No comments about The Hungry Woman: The Hungry Woman: A Mexican Medea <i>and</i> Heart of the Earth: A Popul Vuh Story.

1 comments about Dramaturgy in American Theatre: A Source Book.

1. Dramatury in American Theatre is a rare treasure of information for a dramaturg. Its analysis on American theatre is focused and clear. I don't know what I would have done without this helpful guide.

5 comments about Quivers: A Life.

1. I am a big Howard Stern fan and I just had to read this book. I found it to be enjoyable in the begining (Robin's early life), but I got bored about three quarters way through. The book is written by her, so we miss some outside views on how she really is in her life outside of the studio.
   I found the book a little self serving and you get the impression she thinks very highly of herself.
   I would recommend the book if you get it for a good price on the used self.



2. Forget the website advertising with Negative ratings.
   If you are interested in the show, this is an interesting book.



3. I read this book a few years ago and it has stuck with me ever since.
   
   Truth be told, I was only interested in Robin Quivers because she was on Howard Stern's show. She was entertaining in her own right but I was a bit annoyed at her constant agreeing with him (or what I thought was that. If these critics bothered listening to Howard's show, they'd know that she agreed with him about half the time - if that!) and by that laugh.
   
   BUT after reading her autobiography, I came to like her just as much as Howard and developed much respect for her work ethic and her determination to overcome huge obstacles.
   
   Unlike *some* celebrities, who just about make a living from the fact that they were molested as a child, Robin dealt with it and moved on. She proved time and again on Howard's radio show (as well as on TV and the few videos that Howard made over the years) that she could have people joke about it and she took the teasing like a champ.
   
   Robin's and Howard's paths zigzagged towards each other and they've been inseparable ever since. (And, according to her, she was tricked into the military and when she wanted to get out of it, she realized she couldn't - not without being dishonorably discharged. It's the only reason why she served.)
   
   Robin fought against some pretty bad odds, got her priorities straight and has been on the right track ever since.



4. After hearing Howard Stern play a few snippets from the audiobook edition of co-host Robin Quiver's autobiography on his radio show a little while back, I knew I hadda give the whole shebang a listen. When I finally did take a listen, I was a bit bummed by Robin's unusually unemotional reading of her life's story. Fortunately, the harrowing ordeals and trials she went through in life-- from coping with parental abuse and neglect as a kid, to toughing out a nightmarish stint in the U.S. Air Force, to an enlightening membership in a cult-like outfit, to a rarely-ever-dull working relationship with the man who would be the King of All Media, to battles of will against insufferable coworkers-- were quite compelling, and for the most part took my mind off of her less-than-rousing recitations.
   
   But even though I received a fair amount of enjoyment listening to this audio presentation, I think Robin missed a golden opportunity to make this into one of the funniest audiobooks of all time! I can just see it: Jackie Martling does the reading in his "snooty royalty Robin" voice (along with his "Kingfish" impression as Robin's ham-handed dad), while Fred Norris works the goofy sound effects carts and plays the "Robin's News" theme at just the right moments. Tell me that wouldn't have been a hoot...
   
   `Late



5. this book was incredible for me to read and really changed my life. i related to so manyu of the things that Robin went through even though i am neither female, black or in her age group. Robin is an extremely intelligent woman who overcame a lot of BS to get to where she is. i highly reccomend this book.

2 comments about Song of the Outcasts: An Introduction to Flamenco Hardcover with CD.

1. The combination of book and CD gives the student of Flamenco an excellent introduction to this artform. The CD covers a wide variety of categories and interpretations of the music born of unique roots and influences. The book not only describes the history of Flamenco songs, dance and personalities, but details the musicology. By setting the artform in its social, political, economic, geographic, religious and psychological context, the selections on the cd take the listener to a deeper understanding of a rare (and becoming rarer) expression of the human spirit.
   
   I enjoy this product very much and have shared it with others.



2. Finally, a book written in English that I can praise to my dance students! Without being too technical, Robin Totten explores this mysterious subject with humor and honor. The last people to write about Dance and Music this way were Ted Shawn and Lincoln Kirsten! This book is a World of fun and information and a loving tribute, without being preachy or dull! The CD is such a wonderful bonus!

2 comments about Costume Craftwork on a Budget: Clothing, 3-D Makeup, Wigs, Millinery & Accessories.

1. This is a particularly good supplementary reference for those who have Sylvia Moss' brilliant textbook, Costumes and Chemistry: A Comprehensive Guide to Materials and Applications, which is invaluable for the safety information and product analyses alone, but also features tons of great information at the end following step-by-step processes for creation of high-end Vegas showgirl costumes, Broadway effects, etc. Moss' projects are generally big-budget ones (quite useful to read about but beyond the range of most regional and university theatres' budgets), whereas Tan Huaixiang's book illustrates ways of creating elaborate effects, but offers creative ways of using cheap, easily obtained materials to achieve complicated "fantastical" costume looks.
   
   For my own use, i'm on the fence about using it as a text for my crafts artisanship classes because it seems to be aimed toward designers who primarily work jobs where there's no crafts artisan and do their own crafts, and our program is fairly specific in its focus--top level Costume Production. There's no design track for graduate students at all, so the designer-centricity of the text isn't relevant. There's also a HUGE middle section on millinery and headdress-making that's not really my speed--i'm satisfied teaching my millinery course from Denise Dreher's From the Neck Up: An Illustrated Guide to Hatmaking and Tim Dial's Basic Millinery for the Stage. I do think it's pretty exciting for its masks and prosthetics section; there's not really a good up-to-date text on mask making specifically for theatre (Thurston James' The Prop Builder's Mask-Making Handbook is from the early 1990s, out of print now, and lacking in the safety precautions area.). I intend to keep it in my shop library--many of the projects are very inspiring--and if you are a designer who typically does a lot of your own craftwork, you probably want to check it out!



2. This book jumps right in with instructions to make a full head casting with an alginate negative and finishing with your ultracal 30 positive. She uses this positive to make masks and prosthesis, from foam, and latex. She refers to this as 3-D make-up. Her mask section uses the same head casting to start, but explores different materials from flexible foam sheets (varaform) to decopage.
   She covers wigs with the same step by step detailed procedures. She uses plenty of photo's, and drawings so her instructions are very clear and easy to follow. A beginner will be able to make a wig, whether full or half bald with no problems.
   Her other topic with wonderful detail is millinery. Her hats are beautiful and made from everything! She also covers headresses, with a wonderful section on creating animal heads starting with the wire formature and tieing the foam sheets to achieve different shapes, such as eyelids, ears, mouth parts.
   
   As far as the clothing aspect is concerned, she only touches on it briefly. Her ideas are good but I would recommend other sources.
   
   I believe the title and cover of the book are misleading. I actually bought it for ideas to alter existing costume stock into period pieces. However, I don't think there's another book out there which covers masks, wigs, and headresses with nearly the detail and precision that this one does. This book is a 'stand alone' for costuming from the neck up.

5 comments about Jekyll and Hyde The Musical - Vocal Selections.

1. I recently purchased this book for my daughter. She loves it. Shipment was timely and arrived in perfect shape.



2. This a great vocal selections book for any Broadway enthusiast. I love the music from this show. This book is highly reccommended to anyone who loves to sing or play music from Broadway!



3. I love to play piano, and i love this muscials piano pieces, so i was surprised to find this piano book from Amazon so cheap! For so much. Good job, Amazon! ps... it got here amazingly fast.



4. I am 16 years old, and I absolutely adore this show (actually, anything that Frank Wildhorn writes and Linda Eder sings is ok by me!). I bought the book a while ago, and it was well worth it. My only complaint is that they do not write in the harmonies for the duets, but if one knows the song well enough, can read music, and has a piano, it is fairly easy to write them in. My friend and I are planning to do "In His Eyes" for our voice teacher's next master class - it's going to be excellent!
   
   All in all, a great book of a great show!



5. I love Jekyll and Hyde, don't get me wrong, but this arrangement was terrible!
   I'm sorry but I was expecting a bit better. Though I am very glad to have this music, I felt like all the arranger did was put some (broken) chords in the left hand and reprint the melody the vocalist is alread singing in the right hand.
   Duet CHaracters are missing and the arrangement of In His Eyes is screwed BIG TIME! I wanted to do this piece but had to resort to the Singer's Anthology, (which by the way in the third soprano volume, has a spectacular arrangement for this song. The third tenor book also does justice to the awesome "ALIVE!") Also It is missing notes, such as the high "F" Lucy hits is brought down to a "D" and the final note is a "Bb". What's up with that? (The singer's anthology does not have the duet part, but makes it incredibly easy to figure it out, plus it has awesome countermelodies, the way an accompaniment is SUPPOSED to sound.
   Overall, I'm glad I have the music, but I feel like I'm playing my Disney beginner's book with all the usually big notes shrunk for the purpose of ridding itself of the title "EASY PIANO". Since there's nothing else out there I know of with some of these arrangements, I suppose this will have to make due.

2 comments about Ballet for Dummies.

1. I like this book.This book is what I was looking for.It covers all basics with a very simple description and you don`t have to dig for the further explanation somwhere else.Author do not assume that every person in the world knows at least 1% of ballet terminology.
   Thanks a lot for this book!This is what I was looking for



2. This is absolutely the perfect book for someone wanting to learn (or learn about) ballet. I have seen the other ballet books out there. Most of them are either too simplistic (showing pictures of various pretty moves without telling you how to do them) or too abstract. This book strikes the ideal balance. It is practical and thorough. It doesn't assume any prior experience in ballet, but goes from square 1 to a quite advanced level. It takes you through the same logical sequence of moves that all dancers learn. It offers tons of tips and inside information that only ballet dancers know. It's very well written and easy to read. The expert authors are knowledgeable, patient, and VERY FUNNY. (A laugh on every page -- I didn't expect that added bonus.). And it has what seems like about a million beautiful photographs illustrating each move in great detail. I can't say enough great things about this book. It's the book I've been waiting for. Buy it!

5 comments about Dream Lovers: The Magnificent Shattered Lives of Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee - by Their Son Dodd Darin.

1. Reading this book made me realize how malignant a place Hollywood is to a black widow -who eat and abuse their young- this is the mother of Sandra Dee. It's amazing her son Dodd-who wrote the book-turned out as normal as he did. Bobbie Darin while talented was a self absorbed narcissist-who care nothing for others, but the real tragedy was Sandra Dee. Raised by a mother who was as sick and selfish to literally give her 8 year old daughter to her new husband sexually-for financial profit-and who is may have also slept with her son in law-Bobbie Darin. It is no wonder that Sandra Dee degenerated into the pathetic anorexic falling down drunk. Such a pretty women-such an awful putrid-sordid life. Hollywood...her mother is too often the type of stage mother it attracts and also the projected image of Sandra Dee -the Hollywood manufactured myth was just smoke and mirrors-hiding human misery.



2. It must be so hard for some of the offspring of Stars to front their demons. I do believe these two stars loved greatly but coming from different backgrounds was always going to be difficult.Their working days were completely opposite which had to cause friction. However I have passed this book around for others to enjoy. Unfortunately Sandra's addiction to alcohol would have been difficult for Bobby as he did not like this scene. His problems lay elsewhere. Nonetheless two great talents produced a loving son. Great read.



3. This book is a touching recollection of the glorious, yet shattered lives of Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, the Dream Lovers of the title who were entertainment superstars during the late 50s and 60s. Their son Dodd along with his co-writer Maxine Paetro did a terrific job in telling his family's heartbreaking story by getting input from many of the people closest to his parents. I would also recommend picking up the DVD of Bobby's last TV show in 73 "Mack is Back" along with reading Dream Lovers. They go well together.



4. I read this book cover to cover in a day. From a son's perspective, it was hard to see the progressive decline in his parent's lives through his eyes. Still, I believe it was told with as much objectivity as he could muster. I'm still fascinated with the Darrin/Dee relationship after all these years.



5. Dodd Darin has written a very tragic and truthful story of both of his parents. I felt he captured their inner feelings of joy and of heartbreak. He also wrote of his love for both. I have and would recommend this book to others

1 comments about Communication for the Classroom Teacher (8th Edition).

1. This is the book of lists. It lists countless way s to enhance classroom communication. It is a relatively common sense book with creative names for common concepts. I liked the book, however, it was overpriced for the value.

2 comments about One Act Plays for Acting Students: An Anthology of Short One-Act Plays for One, Two or Three Actors.

1. I am always searching for scenes or short plays for student actors and this gives a great variety of characters and situations with which to work. Some are even good enough to produce in a festival setting. All are very short, which works well in a classroom setting.



2. This anthology of one-act plays has a wide variety of styles and formats. From comedy to drama. Women and men. It is very helpful when trying to research a new character for an audition because the character have a wide range of ages and backgrounds.