This second edition offers theater lovers an illuminating behind-the-scenes tour of some of America's best musicals. Geoffrey Block provides a documentary history of each of the eighteen musicals he discusses. He reveals how the American musical evolved from the 1920s to today, both on stage and on screen, and how librettist, lyricist, composer, and director work together to shape pieces.--[book cover].
"The central topic of A Fine Romance: Adapting Broadway to Hollywood in the Studio System Era is the symbiotic relationship between a dozen Broadway musicals and their Hollywood film adaptations spanning nearly a half century (1927-1972). The romance begins with the stage version of Show Boat and ends with Bob Fosse's cinematic 1972 re-envisioning of Cabaret. Between these end points are chapters on The Cat and the Fiddle, Roberta, Cabin in the Sky, Oklahoma!, On the Town, Brigadoon, Call Me Madam, Silk Stockings, West Side Story, and Flower Drum Song"--