Jennifer Ashley Tepper
Applause
19 November 2024
408
eBook - PDF
Non-Fiction/Theatre
ARC via NetGalley
From the composers who pounded the pavement selling their music in Tin Pan Alley at the turn of the twentieth century; to the lyricists who broke new ground writing shows during the Great Depression; to the book writers who penned protest musicals fighting for social justice during the 1970s; to those who are revitalizing the landscape of American theatre today, Women Writing Musicals tells the stories of over 300 inspiring women who wrote Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals.
Jennifer Ashley Tepper's definitive book covers prolific and celebrated Broadway writers like Betty Comden and Jeanine Tesori, women who have written musicals but gained fame elsewhere like Dolly Parton and Sara Bareilles, and dramatists you’ve never heard of—but definitely should have. Among the gems shared here are the stories of Clara Driscoll, who saved the Alamo and also wrote a Broadway musical; Micki Grant, whose mega-hit musical about the Black experience made her the first woman to write book, music, and lyrics for a Broadway show; María Grever, who made her Broadway debut at age 56 and who was the first Mexican female composer to achieve international success; and the first all-female writing team for a Broadway musical, in 1922: Annelu Burns, Anna Wynne O’Ryan, Madelyn Sheppard, and Helen S. Woodruff. This book is a treasure trove for theatre-loving readers that Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor and singer Kristin Chenoweth praises as "a wonderful resource for actors, and an important read for anyone interested in theatre".
Women Writing Musicals was a fascinating read. After an introductory chapter on the 18th and 19th centuries, the book chapters were organised by decade, and within those chapters were a series of biographies showcasing the women writing for musical theatre in that time period. These paragraphs varied in length from a few lines to a couple of pages depending on the contributions made. On the one hand, I thought this layout worked well, and it resulted in a book that can easily be dipped into for just a few minutes at a time. On the other hand, part of me would have liked more of a narrative, placing each writer within the context of musical theatre at the time. By the end, though, I decided that probably wasn't necessary, as readers of this book are unlikely to be musical theatre novices and fans would already have a good sense of different periods of musical theatre history, having encountered style through the shows themselves or from other general books of musicals. There were small profile pictures of the women, but that was the only illustration throughout; a few additional images, such as show posters or snapshots of relevant sheet music, might have added a little more charm and variety. But overall I thought this book an excellent reference work for musical theatre fans and I am giving it four stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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