mandala music production

Geniuses of the American Musical Theatre
REVIEWS

“To read this remarkable book is as easy and pleasant as it is to listen to any one of the great musicals the author discusses.“—Edgar Loessin, Loessin at Large, Public Radio WHRO 90.3 fm (Download a pdf of the entire review here.)

"If you're humming a show tune in your head at this moment, chances are it was written by one of the composers and lyricists about whom musical theatre lover and author Herbert Keyser is passionate....Each chapter is an informally written yet detailed biography of the musical greats that have moved the author in his lifetime of theatregoing.... Illustrating these varied stores are publicity photos, candid shots of the artists at work, album jackets and sheet music."—Judy Samelson, www.playbill.com (Read the entire review here.)

"Geniuses of the American Musical Theatre, just out from Applause Theater & Cinema Books, profiles 28 artists who helped transform its toe-tapping zip into legendary status....The trick here is the anthology form, collectively meeting the players of an elite company. It's a quick-hit look at Tin Pan Alley, pre- and post-war America, and the fertile cross-pollination between Broadway and Hollywood. And a worthy tribute....We get a back stage view of a golden age....Keyser, who calls their stories "inspirational, poignant and at times tragic," marries a love of research with a desire to diagnose what drives artists. Plus, it's a lively pop-culture education."—Fern Siegel, www.huffingtonpost.com (Read the entire review here.)

"You can find a lot of material about Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim — and more than 20 others — elsewhere, but having one volume of mini-biographies (and they are well-researched and longer than you might think) makes a great resource."—Bill Canacci, www.app.com

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