A Musical Theatre Treasure!
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What an exceptional book this is! I haven't been able to put it down. Without a doubt it's the best exposition of musical theatre creation that I've ever read - and I've read many! Not only does it tell you about the amazing lives of the two Frenchmen who wrote Les Misérables but, with a series of exclusive personal interviews, it details exactly how they did it. Not just Les Mis but all their shows, and there's long interviews too with all their co-writers, directors and producers. Vermette's skill in presentation is magnified many times by her ability to pull nuggets of wisdom out of such talented and diverse people, such as Trevor Nunn, Cameron Mackintosh and Herbert Kretzmer as well of course as Boublil and Schönberg themselves. It's a tour de force of form and substance and a fascinating read.
I discovered this book through the brilliant website which is colourful, informative and gives news and updates to the book:
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A Musical Theatre Bible
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As a lyricist and playwright, I have read many books about the staging of dramatic works.
None of these previous works have come near to the levels of competence, interest, and sheer enjoyment of this book.
Margaret Vermette has secured access and cooperation from the most talented group of theatre professionals ever gathered in one place. They have all expressed themselves fully, generously and informatively. An outsider would have to spend a lifetime skulking in the shadows to obtain such intimate, and expert disclosures.
Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg bring welcome insights into their unique, collaborative methods. They never write a word, or a single note, until the detailed skeleton of the work has been structured. Thereafter, in discussion with other members of the creative team, they can set their egos aside to bring finality to their staged masterpieces, until they get audience reactions!
At which stage, the polishing continues.
In my humble opinion, LES MISERABLES is the finest musical of all time. I have seen it many times, and I attended the magnificent 10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 8th October 1995, when artists were gathered from all over the world, to create an unforgettable experience.
This book revives those memories and creates many new ones.
It is a treasure.
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The Musical World of Boublil and Schonberg
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This is such an amazing book. I didn't know anything about Boiblil and Schonberg before, but this gives a fascinating account of their early lives and how they came to meet. It even tells about their first lunch with Cameron Mackintosh at a fashionable Paris restaurant when Claude-Michel pretended he couldn't speak English so as to size Cameron up! It's given me such an insight into how the shows are created with lots of interviews with them and all their collaborators. And there are full details of all the productions plus loads of trivia, such as how the helicopter works in Miss Saigon, how Judi Dench made a one off appearance on the barricade and even how many loaves the London Valjeans have stolen! It's packed with colour pictures and is fantastic value for such a comprehensive book. If you love their shows you'll love this.
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Boublil and Schonberg
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This is not just a book that sits on your coffee table to impress your friends, it is so much more. If you have been lucky enough to have seen Les Miserables, Miss Saigon or Martin Guerre, you will be fascinated by "the musical world of Boublil and Schonberg". It's a journey into the musical world of theatre, from the first chapter to the last you will be fascinated by how musicals are created and produced. I love reading about the lives of Alain Boublil and Claude Michel Schonberg, the interviews with producers, musical directors, actors and singers, all their own words, so informative. Also the photos bring each chapter alive. If you are studying theatre in any form this book will be invaluable or if like me, you just love musicals, then it's an enjoyable read, I couldn't put it down.
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