NEW AMSTERDAM, THE: THE BIOGRAPHY OF A BROADWAY THEATER

Customer Reviews:

Nostalgic.......2006-02-25

The New Amsterdam Theatre is amazing. It has been given a new life. This book tells that story. It brings us back to Old New York when there used to be over fifty theatres!! It is a shame that we've let them be destroyed. But this book gives the story of a theatre and a peek into a past that deserves to be remembered.

The New Amsterdam: the Biography of a Broadway Theatre.......2000-06-27

This is the most beautiful book I own. I had been to the New Amsterdam in its most painful days. At this time I saw Mondo Cane and would not sit down it was such a flea bag theatre. It was a historical sight...Ziegfeld Folies et al. I really felt sad as I stood there feeling the greatness that had passed; at the time I felt... forever. Disney has brought the theatre and the feeling back. I witnessed this with my viewing of LION KING. What I felt had been lost forever can be seen in this wonderful book. The pictures before and after make one feel that nothing is impossible. The beauty that had decayed and looked irreversable has been accomplished and this book, and this theatre stand as testaments to what can be accomplished. Anyone who has walked into a theatre and felt the past rekindle will love to read this inspiring book. This book shows the cycle of a wonderful theatre and all that it was and lost and then saved. It symbolizes the rise and fall of 42nd Street as well as one beautiful theatre. This book will for once and for all show what a thetare can be and fall to and rise above. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in Theatres anywhere and what they should symbolize to all of us.

An excellent history of the New Amsterdam Theater.......1999-06-02

This book offers an excellent overview of the New Amsterdam Theater from the beginning through the recent renovation with discussions of the architecture of the building, the decorative artwork and of course a history of shows that have played at the theater from the beginning.

A Book As Beautiful As The New Amsterdam Theatre Itself.......1997-12-11

Do you know a theater buff who deserves the perfect gift this holiday season? Disney's Hyperion has just released the ideal book for anyone who loves the theater: The New Amsterdam: The Biography of a Broadway Theatre.

The book is as striking as New York's famed and recently refurbished New Amsterdam Theatre. Opening from the center to reveal the main stage framed by delicate murals and art nouveau decorations, the book is brimming with pictures. It begins with decades old photographs and sketches that depict the grace and splendor of the theater when it opened in 1903 and concludes with before-and-after pictures demonstrating the care and effort that went into the building's restoration.

This book does not simply tell the story of the rise, fall, and rebirth of the Broadway landmark, it recounts the history of American theater as it passed over the stage of the New Amsterdam. From the Ziegfeld Follies to Fred Astaire to Jack Benny to Disney's recent staging of King David, the New Amsterdam welcomed America's most famous and talented performers. The New Amsterdam: The Biography of a Broadway Theatre makes this history come alive with photos of movie posters, actors, sets, and costumes.

Book Description

A wealth of historical data about 74 of Manhattan's great theatrical houses. Extensive, detailed captions document location, architects, opening date, other data for the Fifth Avenue Theatre (1873), the Hippodrome (1905), the Music Box Theatre (1921), as well as the New Amsterdam, Winter Garden, Ziegfeld, more. Over 200 photos and illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

New York theaters 1873-1932.......2001-12-03

William Morrison's book covers 74 theaters from 1873 to 1932, including those demolished as well as those still standing. Most theaters get two pages of coverage, consisting mostly of b&w photos of both the exterior and interior. The accompanying text emphasizes noteworthy performances. This book is a nice overview of the topic, although I preferred van Hoogstraten's "Lost Broadway Theaters," which gives more information about the interior layouts, but doesn't cover theaters that are still standing.

Great photo tour,suffers from omissions, errors & redundancy.......2000-09-03

This book serves as a great photo album of the many legitimate theatres, which were constructed over the last century in New York. The style of this book is almost identical to Nicholas Van Hoogstraten's LOST BROAWAY THEATRES, which makes me question its necessity (some of the photos are duplicated). However, Morrison's book has some omissions that I feel are inexcusable. Two major theatres are missing: The CENTRAL, Broadway and 47th St and The ASTOR, Broadway and 45th ST, along with several minor ones. Also there are some errors in text such as when Morrison claims the ERLANGER became the ST JAMES in 1951, in fact the name change was decades earlier. Another error occurs when Morrison states the HOLLYWOOD (later HELLINGER) sealed its Broadway entrance in 1934, this actually occurred when the house went "legit" during late 40s. Never mentioned in any of these books is the PICADILLY (later WARNER, where sound movie were introduced in 1926) and COLUMBIA (later MAYFAIR and DEMILLE) Theatres, which started as stage houses but spent most of their existence as movie houses. I do not understand the continued emphasis being placed on NY's Broadway theaters without ever giving the great Times Square movie palaces (ROXY, PARAMOUNT, CAPITOL, etc) their due. Because of their vast size and popularity, the movie palaces, attracted more people to the Times Square area than the legitimate stage can ever hope to. New York's movie palaces were the largest, most expensive and arguably the finest ever built and I feel it's about time their place in Times Square's history is properly acknowledged. BROADWAY THEATRES by William Morrison offers a fine overview of its topic for those who are marginally interested. But for others expecting more insight and accuracy, Morrison's book should only be used as a starting point.

Well-written, comprehensive overview of undercovered subject.......1999-10-26

Ever sat in a Braodway theater and wondered about the history of the place and what shows had played there before? This book tells you. I took it with me on a recent trip to New York and discovered that one of the buildings in which I was doing business (The Hippodrome) was built on the site of the late Hippodrome theatre, where many spectacular productions, including Billy Rose's Jumbo, where staged. Morrison obviously is an expert in both theatrical history and architecture, making his essays on the individual theatres informative and lively. The play is what we go to see, but the house in which it's staged is often critical to a play's success--as Morrison demonstrates on page after page. Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture has made a great addition to my theatrical library.

Average customer rating:

PALACES TO PARKING LOTS
Fascinating!
Fascinating!
A glimpse at a lost era
Pleasant enough, but lacks comprehensive detail

Lost Broadway Theatres
Nicholas van Hoogstraten
Manufacturer: Princeton Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1568981163

Amazon.com

Theaters are more than just buildings, more than giant musical instruments, as some have described them. For regular theatergoers, they're old friends. When a theater disappears, there's a palpable sense of mourning. Updated to 1997, Lost Broadway Theatres recalls, in photos and memories, playhouses from the colossal and opulent American Theatre, now a parking lot, to the cozy Punch and Judy, now the site of an office building. The good news is that several of the houses previously considered doomed but not yet demolished have been restored in the Times Square boom. Lost Broadway Theatres celebrates their return, and pleads on behalf of other hidden beauties whose fate may not yet be sealed.

Book Description

Of the 90 theaters built in the Times Square area since 1888, over half have since been lost through demolition or conversion to other uses, while some barely survive in varying stages of decay. The extensive redevelopment of Times Square by Disney has focused attention on the architectural glories of the Great White Way, as the recent and much-anticipated reopening of the New Amsterdam Theater demonstrates. Princeton Architectural Press is pleased to announce a revised and updated edition of Lost Broadway Theatres, as part of the renewed interest in Broadway.?

?Lost Broadway Theatres is the only definitive, comprehensive history of the New York playhouses of the past. Over fifty theaters, dating from the 1880s to the 1930s, are presented through brief histories and period photographs. Some of the theaters included are the Ziegfeld, the Lyric, Hammerstein's, and the Republic. This new edition includes additional photos and updated historical information on this fascinating piece of New York City's past. Emmy award-winner Nick van Hoogstraten has included two new theaters, the Biltmore and the Mark Hellinger, as well as images of newly restored theaters the New Amsterdam and the New Victory.

Customer Reviews:

PALACES TO PARKING LOTS.......2001-07-07

Anyone interested in the history of American Theatre or the history of New York City, itself, will want to dip into this exhaustive survey of the "lost" theatres of Broadway.

It is also, unfortunately, a history of commerce overtaking art; of pleasure palaces giving way to parking lots because only thirteen of the fifty four theatres in the book still exist.

Here are original, fascinating black and white photographs of theatres many of us have never even heard of, never mind seen:

For example, built expressly for intimate, short plays The Princess on West 39th Street, became the home of the Jerome Kern musicals. Imagine, before vocal amplification, seeing a musical in a theatre with only 299 seats! And Henry Miller's Theatre which does still stand on West 43 Street. It housed musicals, plays and then to keep the doors open, it showed movies, then adult movies and was, most recently, reinvented as a nightclub. Or, Hammerstein's Theatre on Broadway and 53rd Street which was a home to plays, musicals and the Federal Theatre Project WPA, long before it became the studio for Dave Letterman's television show. The pictures show us, also, how the streets looked in those days--what was playing at the theatres and how people dressed, how the cars looked that they drove.

Those are just a few of the facts one can find in this fascinating, informative, entertaining book.

Fascinating!.......2001-02-16

Most students of theatre learn about actors, plays and producers. However, we very rarely learn about the theatres that played such an integral part of the development of Broadway.

"Lost Broadway Theatres" really fills that gap in early 20th-century Theatre History. It includes photos and historical data on the construction, productions and demise of some of the earliest theatres on the Great White Way. Although major theatres such as the Roxy and the Hippodrome are mentioned, the author also pays attention to interesting smaller venues, such as the Punch and Judy Theatre. A few of the theatres mentioned in the book have been restored; others have been altered; however, most no longer exist.

One of the nicest features of this book is the street map on the first two pages, which clearly shows the locations of both the "lost" and current Broadway houses. This definitely gives one a new perspective of the Times Square area: how sad to think that cars are now parked where grand theatres once stood!

Most of the theatres in this book were torn down years before I was born, and have left few monuments behind. It has been wonderful, then, to have the chance to read about them and learn more about the history of Broadway.

Fascinating!.......2001-02-13

Most students of theatre learn about actors, plays and producers. However, we very rarely learn about the theatres that played such an integral part of the development of Broadway.

A glimpse at a lost era.......2000-09-07

When I made my first trip to New York in the late '70s, I ignored the advice of friends and made my way to Times Square and 42nd Street. A number of the theatres listed in this book were still standing, mostly playing porno films, sad reminders of bygone days. It was a sad moment, and I wished I could have seen these houses in their full glory.

Looking through this book allowed me to experience just a little of what some of those theatres looked like when they were among "the" entertainment houses in the country. It also allowed me to take a nostalgic trip back to theatres I had visited during that trip which have now disappeared -- the Helen Hayes, the Morosco and several others -- gone due to neglect, mismanagement, or political deals. There are also some surprises, such as discovering Earl Carroll's theatre ended life as a Woolworth's, with dressing rooms and decorations still intact behind drop ceilings and sealed elevator shafts.

No single volume has the room to deal fully with the scope of this subject, but this volume is an excellent appetizer if the subject interests you. My main quibble? Not enough color photos of the theatres themselves, though I know it is likely none exist for some of the earliest theatres.

Pleasant enough, but lacks comprehensive detail.......1999-10-17

Great pictures, but like all books of this type, it could have used more, particularly some updated shots of what the sites look like today. I would have been more interested in building details like fly systems, layouts, dressing rooms, stage sound and lighting, marquee setups, rehersal spaces. The stories of the people involved were just teasers, forcing the reader to look to outside sources for details. The book includes the addresses of the theaters, but did not include a map, which would have enhanced our visualization of the theater district. All in all, unsatisfying to read... it felt incomplete.

Average customer rating:

On Broadway
Rizzoli
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture

Average customer rating:

Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture
William Morrison
Manufacturer: Dover Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MFHNF8

Book Description

Our fascination with art created from found objects continues to grow-as humanity's domination of nature via the objects it creates increases, bringing an increasing submission to the technologies we use, and as the borders between what does and does not constitute a work of art continue to be scaled. Donald Lipski initially received critical attention for his large-scale installations made from small found and altered objects, such as woven match books, folded dollar bills, and safety pins wrapped with rubber bands or tape. Donald Lipski: A Brief History of Twine documents the first comprehensive survey of his witty and dynamic sculptures and large-scale installations.

Customer Reviews:

This Book is Priceless.......2003-02-27

Mr. Driebe has done beautiful creative work in his compilation of In Search of the Wild Indian. It is packed full of photographs and has enough history and information to provide the reader with a great understanding of the photographer's life work while instilling the desire to want to learn more about these native peoples. The subjects in the photos are uplifting, haunting and expressive. The energy in this book is amazing. I thank Mr. Driebe for this gift -- it is ageless and will continue to take top billing on my coffee table.

WORTH THE PRICE!!.......2001-11-14

Not often am I willing to spend this amount on a book; this one is worth the price. Excellent pictoral, and the details are just wonderful. Portrays Native Americans as no other work has; in detail and with respect!!

Beautifully done!.......1997-11-07

A BEAUTIFUL book and great addition to a home library. This book is about Carl and Grace Moon who had a special connection to the Indians of the southwest, however it is also about the wonderful Native people who inspired them. Many beautiful photos and very in-depth text! These people are still there, I have visited with them often. I hope this book will serve as a wonderful tribute to them.

Book Description

Mack's as big as a house and as mean as a bull elephant. Panda's as pretty as a rose and as deadly as the ebola virus. They're the daddy-daughter, bounty-hunting team known as Body Bags, and this is the story of how they got together!

Jason Pearson's four-issue frenzy is collected in this 104-page trade paperback! If you missed the comics, you won't want to miss the story everybody's talking about

Customer Reviews:

Killing in the name of ..........2001-10-28

I try to keep my reading-selection as divers as possible and sometimes that works out good and sometimes less good, or even pretty bad. In this case it worked out more than satisfying.

Without giving anything vital away, it's about:
A team of two bounty-hunters, nicknamed Clownface (in a hilarious outfit, especially the mask) and Pops, have recently been the target of a hit themselves. One of them was injured and, what's worse, his fiancee got killed during the attack. They want revenge for it but they also need their time to make money. Their financial situation isn't exactly impressing.
To make matters worse, the daughter of Clownface (named Panda) comes knocking on their door after not having seen her father in 10 years. She turns out to have become a smart-mouth and a pain in the butt. AND the wants to join her father and become a bounty-hunter (or like they call it, "bodybagger") herself.

The story itself isn't the most innovating thing you'll ever see, but it's good enough. And what's more important, the book's biggest power is the superb dialoguing (comparible to Brian Michael Bendis', the writer of Ultimate Spiderman and Sam & Twitch among other things). This makes it very humurous without making it a 'funnybook' and keeps it action-packed as well. The art is a bit of a mix between Sam Keith (The Maxx) and Greg Capullo (Spawn), which works out pretty well. A nice extra is that the covers of the original issues are reprinted in the back of they book. Not a 'dealwrapper' but nice-looking nonetheless. Your money's worth.

Great book!.......2000-03-31

This book rocks and I highly recommend it to all comic book fans and anyone who enjoys great artwork. Jason Pearson's story is exciting and his artwork is explosive.

Jason Pearson at his best with superb artwork.......2000-02-25

"Body Bags" collects the mini-series by Jason Pearson, who is rumored to be making a sequel. Anyway, this book features his best artwork and porbably the only collection of just his writing and art talent. The story is action-packed, violent, and at times, funny. I highly recommend this book to comic book fans (in particular the ones that are tired by the mainstream) and sci-fi fans. Anyone looking for a fast, entertaining read could pick this up. It is a generational story of bounty hunters...expect some blood.

Average customer rating:
William T. Porter and the Spirit of the Times (International folklore)
Norris Wilson Yates
Manufacturer: Ayer Co Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Journalism | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Journalists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0405101341

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William T. Porter and the Spirit of the Times: a Study of the Big Bear School of Humor
Norris Wilson Yates
Manufacturer: LSU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WAZGIY

Average customer rating:
William T. Porter and The Spirit of the Times. A Study of the Big Bear
Norris W. YATES
Manufacturer: YATES, Norris W. William T. Porter and the Spirit of the Times. A Study of the Big Bear School of Humor. Original cloth, dust jacket (small tear on spine). Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, [1957]. First edition. A fine copy.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S8R1GU

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