PDF The European Energy Scene: Papers Presented at the Tenth Consultative Council of the Watt Committee on Energy; London; 21 May 1981 by Watt Committee on Energy Publications in Arts-Photography

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. An All-Inclusive listing of shows that played just beyond The Great White WayBy Steve RammCompiler Deitz has done a yeomans job of compiling the basic information about shows which played in New York City (and; in a few rare cases; in New Jersey or Brooklyn) that either did not have Actors Equity cast members or played houses with less than 500 seats - a number used to determine if the venue is a "Broadway Theater". As he states in the three-page Introduction; the first MAJOR Off-Broadway musicals appeared in 1954with The Golden Apple and The Three Penny Opera. This may be Dietzs "opinion" but the content of this 736-page volume reflects it as well. Of the more than 1;800 shows listed; only 55 were from the years 1910 through 1953. Of course the heyday of OB was in the 1960s and 70s.For each play he provides the basic facts (Theater; Dates; Composers; Cast and number of performances). Next we get a summary of the songs in order - many taken from either the original Playbill or; if there was a cast album; from that. Then Deitz gets to editorialize about the show. He presents a short narrative foe each show where he quotes reviews and provides related trivia. This can make for entertaining reading. He does mention if there was a cast recording but that information is also listed in one of the 21 (!) appendices in the back of the book. These appendices are usually short but gather info such as "Black Musicals"; " The Forbidden Broadway series; the Second City series and even one called "Theater Curses". There is a listing of cast albums and a filmography; but these are just by the title of the show. (Often more info is given in the previously mentioned "narrative".This is certainly the first volume to cover this area of American Musical Theater and will be a welcome reference volume as well as bringing back memories for theatergoers in the Metropolitan New York area who may have seen many of these shows during the 1957-2000 period.Steve Ramm"Anything Phonographic"