Best of
Musicals

2007

The Phantom of the Opera Companion


Martin Knowlden - 2007
    It has dazzled more than 100 million people in 22 countries, and went on to become a major feature film. This pictorial companion is the definitive account of the award-winning masterpiece.  It traces the Phantom legend from its origins in historical fact through numerous artistic incarnations to the present-day theater production and film. Arranged in three parts, the first introduces the reader to Gaston Leroux’s classic story, while the second part offers a unique insight into the acclaimed theater production, with backstage photos and commentary from the director, designers, and crew. The final section, which contains the original screenplay, looks at the making of Joel Schumacher’s film, introducing the cast and featuring exclusive photos and interviews. A splendid celebration of  a classic story and its many incarnations. This ravishing volume features the complete original screenplay and more than 150 color images from both the film and theater productions worldwide. Now in an elegant and affordable smaller-format edition.

Spring Awakening


Steven Sater - 2007
    Inspired by Frank Wedekind’s controversial 1891 play about teenage sexuality and society’s efforts to control it, the piece seamlessly merges past and present, underscoring the timelessness of adolescent angst and the universality of human passion.Steven Sater’s plays include the long-running Carbondale Dreams, Perfect for You, Doll (Rosenthal Prize/Cincinnati Playhouse), Umbrage (Steppenwolf New Play Prize), and a reconceived version of Shakespeare’s Tempest, which played in London.Duncan Sheik is a singer/songwriter who also collaborated with Sater on the musical The Nightingale. He has composed original music for The Gold Rooms of Nero and for The Public Theater’s Twelfth Night in Central Park.

Spring Awakening - Vocal Selections


Steven Sater - 2007
    Our piano/vocal selections feature 17 of the songs, including: All That's Known * The Bitch of Living * The Dark I Know Well * I Believe * Mama Who Bore Me * My Junk * Those You've Known * Touch Me * The Word of Your Body * and more. This souvenir folio also includes great color photos from the Broadway production. PARENTAL ADVISORY: EXPLICIT LYRICS

The Drowsy Chaperone: A Musical Within a Comedy


Greg Morrison - 2007
    Includes: Accident Waiting to Happen * Bride's Lament * Cold Feets * I Am Aldolpho * I Remember Love * Show Off * Toledo Surprise * and more.

Hairspray


Diana Landau - 2007
    Next the hit Broadway musical won countless more fans and an armful of Tonys in 2003. Now Hairspray returns to the screen as an innovative movie musical from New Line Cinema, the producers of Chicago, and director-choreographer Adam Shankman.This lavish companion book celebrates the singular phenomenon that is Hairspray, and the supremely talented cast and crew who brought this new incarnation to life. Features about the cast, locations, sets, and costumes give readers an intimate look behind the scenes. Here are profiles of Hairspray's extraordinary actors, all of whom do their own singing and dancing in the film. John Travolta stars in a career-bending twist as Edna Turnblad, the role created by the late Divine. The dream cast also includes Queen Latifah (Motormouth Maybelle), Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma Von Tussle), and Christopher Walken (Wilbur Turnblad) as well as rising young stars led by new talent Nikki Blonsky as Tracy.Hairspray captures the spirit of a time when everything was changing, in music and in society. This special volume captures the essence of the film's creative achievement with more than 200 vivid production photographs and first-person contributions by Waters, director Shankman (Bringing Down the House), and producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. From casting and scripting to rehearsing, shooting scenes and recording the music--it's all explored and depicted in a unique collector's edition.Features:Film poster and postcardsBooklets that highlight various behind-the-scenes production detailsCharacter profiles including a tip-in "45 RPM single," key facts and Hairspray trivia printed on the facsimile record's sleeve