Description
Book SynopsisChris Jones is the longtime chief theater critic and Sunday culture columnist of the
Chicago Tribune, where he has been on staff since 2002. Throughout the 1990s, he covered Broadway and its tours for
Variety. He is author of
Bigger, Brighter, Louder: 150 Years of Chicago Theater (2013) and his work has appeared often in the
New York Times,
Washington Post,
Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. Jones read Drama at the University of Hull, UK, and has a PhD from The Ohio State University. In 2011, Jones was named by
American Theater magazine as one of the most influential theater critics in America. In 2014, he became the director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Critics Institute in Waterford, Connecticut. Jones is a winner of the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism, the most prestigious honour for drama critics in the United States.
Trade ReviewFrom Angels in America to Hamilton, so many Broadway shows have made important statements to their audiences, causing them to examine the reality of their lives. Chris Jones has written a wonderful history of that era that is extremely well-researched. His writing is lively and crisp, and his stories are well-told and entertaining. Anyone who loves theatre or cultural history or social commentary will love this book. This book deserves broad readership beyond those groups by anyone interested in our society today. * Manhattan Book Review *
There is much to be praised, and so often the details are beautifully stated in the author’s clean, accessible voice ... Jones’ prowess as a critic is on great display here; shows you’ve never seen come startlingly alive on the page, their essence boiled down, their heart and soul expertly explained. What shines through most is Jones as a giddy chronicler of ideas and a lover of the theater, eager to draw the line from his own knowledge of the art form to what is happening offstage. * Third Coast Review *
In his new book, “Rise Up! Broadway and American Society from ‘Angels in America’ to ‘Hamilton,’” Chris Jones … has chronicled the era in a singularly creative way, bringing to bear his prodigious gift for tapping into the nexus of artistic innovation, the business of show business, new forms of audience engagement, and (as the book’s title so clearly proclaims), the political fevers that can emerge during a given period of history … Whether you booed or applauded for all or some of the many plays and musicals discussed in “Rise Up!” there is no denying that Jones has vividly caught the unsettled spirit of the times in which they came to the stage. And given the wildly melodramatic nature of our current moment on this planet he leaves you wondering just where the theater might be headed over the course of the next 25 years. * Hedy Weiss, WTTW *
Chris Jones [writes] cogently and intelligently in a fashion that is easy to read and understand. In fact, this is a real page turner. * British Theatre Guide *
A vivid compelling read that will form an important part of any Broadway-lover's bookshelf * Matt Wolf, theatre critic *
Some critics get it right, some critics get it wrong, but Chris Jones is one of the only critics who consistently reviews all shows trying to be helpful to its creators so they can put right what is wrong. Chris brings his formidable analytical skills to examining the theatrical tissue and political discourse that has led to the spectacular rebirth of the American play and musical on Broadway. A hugely informative resume of the rise up over the last 25 years of the American theatre from “Angels in America” to “Hamilton”. It puts you into the room as it happened. * Cameron Mackintosh, theatrical producer *
Table of Contents1. 1993: An Angel Lands 2. 1994: The Committed Solo Voice Emerges 3. 1996: Paying Rent 4. 1997:
The Lion King, the Exotic Narrative and the Return of the Family to the Theater 5. 1999: The Short-order Cook with the Moral Conscience and the Epic Idea 6. 2001 Mythic Healing for a Nation in Pain 7. 2002:
Urinetown,
Spamalot and the Rise of the Meta 8. 2002: Edward Albee Roars Again and Brings on Others 9. 2007: American Familial Tragedy, Recalibrated for the Now 10. 2010: American Idiocy, the Musical Collage and America Walking Together 11. 2011: Bloody, Bloody, Self-Awareness 12. 2011:
Spider-Man, the End of Auteurism and the Great Over-reach 13. 2014: The Lorraine Hansberry Renaissance, Broadway Finds Itself at One with the Obama Administration, and Hope Emerges 14. 2015:
Hamilton, the Game-changer, Only It Wasn’t Ever Really a Game Bibliography Index
