Steadstyle Chicago
January 2010 Book Review by Joe Stead
Theatre World and Screen World
There
are two shelves that hold a special distinction in my library
because they are dedicated to the Theatre World series. As a
teenager I actually volunteered at my local library so that I could
gain access to the basement archives where those hardcover wonders
were kept. I eventually built my own collection of Theatre
World books which I am proud to say includes every annual edition
from the first volume in the series in 1944 through 2004. I
have to say that the series began to noticeably deteriorate over the
past decade. The books appeared later and later (the 2003-2004
season did not see print until 2005). The photography, once a
highlight of the series, was of poor quality and photos were often
re-used from one season to the next. Even the data seemed to
get short shrift with empty pages and useless white space.
Well, I am thrilled to report that the newest volume of Theatre World, hot off the press from Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, is the best to come in years. Longtime TW editor John Willis (now listed as Editor Emeritus) has passed the torch to Ben Hodges, and the improvements the fresh blood has brought to this invaluable series are notable. Hodges starts the 65th edition off with a return to an editorial introduction and "Broadway roundup" that has been noticeably missing since the late 1990's. The new editor makes it clear that he is not a critic, and that's fine with me since there are enough of us out there who are proud to wear that hat. But a season overview places the collection of photography, data and production credits in a proper perspective and is most welcome.
The book has a fresh look with a much more readable and aesthetically pleasing typeface, a total of 480 pages filled with excellent photos and all the relevant details, cast replacements and even a much appreciated plot summary to document the theatrical season. Bravo, Mr. Hodges! While many of the photos continue to be published in beautiful black and white, there are 17 full color plates that truly makes the Broadway theatre season jump to life before our eyes. And Hodges gives ample attention not only to Broadway, but Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway and a healthy glimpse at the professional regional scene, including Chicago's own Goodman and Steppenwolf Theatres. There are also complete listings of awards and longest running show records.
2008-2009 might be called the season of the stars, as Theatre World documents the stage performances of Will Ferrell, Matthew Broderick, Haley Joel Osment, John Leguizamo, John Lithgow, Stockard Channing, Joan Allen, Jeremy Irons, Frank Langella, Daniel Radcliffe, Jeff Daniels, Liza Minnelli, Angela Lansbury, Rupert Everett, David Hyde Pierce and Nathan Lane, among notable celebrity appearances on Broadway. Theatre World's always commendable Obituary section pays final tribute to such late greats as Paul Newman, Natasha Richardson, Eartha Kitt, Harold Pinter, Bea Arthur, Horton Foote, Dody Goodman, Eileen Herlie, Pat Hingle, Van Johnson, Robert Prosky, Gerald Schoenfeld and Ron Silver among others who took their final bows between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009.
One item that has been missing for too long and which I hope this fine young editor will consider restoring to future volumes is the section on Touring Companies. There are many people across the country whose only connection to Broadway is the visits of National tour and Bus and Truck companies that bring replicas of most hit shows to their home towns. Broadway in Chicago is a prime and prosperous example of this, and since the touring casts are invariably different from their New York counterparts, they deserve a place in the TW annals. For that matter, the burgeoning regional theatre movement surely deserves its own seasonal book. Chicago theatres could certainly support such a book, so how about some enterprising editor and publisher get cracking on it! Until that happens, though, I am pleased to recommend the newest (and most timely) edition of Theatre World for every devoted theatre lover and reader's library shelf.
I
am obliged to admit that there may be as many people out there who
value film as much as I value theatre, and for them I am happy to
recommend the companion book, Screen World. The same
exceptional publishing, editorial and photographic standards of the
65th annual Theatre World are also apparent in Volume 60 of Screen
World, which compiles all the notable films of 2008. Editor
Barry Monush offers an attractive and lavish record of every
significant American and foreign film released in the United
States. The current Screen World opens with an illustrated
tribute to the incomparable Angela Lansbury, whose acting career has
traversed the mediums of stage, screen and television. Her film
bibliography ranges from 1944 with her Academy Award nominated
"Gaslight" right up through 2009's "The Boys: The
Sherman Brothers' Story".
Among the full color highlights are the late Heath Ledger as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," Edward Norton in "The Incredible Hulk," Harrison Ford in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," Josh Brolin in "Lionsgate," Tom Cruise in "Valkyrie," the celluloid adaptations of "Frost/Nixon" and "Mamma Mia" and Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson and a crew of adorable canine co-stars in "Marley and Me". The films are indexed by Domestic and Foreign Release, with Promising New Actors, Academy Award winners and nominees, Top Box Office stars and film, and a very easy to find biographical data listing in case you want to know Gwyneth Paltrow's birth date and location. If you're a Chicago loyalist, you can look up how many big film stars of the year had their beginnings right here in the Windy City. Many of the Obit's are consistent with Theatre World, but with actors who rarely made the crossover from screen to stage. If you love movies, you can easily find yourself getting lost in all the information and data. Find these and many other great books from Applause Theatre & Cinema Books at www.applausepub.com.
About Joe Stead
Joe
Stead has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the theatre, which has
involved acting, directing, producing, designing and reviewing for
the past twenty-five years. He served as founder, producer and
Artistic Director of Curtain Up Productions in Baltimore, Maryland
and Four Star Players in Tampa, Florida. Favorite productions
have included "Life With Father," "Deathtrap,"
"The Odd Couple," "The Miracle Worker,"
"Brighton Beach Memoirs," "You're A Good Man, Charlie
Brown" and "Godspell". He has also performed
leading roles in "Fiddler on the Roof," "Pippin,"
"The Phantom of the Opera," "The Front Page," and
most recently as Hucklebee in "The Fantasticks" for
Waukegan Community Players. Joe holds a degree in Commercial
Art from Tampa Technical Institute. As a critic, he has
reviewed everything from Broadway to community theatre and major
regional theatres throughout the United States including the Kennedy
Center in Washington, D.C., Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey,
Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and the Asolo Theatre in
Sarasota, Florida.
Since 1998, he has been a proud resident of Chicago, the greatest theatre city in America. He served for two years as Theatre Editor for College News and Central Newspapers. He created the website Steadstyle Chicago in 2000 to showcase the city's outstanding and diverse theatre scene. Joe was proud to serve alongside a distinguished panel of theatre professionals as a judge for two seasons of Speaking Ring Theatre's "Vitality" Festival of original short plays. His most fulfilling role, in addition to reviewer and all-around theatre fanatic, was as director of the 2007 production of Peter Shaffer's "Equus" at Actors Workshop (now Redtwist) Theatre, which was nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Award Citations and won for Best Actor (Peter Oyloe).