
The Secret Life of the American Musical
How Broadway Shows Are Built
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $15.47
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
David Pittu
-
By:
-
Jack Viertel
About this listen
For almost a century, Americans have been losing their hearts and losing their minds in an insatiable love affair with the American musical. It often begins in actors and reaches its passionate zenith when it comes time for love, marriage, and children, who will start the cycle all over again. Americans love musicals. Americans invented musicals. Americans perfected musicals. But what, exactly, is a musical?
In The Secret Life of the American Musical, Jack Viertel takes musicals apart, puts them back together, sings their praises, marvels at their unflagging inventiveness, and occasionally despairs over their more embarrassing shortcomings. In the process, he invites us to fall in love all over again by showing us how musicals happen, what makes them work, how they captivate audiences, and how one landmark show leads to the next - by design or by accident, by emulation or by rebellion - from Oklahoma! to Hamilton and onward.
©2016 Jack Viertel (P)2016 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Singular Sensation
- The Triumph of Broadway
- By: Michael Riedel
- Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 1990s was a decade of profound change on Broadway. At the dawn of the '90s, the British invasion of Broadway was in full swing, as musical spectacles like Les Miserables, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera dominated the box office. But Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard soon spelled the end of this era and ushered in a new wave of American musicals, beginning with the ascendance of an unlikely show by a struggling writer who reimagined Puccini’s opera La Bohème as the smash Broadway show Rent
-
-
Why Didn’t Michael Riedel Read This Himself?
- By Tallulah on 01-17-22
By: Michael Riedel
-
Everything Was Possible (Updated Edition)
- The Birth of the Musical Follies
- By: Ted Chapin
- Narrated by: Jonathan Groff
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the sole production assistant for Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, Ted Chapin had a front row seat for the creation of one of the most important American musicals of all time. He kept a detailed journal of his experiences, and his rich storehouse of memories forms the core of Everything Was Possible, which itself has become a modern classic of musical theater history. Combining the zeal of an enthusiast with a journalist’s narrative chops, Chapin takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride through the creation of an original Broadway musical.
-
-
Beyond outstanding
- By Gene Franklin Smith on 02-23-25
By: Ted Chapin
-
The Untold Stories of Broadway
- Tales from the World's Most Famous Theaters, Volume 1
- By: Jennifer Ashley Tepper
- Narrated by: John David Farrell, Rebecca Surmont
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Broadway debuts to landmark productions. Score a front row seat to hear hundreds of stories about the most important stages in the world, seen through the eyes of the producers, actors, stage hands, writers, musicians, company managers, dressers, designers, directors, ushers, and door men who bring The Great White Way to life each night. You'll never look at Broadway the same way again.
-
-
Great Broadway book!
- By NYreader on 09-23-14
-
Something Wonderful
- Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution
- By: Todd S. Purdum
- Narrated by: Todd S. Purdum
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play.
-
-
Fabulous book about Rodgers & Hammerstein!!!
- By BigWally on 06-27-18
By: Todd S. Purdum
-
Putting It Together
- How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George
- By: James Lapine
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper, Alyssa Bresnahan, Eva Kaminsky, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Putting It Together chronicles the two-year odyssey of creating the iconic Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George. Through conversations between Lapine and Sondheim, as well as most of the production team, and with a treasure trove of personal photographs, sketches, script notes, and sheet music, the two Broadway icons lift the curtain on their beloved musical. Putting It Together is a deeply personal remembrance of their collaboration and friendship and the highs and lows of that journey, one that resulted in the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.
-
-
Revisiting a truly great theatrical experience
- By Robert Beuth on 08-10-21
By: James Lapine
-
The Movie Musical!
- By: Jeanine Basinger
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 24 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Irresistible and authoritative, The Movie Musical! is an in-depth look at the singing, dancing, happy-making world of Hollywood musicals - an essential audiobook for anyone who's ever laughed, cried, or sung along at the movies. Leading film historian Jeanine Basinger reveals, with her trademark wit and zest, the whole story of the Hollywood musical - in the most telling, most incisive, most detailed audiobook of her long and remarkable career.
-
-
So You Think You Know Movie Musicals
- By Orson Scott Card on 02-19-20
By: Jeanine Basinger
-
Singular Sensation
- The Triumph of Broadway
- By: Michael Riedel
- Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 1990s was a decade of profound change on Broadway. At the dawn of the '90s, the British invasion of Broadway was in full swing, as musical spectacles like Les Miserables, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera dominated the box office. But Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard soon spelled the end of this era and ushered in a new wave of American musicals, beginning with the ascendance of an unlikely show by a struggling writer who reimagined Puccini’s opera La Bohème as the smash Broadway show Rent
-
-
Why Didn’t Michael Riedel Read This Himself?
- By Tallulah on 01-17-22
By: Michael Riedel
-
Everything Was Possible (Updated Edition)
- The Birth of the Musical Follies
- By: Ted Chapin
- Narrated by: Jonathan Groff
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the sole production assistant for Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, Ted Chapin had a front row seat for the creation of one of the most important American musicals of all time. He kept a detailed journal of his experiences, and his rich storehouse of memories forms the core of Everything Was Possible, which itself has become a modern classic of musical theater history. Combining the zeal of an enthusiast with a journalist’s narrative chops, Chapin takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride through the creation of an original Broadway musical.
-
-
Beyond outstanding
- By Gene Franklin Smith on 02-23-25
By: Ted Chapin
-
The Untold Stories of Broadway
- Tales from the World's Most Famous Theaters, Volume 1
- By: Jennifer Ashley Tepper
- Narrated by: John David Farrell, Rebecca Surmont
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Broadway debuts to landmark productions. Score a front row seat to hear hundreds of stories about the most important stages in the world, seen through the eyes of the producers, actors, stage hands, writers, musicians, company managers, dressers, designers, directors, ushers, and door men who bring The Great White Way to life each night. You'll never look at Broadway the same way again.
-
-
Great Broadway book!
- By NYreader on 09-23-14
-
Something Wonderful
- Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution
- By: Todd S. Purdum
- Narrated by: Todd S. Purdum
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play.
-
-
Fabulous book about Rodgers & Hammerstein!!!
- By BigWally on 06-27-18
By: Todd S. Purdum
-
Putting It Together
- How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George
- By: James Lapine
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper, Alyssa Bresnahan, Eva Kaminsky, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Putting It Together chronicles the two-year odyssey of creating the iconic Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George. Through conversations between Lapine and Sondheim, as well as most of the production team, and with a treasure trove of personal photographs, sketches, script notes, and sheet music, the two Broadway icons lift the curtain on their beloved musical. Putting It Together is a deeply personal remembrance of their collaboration and friendship and the highs and lows of that journey, one that resulted in the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.
-
-
Revisiting a truly great theatrical experience
- By Robert Beuth on 08-10-21
By: James Lapine
-
The Movie Musical!
- By: Jeanine Basinger
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 24 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Irresistible and authoritative, The Movie Musical! is an in-depth look at the singing, dancing, happy-making world of Hollywood musicals - an essential audiobook for anyone who's ever laughed, cried, or sung along at the movies. Leading film historian Jeanine Basinger reveals, with her trademark wit and zest, the whole story of the Hollywood musical - in the most telling, most incisive, most detailed audiobook of her long and remarkable career.
-
-
So You Think You Know Movie Musicals
- By Orson Scott Card on 02-19-20
By: Jeanine Basinger
-
Song of Spider-Man
- The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History
- By: Glen Berger
- Narrated by: Glen Berger
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The true story of a theatrical dream—or nightmare—come true…the making of the Spider-Man musical.
-
-
A "Disaster Artist" for theater nerds
- By Mike Zancola on 05-21-22
By: Glen Berger
-
Broadway Nights
- A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre
- By: Seth Rudetsky
- Narrated by: Seth Rudetsky, Kristin Chenoweth, Andrea Martin, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Sheerin was born to play on Broadway - or at least, under it. He's a musician, a conductor, and his dream is to music-direct a big Broadway musical. After years of toiling in the pit of some of the best-loved (and loathed) hits on the Great White Way, he's just been given his big break. Can life really be going that well? Of course not.
-
-
A *must-have* for any fan of Broadway or humor!
- By Michael on 07-08-08
By: Seth Rudetsky
-
Razzle Dazzle
- The Battle for Broadway
- By: Michael Riedel
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Razzle Dazzle is a provocative, no-holds-barred narrative account of the people, money, and power that reinvented an iconic quarter of New York City, turning its gritty back alleys and sex shops into the glitzy, dazzling Great White Way - and bringing a crippled New York from the brink of bankruptcy to its glittering glory.
-
-
Too long and boring in spite of a vibrant subject
- By harry rohme on 03-04-18
By: Michael Riedel
-
Shy
- The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers
- By: Mary Rodgers, Jesse Green
- Narrated by: Christine Baranski, Jesse Green
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“What am I, bologna?” Mary Rodgers (1931-2014) often said. She was referring to being stuck in the middle of a talent sandwich: the daughter of one composer and the mother of another. And not just any composers. Her father was Richard Rodgers, perhaps the greatest American melodist; her son, Adam Guettel, a worthy successor. What that leaves out is Mary herself, also a composer, whose musical Once Upon a Mattress remains one of the rare revivable Broadway hits written by a woman. Shy is the story of how it all happened.
-
-
What a fun book!
- By Erik B. Rinderle on 09-17-23
By: Mary Rodgers, and others
-
Hamilton
- The Revolution
- By: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter
- Narrated by: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter, Mariska Hargitay
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject: the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country's origins for a diverse new generation.
-
-
Love the idea of the book, get it in print.
- By Adam Shields on 04-13-16
By: Lin-Manuel Miranda, and others
-
Elements of Jazz: From Cakewalks to Fusion
- By: Bill Messenger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Bill Messenger
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jazz is a uniquely American art form, one of America's great contributions to not only musical culture, but world culture, with each generation of musicians applying new levels of creativity that take the music in unexpected directions that defy definition, category, and stagnation. Now you can learn the basics and history of this intoxicating genre in an eight-lecture series that is as free-flowing and original as the art form itself.
-
-
A Disappointingly Distorted, Myopic View Of Jazz
- By Parallax View on 08-18-13
By: Bill Messenger, and others
-
Home Work
- A Memoir of My Hollywood Years
- By: Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton
- Narrated by: Julie Andrews
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this follow-up to her critically acclaimed memoir, Home, Julie Andrews shares reflections on her astonishing career, including such classics as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria.
-
-
Love Julie, Didn't Love the Memoir
- By Kat on 11-06-19
By: Julie Andrews, and others
-
Chita
- A Memoir
- By: Chita Rivera
- Narrated by: Chita Rivera
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The long-awaited and wildly entertaining memoir of the star of stage and screen, the legendary Chita Rivera—three-time Tony Award-winner, Kennedy Centers honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
-
-
Chita
- By Just a customer on 05-05-23
By: Chita Rivera
-
Stephen Sondheim in His Own Words
- By: Stephen Sondheim
- Narrated by: Stephen Sondheim
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Sondheim was a multi-award-winning American composer whose works have garnered more than 60 Tony Awards, as well as an Oscar for Best Song and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Here he discusses his life and achievements in a series of interviews from the BBC radio and TV archive.
-
-
Insight into one of the greats!
- By Donald A. Harper on 08-31-22
By: Stephen Sondheim
-
The Method
- How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act
- By: Isaac Butler
- Narrated by: Isaac Butler
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On stage and screen, we know a great performance when we see it. But how do actors draw from their bodies and minds to turn their selves into art? What is the craft of being an authentic fake? More than a century ago, amid tsarist Russia’s crushing repression, one of the most talented actors ever, Konstantin Stanislavski, asked these very questions, reached deep into himself and emerged with an answer.
-
-
Where is the Thesis?
- By Frances L. on 07-27-22
By: Isaac Butler
-
Musical Theatre for Dummies
- By: Seth Rudetsky
- Narrated by: Seth Rudetsky
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you want to know more about the fascinating history of Broadway musicals, the stars of yesterday and today, and what goes on behind the curtain of a musical production? In Musical Theatre For Dummies, Broadway insider Seth Rudetsky takes you backstage and reveals everything you want to know about life in the theatre.
-
-
Seth has so many years great behind the scene stories!
- By Rick S on 03-17-25
By: Seth Rudetsky
-
Washington's Spies
- The Story of America's First Spy Ring
- By: Alexander Rose
- Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on remarkable new research, acclaimed historian Alexander Rose brings to life the true story of the spy ring that helped America win the Revolutionary War. For the first time, Rose takes us beyond the battlefront and deep into the shadowy underworld of double agents and triple crosses, covert operations and code breaking, and unmasks the courageous, flawed men who inhabited this wilderness of mirrors—including the spymaster at the heart of it all.
-
-
Kinda boring
- By Randall on 07-10-19
By: Alexander Rose
Critic reviews
Featured Article: The Show Must Go On—Premier Audiobooks Now Playing for Theater Fans
A good play or musical is emblematic of what we love about entertainment—a chance to escape, to be fully immersed in another world, to engage with our most human emotions in a moment brought brilliantly to life by the talents of impeccable performers. It's possible to get your fix of the Great White Way in the comfort of your own home. Here are just a few of our favorite theater audiobooks to tide you over until curtain call.
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Broadway Nights
- A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre
- By: Seth Rudetsky
- Narrated by: Seth Rudetsky, Kristin Chenoweth, Andrea Martin, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Sheerin was born to play on Broadway - or at least, under it. He's a musician, a conductor, and his dream is to music-direct a big Broadway musical. After years of toiling in the pit of some of the best-loved (and loathed) hits on the Great White Way, he's just been given his big break. Can life really be going that well? Of course not.
-
-
A *must-have* for any fan of Broadway or humor!
- By Michael on 07-08-08
By: Seth Rudetsky
-
Everything Was Possible (Updated Edition)
- The Birth of the Musical Follies
- By: Ted Chapin
- Narrated by: Jonathan Groff
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the sole production assistant for Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, Ted Chapin had a front row seat for the creation of one of the most important American musicals of all time. He kept a detailed journal of his experiences, and his rich storehouse of memories forms the core of Everything Was Possible, which itself has become a modern classic of musical theater history. Combining the zeal of an enthusiast with a journalist’s narrative chops, Chapin takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride through the creation of an original Broadway musical.
-
-
Beyond outstanding
- By Gene Franklin Smith on 02-23-25
By: Ted Chapin
-
How Sondheim Can Change Your Life
- By: Richard Schoch
- Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Sondheim died on November 26, 2021, but for countless fans around the world, he is “still here,” to quote one of his lyrics. With acclaimed revivals of his landmark shows occurring around the world and introducing new generations to the man who transformed American musical theater, Sondheim’s legacy has only grown. What is it about such classic songs as “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy, “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music, and “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods that speaks to us so intimately and profoundly?
-
-
Putting It Together
- By 0 Stars on 12-06-24
By: Richard Schoch
-
Musical Theatre for Dummies
- By: Seth Rudetsky
- Narrated by: Seth Rudetsky
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you want to know more about the fascinating history of Broadway musicals, the stars of yesterday and today, and what goes on behind the curtain of a musical production? In Musical Theatre For Dummies, Broadway insider Seth Rudetsky takes you backstage and reveals everything you want to know about life in the theatre.
-
-
Seth has so many years great behind the scene stories!
- By Rick S on 03-17-25
By: Seth Rudetsky
-
Putting It Together
- How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George
- By: James Lapine
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper, Alyssa Bresnahan, Eva Kaminsky, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Putting It Together chronicles the two-year odyssey of creating the iconic Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George. Through conversations between Lapine and Sondheim, as well as most of the production team, and with a treasure trove of personal photographs, sketches, script notes, and sheet music, the two Broadway icons lift the curtain on their beloved musical. Putting It Together is a deeply personal remembrance of their collaboration and friendship and the highs and lows of that journey, one that resulted in the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.
-
-
Revisiting a truly great theatrical experience
- By Robert Beuth on 08-10-21
By: James Lapine
-
Working on a Song
- The Lyrics of Hadestown
- By: Anaïs Mitchell
- Narrated by: Anaïs Mitchell, Steve Earle
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Broadway, this fresh take on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has become a modern classic. Heralded as “The best new musical of the season” by The Wall Street Journal and “Sumptuous. Gorgeous. As good as it gets” by The New York Times, the show was a breakout hit, with its poignant social commentary and spellbinding music and lyrics. In this audiobook, Anaïs Mitchell takes listeners inside her more than decades-long process of building the musical from the ground up.
-
-
Perfect Addition to the Perfect Story
- By Nick Neagle on 10-06-20
By: Anaïs Mitchell
-
Broadway Nights
- A Romp of Life, Love, and Musical Theatre
- By: Seth Rudetsky
- Narrated by: Seth Rudetsky, Kristin Chenoweth, Andrea Martin, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Sheerin was born to play on Broadway - or at least, under it. He's a musician, a conductor, and his dream is to music-direct a big Broadway musical. After years of toiling in the pit of some of the best-loved (and loathed) hits on the Great White Way, he's just been given his big break. Can life really be going that well? Of course not.
-
-
A *must-have* for any fan of Broadway or humor!
- By Michael on 07-08-08
By: Seth Rudetsky
-
Everything Was Possible (Updated Edition)
- The Birth of the Musical Follies
- By: Ted Chapin
- Narrated by: Jonathan Groff
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the sole production assistant for Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, Ted Chapin had a front row seat for the creation of one of the most important American musicals of all time. He kept a detailed journal of his experiences, and his rich storehouse of memories forms the core of Everything Was Possible, which itself has become a modern classic of musical theater history. Combining the zeal of an enthusiast with a journalist’s narrative chops, Chapin takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride through the creation of an original Broadway musical.
-
-
Beyond outstanding
- By Gene Franklin Smith on 02-23-25
By: Ted Chapin
-
How Sondheim Can Change Your Life
- By: Richard Schoch
- Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Sondheim died on November 26, 2021, but for countless fans around the world, he is “still here,” to quote one of his lyrics. With acclaimed revivals of his landmark shows occurring around the world and introducing new generations to the man who transformed American musical theater, Sondheim’s legacy has only grown. What is it about such classic songs as “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy, “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music, and “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods that speaks to us so intimately and profoundly?
-
-
Putting It Together
- By 0 Stars on 12-06-24
By: Richard Schoch
-
Musical Theatre for Dummies
- By: Seth Rudetsky
- Narrated by: Seth Rudetsky
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you want to know more about the fascinating history of Broadway musicals, the stars of yesterday and today, and what goes on behind the curtain of a musical production? In Musical Theatre For Dummies, Broadway insider Seth Rudetsky takes you backstage and reveals everything you want to know about life in the theatre.
-
-
Seth has so many years great behind the scene stories!
- By Rick S on 03-17-25
By: Seth Rudetsky
-
Putting It Together
- How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George
- By: James Lapine
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper, Alyssa Bresnahan, Eva Kaminsky, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Putting It Together chronicles the two-year odyssey of creating the iconic Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George. Through conversations between Lapine and Sondheim, as well as most of the production team, and with a treasure trove of personal photographs, sketches, script notes, and sheet music, the two Broadway icons lift the curtain on their beloved musical. Putting It Together is a deeply personal remembrance of their collaboration and friendship and the highs and lows of that journey, one that resulted in the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.
-
-
Revisiting a truly great theatrical experience
- By Robert Beuth on 08-10-21
By: James Lapine
-
Working on a Song
- The Lyrics of Hadestown
- By: Anaïs Mitchell
- Narrated by: Anaïs Mitchell, Steve Earle
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Broadway, this fresh take on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has become a modern classic. Heralded as “The best new musical of the season” by The Wall Street Journal and “Sumptuous. Gorgeous. As good as it gets” by The New York Times, the show was a breakout hit, with its poignant social commentary and spellbinding music and lyrics. In this audiobook, Anaïs Mitchell takes listeners inside her more than decades-long process of building the musical from the ground up.
-
-
Perfect Addition to the Perfect Story
- By Nick Neagle on 10-06-20
By: Anaïs Mitchell
-
Theater Kid
- By: Jeffrey Seller
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Seller, Annaleigh Ashford, Kyle Beltran, and others
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before he was producing the musical hits of our generation, Jeffrey was just a kid coming to terms with his adoption, trying to understand his sexuality, and determined to escape his dysfunctional household in a poor neighborhood just outside Detroit. We see him find his voice through musical theater and move to New York, where he is determined to shed his past and make a name for himself on Broadway. But moving to the big city is never easy—especially not at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis—and Jeffrey learns to survive and thrive in the colorful and cutthroat world of commercial theatre.
By: Jeffrey Seller
-
I Was Better Last Night
- A Memoir
- By: Harvey Fierstein
- Narrated by: Harvey Fierstein
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harvey Fierstein’s legendary career has transported him from community theater in Brooklyn, to the lights of Broadway, to the absurd excesses of Hollywood and back. He’s received accolades and awards for acting in and/or writing an incredible string of hit plays, films, and TV shows.
-
-
Loved it
- By Mary Ellen Guadagno on 03-09-22
By: Harvey Fierstein
-
Lord Knows, At Least I Was There
- Working with Stephen Sondheim
- By: Paul Ford, Mandy Patinkin - foreword
- Narrated by: Paul Ford
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Atlanta-born Paul Ford first fell in love with the American musical theater at the age of five, he never imagined that his future skills as a "piano thumper" would lead him to a career on Broadway playing rehearsals or in the "pit" for classic Stephen Sondheim musicals and numerous concerts, birthday tributes, and television spectaculars. Now retired, the candid (and admittedly opinionated) author looks back on the performances and personalities that defined the American musical theater in the waning years of the 20th century.
-
-
Mostly Sondheim
- By Anonymous User on 11-24-23
By: Paul Ford, and others
-
Singular Sensation
- The Triumph of Broadway
- By: Michael Riedel
- Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 1990s was a decade of profound change on Broadway. At the dawn of the '90s, the British invasion of Broadway was in full swing, as musical spectacles like Les Miserables, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera dominated the box office. But Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard soon spelled the end of this era and ushered in a new wave of American musicals, beginning with the ascendance of an unlikely show by a struggling writer who reimagined Puccini’s opera La Bohème as the smash Broadway show Rent
-
-
Why Didn’t Michael Riedel Read This Himself?
- By Tallulah on 01-17-22
By: Michael Riedel
-
Razzle Dazzle
- The Battle for Broadway
- By: Michael Riedel
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Razzle Dazzle is a provocative, no-holds-barred narrative account of the people, money, and power that reinvented an iconic quarter of New York City, turning its gritty back alleys and sex shops into the glitzy, dazzling Great White Way - and bringing a crippled New York from the brink of bankruptcy to its glittering glory.
-
-
Too long and boring in spite of a vibrant subject
- By harry rohme on 03-04-18
By: Michael Riedel
-
Stephen Sondheim in His Own Words
- By: Stephen Sondheim
- Narrated by: Stephen Sondheim
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stephen Sondheim was a multi-award-winning American composer whose works have garnered more than 60 Tony Awards, as well as an Oscar for Best Song and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Here he discusses his life and achievements in a series of interviews from the BBC radio and TV archive.
-
-
Insight into one of the greats!
- By Donald A. Harper on 08-31-22
By: Stephen Sondheim
What listeners say about The Secret Life of the American Musical
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris Piner
- 08-11-18
An Informative Lecture
An enjoyable informative look at the American Musical, I will use some of the ideas with my own students.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pgparks
- 04-04-24
What a delight to read!
If you’ve ever wondered how Broadway hits are made - “The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built” by Jack Vierte is a must read. Producer and Musical Historian Jack Viertel deconstructs some of the theater’s greatest musicals to show what elements made them so successful.
He uses iconic shows such as “Gypsy”, “Guys and Dolls”, “My Fair Lady”, “Hairspray”, “Follies”, “The Book of Mormon”, West Side Story” and “South Pacific” (to name just a few) to explain and explore the patterns underlying much of musical theater.
If you are a musical theatre fan this will be a trip to Disneyland for you. I finished this book in 2 days and I LOVED every single “behind the scenes” minute of it!
Read this book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- L. Larmour
- 07-30-18
So detailed
This book is packed with details about what makes a good musical and talks about specific aspects of many of the most famous musicals. Very valuable for anybody aspiring to write a musical. Also will help you appreciate the musicals you have seen or will see.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AR
- 08-10-17
A Treat for Lovers of the Broadway Musical
For lovers of the Broadway musical, this is a great big birthday cake of a book. Jack Viertel, a veteran producer who is also director of City Center's celebrated Encores! series, examines each part of a well-constructed musical from the overture to the finale, each in a separate chapter. He gives detailed examples of how these elements were made to work in the most successful musicals (and how they failed to work in a few unsuccessful ones), showing us how very difficult it is to put together a show that really works.
While his heart is with the great classic shows that he grew up with—he was born in 1949—he is open-minded enough to be able to recognize the merits of more modern successes like Hamilton, even when they break the rules. Even if you've heard some of the stories he tells before (I have), the book is still a hugely enjoyable tour of the Broadway musical as a form.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Etoile NEOhio
- 01-04-24
I wish my theater degree had included a course taught by him!
Jack Viertel does a masteful job of laying out (replete with examples) the way a Broadway Musical is constructed and how that construction has changed over time. The only possible improvement would have been to include cuts from the actual recordings where he reads the lyrics. NOW I have to go watch ALL these shows again and see them in this new light!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ralph Guild
- 09-25-16
Just finished this book and plan to go back and order some CDs based on the author's recommendations.
I recommend this book to anyone who sees new or revivals of Broadway musicals. I missed many lines of dialog in some shows and I want to hear them again in the next revival. It has added to my thirst to see and listen classics again.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Seth
- 11-25-22
Brilliant
Such a wonderful pass at the truest of American art forms. Jack takes a stance and delivers. Bravo!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Constant Reader
- 08-25-16
Reminded Me of How Much I Love Musicals
Would you consider the audio edition of The Secret Life of the American Musical to be better than the print version?
The reader comes close to actually performing some of the music, which is something I couldn't do reading the lyrics.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Stephen Sondheim -- always brilliant!
What does David Pittu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
A love of the material that never flags. A wonderful reading.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No -- like a box of chocolates, it should be read slowly, and savored.
Any additional comments?
A sequel would be terrific -- Secrets of the British Musical perhaps...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LJG
- 01-04-20
Musicals make so much more sense
I've loved musicals almost my entire life. and I studied theatre but that was about plays, and how to construct and perform a play. this really is a look at American musicals. you get all the information of a textbook, but the style and performance make sure to keep thing casual. He goes from Oklahoma to Hamilton and shows how even if musicals are different genres, different musical styles, from different decades, and made for different purposes, they still have the same bones. so insightful and entertaining. I now have a list of shows that I can't wait to see after hearing the method to their madness
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Matriplex
- 07-01-16
In love with the American Musical
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Absolutely! This is one of the most engaging and thoughtful audio books I have ever listened to.
What did you like best about this story?
Viertel is an insider whose love of the American musical is exceeded, perhaps, only by his vibrant insights and encyclopedic knowledge. The book is like a musical itself, with the chapters taking us from the overture to the 11 o'clock number--a perfect synchronization of content and form.
What does David Pittu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narrator channels Viertel's love and enthusiasm for the material and he is clearly familiar enough with the numerous song lyrics quoted in each chapter so that his reading maintains the rhythm and integrity of the lyrics. First rate job.
Any additional comments?
If you love the musical theatre, as I do, listen to this book and will come away loving it even more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful