The Mikado to Matilda
British Musicals on the New York Stage
By (author) Thomas S. Hischak author of The Oxford Companion to the American Musical
Publication date:
29 May 2020Length of book:
360 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersDimensions:
266x187mm7x10"
ISBN-13: 9781538126066
In The Mikado to Matilda: British Musicals on the New York Stage, Thomas Hischak provides an overview of British musicals that made their way to Broadway, covering their entire history up to the present day.
This is the first book to look at the British musical theatre with reference to those London musicals that were also produced in New York City. The book covers 110 British musicals, ranging from 1750 to the present day, including the popular Gilbert and Sullivan comic operettas during the Victorian era, the Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-musicals of the late twentieth century, and today's biggest hits such as Matilda.
Each London musical is discussed first as a success in England and then how it fared in America. The plots, songs, songwriters, performers, and producers for both the West End and the Broadway (or Off Broadway) production are identified and described. The discussion is sometimes critical, evaluating the musicals and why they were or were not a success in New York.
This is the first book to look at the British musical theatre with reference to those London musicals that were also produced in New York City. The book covers 110 British musicals, ranging from 1750 to the present day, including the popular Gilbert and Sullivan comic operettas during the Victorian era, the Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-musicals of the late twentieth century, and today's biggest hits such as Matilda.
Each London musical is discussed first as a success in England and then how it fared in America. The plots, songs, songwriters, performers, and producers for both the West End and the Broadway (or Off Broadway) production are identified and described. The discussion is sometimes critical, evaluating the musicals and why they were or were not a success in New York.
Hischak once again helps to dispel myth and misconception by tracking 110 musicals that graced both London and New York stages. What first seems to be a simple listing of British musicals that jumped to Broadway, this work is actually an astute look at the success of musicals that played on both continents. . . . The author’s analysis of each show’s life-span is the best part of this work. The listing of recordings, film, and video at the conclusion could be a valuable tool for anyone teaching the history of musical theater.