Pick a Pocket Or Two: A History of British Musical Theatre
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From Gilbert and Sullivan to Andrew Lloyd Webber, from Julie Andrews to Hugh Jackman, from Half a Sixpence to Matilda,
Pick a Pocket Or Two
is the story of the British musical: where it began and how it developed. \nIn
Pick a Pocket Or Two, acclaimed author Ethan Mordden brings his wit and wisdom to bear in telling the full history of the British musical, from
The Beggar's Opera (1728) to the present, with an interest in isolating the unique qualities of the form and its influence on the American model. To
place a very broad generalization, the American musical is regarded as largely about ambition fulfilled, whereas the British musical is about social order.
Oklahoma!'s Curly wins the heart of the farmer Laurey--or, in other words, the cowboy becomes a landowner, establishing a truce between the
freelancers on horseback and the ruling class.
Half a Sixpence, on the other hand,
finds a working-class boy coming into a fortune and losing it to fancy Dans, whereupon he is reunited with his working-class sweetheart, his modest place in the social order affirmed.\nAnecdotal and evincing a strong point of view, the book covers not only the shows and their authors but the personalities as well--W. S. Gilbert trying out his stagings on a toy theatre, Ivor Novello going to jail for abusing wartime gas rationing during World War II, fabled producer C. B. Cochran
coming to a most shocking demise for a man whose very name meant "classy, carefree entertainment." Unabashedly opinionated and an excellent stylist, author Ethan Mordden provokes as much as he pleases. Mordden is the preeminent historian of the form, and his book will be required reading for readers
of all walks, from the most casual of musical theater goers to musical theater buffs to students and scholars of the form.\nReview
"An enjoyable read [...] the discography at the end of the book is especially entertaining." -- Nick Wakeham, Musical Theatre Review\n"That
Pick a Pocket Or Two is worthwhile will come as no surprise to anyone who's read, re-read and RE-re-read any or all of the works of this great musical theater historian. But an added bonus in each book is Mordden's distinctively great sense of humor." -- Peter Filichia,
Masterworks\nBroadway\nAbout the Author \nEthan Mordden is is a recognized expert on American musical theatre and the author of
On Streisand, When Broadway Went to Hollywood, Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre, Make Believe: The Broadway Musical in the 1920s, Beautiful Mornin: The Broadway Musical in the 1940s, Coming Up\nRoses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s, and On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide, all published by Oxford University Press. His writing has been featured in
The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and
The New Yorker. His numerous books include friendly introductions to opera and film, as well as
five collections of short stories chronicling gay life in New York City. He lives in Manhattan.
Best prices to buy, sell, or rent ISBN 9780190877958
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