The Italianistas. The scooter-riding, all-night-dancing instigators of what became, from its myriad sources, a very British phenomenon.Mod began life as the quintessential working-class movement of a newly affluent nation – a uniquely British amalgam of American music and European fashions that mixed modern jazz with modernist design in an attempt to escape the drab conformity, snobbery and prudery of life in 1950s Britain. But what started as a popular cult became a mainstream culture, and a style became a revolution.In Mod, Richard Weight tells the story of Britain’s biggest and most influential youth cult. He charts the origins of Mod in the Soho jazz scene of the 1950s, set to the cool sounds of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. He explores Mod’s heyday in Swinging London in the mid-60s – to a new soundtrack courtesy of the Small Faces, the Who and the Kinks. He takes us to the Mod–Rocker riots at Margate and Brighton, and into the world of fashion and design dominated by Twiggy, Mary Quant and Terence Conran.But Mod did not end in the 1960s. Richard Weight not only brings us up to the cult’s revival in the late 70s – played out against its own soundtrack of Quadrophenia and the Jam – but reveals Mod to be the DNA of British youth culture, leaving its mark on glam and Northern Soul, punk and Two Tone, Britpop and rave.This is the story of Britain’s biggest and brassiest youth movement – and of its legacy. Music, film, fashion, art, architecture and design – nothing was untouched by the eclectic, frenetic, irresistible energy of Mod.

    Shortly after, he came back to Stratford to play Richard III – a breakthrough performance that would transform his career, winning him the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Actor. Sher’s record of the making of this historic theatrical event, Year of the King, has become a classic of theatre writing, a unique insight into the creation of a landmark Shakespearean performance.More than thirty years later, Antony Sher returned to Lear, this time in the title role, for the 2016 RSC production directed by Gregory Doran. Sher’s performance was acclaimed by the Telegraph as ‘a crowning achievement in a major career’, and the show transferred from Stratford to London’s Barbican. Once again, he kept a diary, capturing every step of his personal and creative journey to opening night.Year of the Mad King: The Lear Diaries is Sher’s account of researching, rehearsing and performing what is arguably Shakespeare’s most challenging role, known as the Everest of Acting. His strikingly honest, illuminating and witty commentary provides an intimate, first-hand look at the development of his Lear and of the production as a whole. Also included is a selection of his paintings and sketches, many reproduced in full colour.Like his Year of the King and Year of the Fat Knight: The Falstaff Diaries, this book, Year of the Mad King, offers a fascinating perspective on the process of one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of his generation.'One of the finest books I have ever read on the process of acting' Time Out on Year of the King'Antony Sher's insider journal is a brilliant exploded view of a great actor at work – modest and gifted, self-centred and selfless – a genius capable of transporting us backstage' Craig Raine, The Spectator (Books of the Year) on Year of the Fat Knight

    Hundreds of thousands more have enjoyed the National Company as it played Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Denver, Omaha, Des Moines, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Chicago.Meredith Wilson wrote the music the lyrics and the libretto of 'The Music Man' -all delightful. Now he has written a book about writing the show - equally delightful. He claims he had Trouble (with a capital T)and he documents his case with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and theatrical characters unknown in his native Iowa.

    The best of the interviews given by the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and his wife, Courtney Love, one of rock's most controversial couples.

    Stephen Davis has created an intimate portrait of the charismatic reggae superstar, which takes us through his life and career and charts the legal battles surrounding his estate. Originally published in 1994, Bob Marley is now available for the first time in the United States.

    Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American HistoryTwo siblings find themselves caught up in Detroit's 1967 riots in this new play from a top emerging American playwright.Detroit, 1967. Chelle and her brother Lank are making ends meet by turning their basement into an after-hours joint. But when a mysterious woman finds her way into their lives, the siblings clash over much more than the family business. As their pent-up feelings erupt, so does their city, and they find themselves caught in the middle of riots. Detroit '67 premiered at New York's The Public Theater in 2013, in association with the Classical Theater of Harlem and the National Black Theater."Riveting... what makes Morisseau's play so mind-blowing is the language. Her ear is in the tradition of the people's poet Langston Hughes and the people's soul collector Zora Neale Hurston; plus Morisseau is a direct heir to the magical wordsmiths named Lorraine Hansberry, Tennessee Williams, and August Wilson." - Kevin Powell, Huffington Post"An exceptional work that exemplifies the mission of the [Edward M. Kennedy] prize in its exploration of the rich history of our country through the power of theater." - Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith"[We have] unanimously chosen to award the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History to Detroit '67 by Dominique Morisseau. The first in a three-play cycle about her hometown, Detroit, the play explores an explosive and decisive moment in a great American city. The jury was completely drawn into the world of Detroit '67, whose compelling characters struggle with racial tension and economic instability... Detroit '67 is a work grounded in historical understanding that also comments meaningfully on the pressing issues of our day.” - Jury panel, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History

    In keeping with the popular level of this theater, Schikaneder himself supplied Mozart with the libretto about the rescue of a good fairy's daughter from a wicked magician by a hero armed with a magic flute. After a good deal of the music was written, the composer and librettist — both Freemasons — grafted Masonic ideals onto the plot, transforming a simple fairy tale into a moralistic allegory and a Singspiel into one of the world's greatest operas.This handsome, moderately priced volume, reprinted directly form an authoritative edition, will enable musicians, music students, and opera lovers to gain a fuller appreciation of Mozart's mastery of operatic language, orchestral color, and dramatic expression. A helpful feature of this edition is the inclusion of all spoken dialog, usually abbreviated in other editions.