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      Breaking into Song: Why You Shouldn’t Hate Musicals

      1 in stock

      Firm sale: non returnable item
      SKU 9781914228025 Categories ,
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      A collection of essays that explore the divide and polarisation of opinion over musical theatre, and what we can do to stay open-minded and make musicals better.

      “This book is a fascinating cri de coeur and made me quest...

      £12.99

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      Description

      Product ID:9781914228025
      Product Form:Paperback / softback
      Country of Manufacture:GB
      Title:Breaking into Song: Why You Shouldn't Hate Musicals
      Authors:Author: Adam Lenson
      Page Count:200
      Subjects:The Arts, The arts, Theatre studies, Theatre direction and production, Music reviews and criticism, Music of film and stage, Literary essays, Anthologies: general, History: specific events and topics, Theatre studies, Theatre direction & production, Music reviews & criticism, Musicals, Literary essays, Anthologies (non-poetry), History: specific events & topics
      Description:Select Guide Rating
      A collection of essays that explore the divide and polarisation of opinion over musical theatre, and what we can do to stay open-minded and make musicals better.

      “This book is a fascinating cri de coeur and made me question
      everything I think about musicals”

      Alan Cumming

      A book for those who can’t stand musicals, those who love them, and every theatregoer, academic, practitioner and student in between. Breaking Into Song explores theatre’s most divisive genre, and asks the fundamental questions:

      • What makes a musical?

      • Why are they so polarising?

      • And why have we allowed a form so full of possibility to become so repetitive and restrictive?

      Through a series of essays, London-based director, dramaturg and musical theatre specialist Adam Lenson asks what audiences can do to stay open minded and what creatives can do to make new musicals better. Examining both sides of the divide, he explores how those who both love and hate musicals can expand the possibilities of this misunderstood medium.

      Dive in and discover the political foundations of the form, the difficulties in pinning down exactly what it is, the connections between musicals, video games, opera and comic books, and why a musical is, actually, a lot like a poopy baby.

      “A passionate and cogently argued call to arms and a very enjoyable read”
      Lyn Gardner

       “This book is really brilliant. If you care about/enjoy/work in/struggle with/want to understand/have concerns for the state of musical theatre, it is essential reading. Hugely recommended”
      Howard Goodall

      I would advise anyone who… hates musicals… to read this book
      Musical Theatre Review

      Bold, inclusive and willing to adapt, Adam Lenson’s blueprint for musical theatre
      above all looks at sustainability.

      The Reviews Hub

      Contents:

      Breaking Into Song
      The Wound
      On Hating Musicals
      Cash Machines
      Musicals and Comic Books
      Superpowers
      Musicals are Political
      Poopy Babies
      When Words Are No Longer Enough
      Collaboration
      Time and Memory
      Photocopying a Photocopy
      I’m Not a Genre, Not Yet a Medium
      Expertise
      What’s The Point?
      Definitions
      Audiences
      Musicals and Video Games
      Can Musicals Ever Be Cool?
      The Triangle
      Tiny Bowls
      Musicals and Opera
      Digging vs Telescopes
      The Musical
      Cardboard Cities
      Musicals Cost Too Much
      Autobiography
      Opposites
      Build it and They Will Come
      What’s in a Name?
      Replicas
      Stacks
      Making Space


      Imprint Name:Salamander Street Limited
      Publisher Name:Salamander Street Limited
      Country of Publication:GB
      Publishing Date:2021-09-02

      Additional information

      Weight236 g
      Dimensions132 × 197 × 18 mm