Includes the plays Trafford Tanzi; The Dramatic Attitudes of Miss Fanny Kemble and The Seduction of Anne Boleyn Trafford Tanzi began as a pub show in Liverpool. It has since been performed all over the world and translated into a dozen languages. It plays out the story of a young womanrsquo;s life in the arena of the wrestling ring and its feminist themes are dealt with in the outrageously entertaining style of a wrestling match. In The Dramatic Attitudes of Miss Fanny Kemble; Claire Luckham looks at both slavery and the nineteenth-century acting profession through the life of a remarkable woman. The Seduction of Anne Boleyn; recently performed at the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton; is a haunting love story and a study of power in human relationships
2013-06-03 2013-06-03File Name: B00D6II3FC
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Insider View of BroadwayBy Larry GevirtzJeffry Denman wisely kept a journal of his ongoing experiences as part of the cast of the smash hit "The Producers;" from auditions straight through to the opening (and beyond; to his debut in a major part). The author has talent aplenty; not only as a dancer/singer/actor; but also as an engaging writer. This is really a top-notch insiders portrait of what really goes on behind the scenes; and what being a Broadway performer truly entails. There is not much turmoil depicted in these pages; since "The Producers" was hardly a problem production; but it still keeps the reader fascinated with its vivid depiction of how a Broadway show finds its feet and marches on to success.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Absolutely WONDERFUL book!!!By Jim JrThis is a terrific book for anyone interested in the creative processes involved in getting a big Broadway musical on stage and what happens to the non-star names who are the backbone of any show - the people who support the stars and are the basis of the show.Jeff Denman is a wonderful writer. I read the book in one evening taking time only for dinner and actually read while eating. It is one of those "cant put down" books. There is an ease and polish to his writing that allows the reader to feel Jeff is talking to him/her instead of just putting words on paper.The narrative begins when Jeff is one of the principals in the last cast of "Cats" on Broadway going right through closing night. He takes the reader through auditions for "The Producers" that took place just before the closing and how he went from one show to the other. Then he details the rehearsal process; the out of town tryout and the New York opening. The closing section is the suspensful time he went through as the understudy for Matthew Broderick and going on for him during his vacation. It is so well written that it is possible to feel the nerves and tension he went through at this time.Jeff mentions his roots in Buffalo and doing productions in this area before going to New York. I was lucky enough to have been in a musical with him and know he is a terrific singer-actor-dancer; but I was unaware of what a good writer he is.If you would like to see him at work; he has a featured dance on the DVD "My Favorite Broadway; The Love Songs" (a lovely "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" partnered with Joan Hess) and can be seen throughout the DVD "Recording The Producers" about the recording of the cast album. (Watch during the tap sequence - Jeff has a distinctive pair of shoes so you can pick out his feet when no heads are shown.)This is a book that anyone who loves musicals and theater should add to thier library to get the perspective of how the supporting actors really make the show. It is a book that can and will be reread many times.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well written; backstage look at musical theaterBy Donald E. FultonThis book is an interesting little backstage look at Broadway musical theater by one of the faceless; hard working; (struggling to be) up and coming; supporting performers. Twice in the beginning of this book; written in 2001; he notes how impressed he was with the show Crazy for You; and in 2007; when I first saw him perform; it was as the lead in (you guessed it) Crazy for You. Denman is a versatile guy; onstage as singer; dancer; actor; and offstage as choreographer; playwright; tap dance teacher; and (based on this book) quite a good writer. From the credits shown on his web site and based on what I saw at North Shore Music Theater (near Boston) Denman has made good progress in the years since writing this book toward his stated goal of moving up to principal performer. Video of Denman (paired with Amanda Watkins) in the North Shore Music Theater production of Crazy for You is available on YouTube (search phrase "Jeffry Denman".[...]