Another Op'nin, Another Show

Beneath the infectious songs and compelling stories of many of America’s best-loved musicals lies a secret structure of songs carefully crafted to engage and move the audience. Although audiences may not realize it, “I Want” songs, “the tent pole” and “the noise”, to name just a few, are all songs common to many musicals (although it may sound like a circus!) and serve a specific purpose. In his wonderfully entertaining The Secret Life of the American Musical, producer Jack Viertel decodes this secret language and shows how musicals work.

From the swell of the overture to the final curtain call, Viertel deconstructs our most beloved and enduring musicals and shows that in the marriage of story and song, Broadway magic can happen. Viertel puts Gypsy, Oklahoma!, Fiddler on the Roof, Carousel and many others from the Golden Age of musicals under a microscope and shows exactly what works, and what doesn’t. Free with his opinions, generous with trivia, Viertel clearly adores musicals and shares this love with readers.

I can almost guarantee that you’ll want to revisit these great musicals after reading The Secret Life of the American Musical. Your library can get you singing and dancing with our collection of musicals on dvd and original Broadway cast recordings on cd. Or why not download everyone’s favorite ten-dollar Founding Father Hamilton on Hoopla? It may not be Broadway, but you’ll be too busy singing along to care!