
Nothing Like a Dame
Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater
Eddie Shapiro(Editor)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 27. March 2014
Book
Hardback
378 pages
978-0-19-994120-9 (ISBN)
Description
Angela Lansbury faced a serious challenge when she was auditioning for the title role in Mame. "I don't know how to sing except in the role. I never knew how to do exercises and I don't to this day. I just stand up and sing," she recalls looking back over half a lifetime. "But there were several people who helped me build my voice and when it came to Mame, and the songs I got to sing, they were natural for me."
The part was a perfect fit--and it made her a Broadway superstar.
In Nothing Like a Dame, theater journalist Eddie Shapiro opens a jewelry box full of glittering surprises, through in-depth conversations with twenty leading women of Broadway. He carefully selected Tony Award-winning stars who have spent the majority of their careers in theater, leaving aside those who have moved on or occasionally drop back in. The women he interviewed spent endless hours with him, discussing their careers, offering insights into the iconic shows, changes on Broadway over the last century, and the art (and thrill) of taking the stage night after night. Chita Rivera describes the experience of starring in musicals in each of the last seven decades; Audra McDonald gives her thoughts on the work that went into the five Tony Awards she won before turning forty-one; and Carol Channing reflects on how she has revisited the same starring role generation after generation, and its effects on her career. Here too is Sutton Foster, who contemplates her breakout success in an age when stars working exclusively in theater are increasingly rare. Each of these conversations is guided by Shapiro's expert knowledge of these women's careers, Broadway lore, and the details of famous (and infamous) musicals. He also includes dozens of photographs of these players in their best-known roles.
This fascinating collection reveals the artistic genius and human experience of the women who have made Broadway musicals more popular than ever--a must for anyone who loves the theater.
The part was a perfect fit--and it made her a Broadway superstar.
In Nothing Like a Dame, theater journalist Eddie Shapiro opens a jewelry box full of glittering surprises, through in-depth conversations with twenty leading women of Broadway. He carefully selected Tony Award-winning stars who have spent the majority of their careers in theater, leaving aside those who have moved on or occasionally drop back in. The women he interviewed spent endless hours with him, discussing their careers, offering insights into the iconic shows, changes on Broadway over the last century, and the art (and thrill) of taking the stage night after night. Chita Rivera describes the experience of starring in musicals in each of the last seven decades; Audra McDonald gives her thoughts on the work that went into the five Tony Awards she won before turning forty-one; and Carol Channing reflects on how she has revisited the same starring role generation after generation, and its effects on her career. Here too is Sutton Foster, who contemplates her breakout success in an age when stars working exclusively in theater are increasingly rare. Each of these conversations is guided by Shapiro's expert knowledge of these women's careers, Broadway lore, and the details of famous (and infamous) musicals. He also includes dozens of photographs of these players in their best-known roles.
This fascinating collection reveals the artistic genius and human experience of the women who have made Broadway musicals more popular than ever--a must for anyone who loves the theater.
Reviews / Votes
A fascinating and remarkably authentic collection of conversations with theatre aristocracy. * John Kander *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Illustrations
65 photographs
Dimensions
Height: 260 mm
Width: 183 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
905 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-994120-9 (9780199941209)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Eddie Shapiro
Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater
Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater
E-Book
01/2014
1st Edition
Oxford University Press, USA
€7.49
Available for download

Eddie Shapiro
Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater
Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater
E-Book
01/2014
1st Edition
Oxford University Press
€7.49
Available for download
Person
Eddie Shapiro is a freelance writer and theater journalist whose work regularly appears in Out Magazine, Instinct, and Backstage West.
Content
Contents ; Foreword by Elaine Page ; Introduction ; 1. Elaine Stritch ; 2. Carol Channing ; 3. Chita Rivera ; 4. Donna McKechnie ; 5. Angela Lansbury ; 6. Leslie Uggams ; 7. Judy Kaye ; 8. Betty Buckley ; 9. Patti LuPone ; 10. Bebe Neuwirth ; 11. Donna Murphy ; 12. Lillias White ; 13. Karen Ziemba ; 14. Debra Monk ; 15. Victoria Clark ; 16. Audra McDonald ; 17. Kristin Chenoweth ; 18. Idina Menzel ; 19. Sutton Foster ; 20. Laura Benanti ; 21. Tonya Pinkins online on the companion website ; Acknowledgements ; Index