Description
Book SynopsisManhattanites have always had a disdain for the rearview mirror. That's where trends begin, and the citizens of Gotham are concerned with the here and now rather than the then and there. Yet Manhattan's history is rich, filled with personalities who helped create the modern theater and made Broadway the center of show business-a distinction it still holds. The Voodoo That They Did So Well takes an endearing look at some of these giants. Stefan Kanfer writes about Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, and Stephen Sondheim, and considers the shining stars of New York's vibrant Yiddish theater, the colorful personalities who starred in two-a-day vaudeville, and the astonishing life of Lorenzo Da Ponte, a Renaissance man if ever there was one (Mozart's most brilliant collaborator landed in Manhattan after dazzling Europe, and wound up selling groceries and teaching Italian at Columbia University). Richard Rodgers's first song hit was "Manhattan," with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. The chorus read: "The great big city's a wondrous toy / Just made for a girl and boy / We'll turn Manhattan / Into an isle of joy." Manhattan remains an isle of joy in large part because of the men and women who led the way, and whose lives and art animate every page of this delightful gavotte.
Trade ReviewI'm behind anybody 100% who quotes Cole Porter. And by the way, what a writer Kanfer is! I'm thinking seriously of trusting him wth my life. -- Elaine Stritch, former Broadway diva
...celebrates past and present theater notables who made Broadway the heart of showbiz. * Publishers Weekly *
Entertainingly rendered examination....a marvelous writer....Lots of good stuff packed into a tight little book. * Blue Ridge Business Journal *
Mr. Kanfer's essays...are filled with such piquant biographical detail. -- Erich Eichman * The Wall Street Journal *
An outstanding, lively history, this will appeal to any collection strong in Broadway history and analysis. * Internet Bookwatch *
This book offers an affectionate glance back at several of the major figures whose work has impacted the development of New York's theatre world into an institution of mythic proportions. * New Theatre Quarterly *
The book is a useful and successful effort to inform the present American public about the giants who legitimized vaudeville and the musical on the New York stage and consequently elsewhere. * Journal of American Culture *
