Wait..Gypsy didnt win the Tony for Best Musical?Thats a question that gets asked over and over again; every time a new Rose takes to the runway in the Broadway classic "Gypsy". In "Strippers; Showgirls and Sharks"; the popular syndicated theatre critic Peter Filichia chronicles the history of the American musical by looking at those shows that did not win the Tony Award for Best Musical. It happens every spring: The American Theatre Wing bestows its annual awards. Only those shows that have reached Broadway are nominated and while all Tony Awards are created equal in height; width and depth; the universally acknowledged biggest prize is the Best Musical Tony. The envelope is opened. The winner is announced and; then; the screeching begins. "Oh no! They gave it to that?" Did the best musical always win the Best Musical prize? Were there other factors that kept a more deserving show from copping the prize? Peter Filichia answers all these questions and more in "Strippers; Showgirls and Sharks" as he looks at many of the 153 previous Best Musical Nominees that didnt win the big prize. What were the biggest omissions? "Gypsy" had the distinct displeasure of not being either the first or second choice of the committee. In 1959 when Ethel Merman and a variety of strippers took the stage; the Tony for Best Musical was a tie between "The Sound of Music" and "Fiorello". In 1971; Stephen Sondheims "Follies" and its ghostly showgirls lost to a "groovy" re-tuning of "Two Gentlemen of Verona" that hasnt passed the test of time. And; in 1957; "West Side Story"; its Jets and Sharks; were bested by the fine people of River City Iowa singing their Americana hearts out in "The Music Man". If you love Broadway; scratch your head on Tony Award night and still cant figure out how a show you loathed won the Tony for Best Musical; you will love riding through the years with Peter Filichia; one of Americas most respected and popular theatre critics.
#180999 in eBooks 2004-09-17 2012-12-15File Name: B00B10GAXO
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating; sometimes frustrating; but always thought-provokingBy Tim LukemanIn this study of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"; author Tim Kasser applies psychology statistical analysis (among other fields) to John Lennons wistfully soaring; surreal song. Its indeed a form of psychobiography; in this case using one specific facet of Lennons creative personal life to examine what events influences led to the song; what intense emotions it grappled with; and how these things reveal themselves in other songs as well.The key event; of course; is the traumatic death of Johns mother Julia when he was a young teen. As any Beatles fan knows; both the pain of that loss the yearning for her comforting presence in her unchangeable absence informs many of Johns songs. Kasser delves into attachment theory; repression of personal pain; and the ways in which that pain insists on making itself felt anyway. In Johns case; it was both in his personality (more often negatively) in his creative work; which could express artistically transmute that pain in a socially acceptable way for John.My only caveat? I think Kasser tends to be a bit more reductive in his analysis than Id prefer -- and this is simply my own personality speaking; nothing more than that! Several noted psychoanalytical names appear in the index; including that of Freud; and all of them deservedly so for Kassers approach. The missing name is that of Jung -- it seems to me that an examination of Anima images in Johns songs would have added yet another dimension to this otherwise smart; engaging book. But again; thats just me. This is a fine book in its own write (ahem) well worth reading for a thoughtful look at the unconscious sources of creativity -- not just for Beatles fans; either!0 of 5 people found the following review helpful. lucyBy peter sidebottomgood reading great infomation love all books on the beatles and reading all aspects about their lives and partners thanks peter