a gratitude that we could have
shared this time together
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New Launches
"ACT ONE"
Click Here to Buy Your Copy Now
26 WEST END STARS, 20 BRAND NEW RECORDINGS, 1 AMAZING ALBUM
Alexander S. Bermange, composer and lyricist of a dozen musicals, is also known
to millions as the resident songwriter on BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House
programme.
Now, no less than 26 leading ladies and men from West End musicals have joined
forces to record ACT ONE, a CD of songs from all of Alexander’s shows. The
20-track album boasts sleeve notes by triple Oscar-winning lyricist and
long-time champion of Alexander’s writing Sir Tim Rice, who has enthused,
“Alexander S. Bermange is going from strength to strength. I urge all lovers of
contemporary musical theatre to add this album to their collection pronto.”
ACT ONE is the only album in existence to feature brand new recordings by such a
large number of today’s musical theatre stars. Artists include: Ricardo Afonso,
Sabrina Aloueche, Joanna Ampil, Daniel Boys, Earl Carpenter, Dean Collinson,
Janie Dee, Linzi Hateley, Jenna Lee-James, Shona Lindsay, Dianne Pilkington,
Summer Strallen and Oliver Tompsett PLUS MANY MORE.
The tracks on ACT ONE offer an exciting variety of musical styles, from
showstopping anthems (Walking On The Sun) to hilarious comic numbers (My Prince)
to heart-rending power ballads (If This Could Be Forever) to bombastic rock
songs (Trial Of The Heart).
Click Here to Buy Your Copy Now
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"Defying Gravity"
By Carol de Giere
Click here to buy your copy now
From Applause Theatre and Cinema Books comes the first career biography of a
living legend: award-winning Broadway and film songwriter Stephen Schwartz.
For Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from "Godspell" to
"Wicked" author Carol de Giere's eighty hours of interviews with Schwartz
yielded a revealing story about musical making. The 544-page paperback with 200
photographs and illustrations is now available in Europe through online vendors
like Dresscircle.com and bookstores.
New York City native Stephen Schwartz burst onto the UK theatre scene in 1971
with his Godspell score (and album featuring David Essex and Jeremy Irons). He
continued to collect fans with music and lyrics for Pippin, but shortly
thereafter seemed to lose access to his lucky star. Defying Gravity chronicles
his creative methods along with his ups, downs, and recoveries. It includes
stories behind West End efforts for The Baker's Wife, Children of Eden, and his
latest entry with the international hit musical Wicked. Also sprinkled
throughout is a series of "Creativity Notes." In these sections, Schwartz shares
his creative strategies, tackling issues that range from writer's block to
dealing with criticism.
After reading the book, London-based writer and director John Caird (Nicholas
Nickleby, Les Miserables) commented, "For all lovers of the works of Stephen
Schwartz, this is essential reading. Thorough and well-written, it is most
interesting on the complex collaborations behind his work and illuminates his
particular genius for combining lyrical and melodic invention in the service of
a good story."
With an especially long section on Wicked (150 pages), fans are sure to find
many new insights into the musical. The songwriter allowed some of his
handwritten music and song notes to be included as illustrations in the volume.
Wicked novelist Gregory Maguire also praises the book, saying "A wonderful read.
And the Wicked section provides a comprehensive account of a thoroughly
recondite and even mysterious event: the gestation and birth of a phenomenon."
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