5 comments about Physicists.

1. 
   Friedrich Duerrenmatt appended "21 Points to THE PHYSICISTS," and in Point 14 he insisted that, "A drama about physicists must be paradoxical." His next point stated that, "It cannot have as its goal the content of physics but its effect." Duerrenmatt's 1962 play (which was translated into English from the original German in 1963 and then appeared on Broadway) succeeds most memorably by adhering to these two points (and his other nineteen which are printed in this edition as well).
   
   THE PHYSICISTS features three characters who make claims to being the famed physicists Newton, Einstein and Moebius. These three toddle into the action as unpredictably as individual gas molecules move in a heated, sealed container as the play utilizes bizarre happenings in an old section of a sanitarium to examine the potential destructive power of physics (and by extension, all branches of science) and the moral and ethical dilemmas arising from that. Plot twists and turns abound as the main characters -- and some minor ones -- change like chameleons and the contexual frame of reference is turned repeatedly on its head.
   
   THE PHYSICISTS will soon reach the half-century mark, but its themes continue to be relevant as twenty-first century scientists and the public at large confront an ever widening arena of scientific "advances" that could conceivably unleash immense, even catastrophic, repercussions. As Duerrenmatt says in Point 19, "Within the paradoxical appears reality." Within the play, one can see truths for our times.
   
   Anyone who has seen or read the more recent plays COPENHAGEN or PROOF will probably find THE PHYSICISTS a great read.



2. Three physicists have been confined to a very expensive posh mental institution, Les Cerisiers. Herbert George Beutler says he is Isaac Newton, but he knows that he is really Einstein. He adopted the guise of Newton to avoid upsetting another patient, Ernst Heinrich Ernesti, who claims he is Einstein. The third, Johann Wilhelm Mobius is himself. As a long term patient, he enjoys frequent visions of King Solomon.

   I had the great fortune of knowing little about the plot. I was continuously entertained by the playful unraveling of a murder mystery. I urge you to avoid learning more. The imagination of Durrenmatt is quite remarkable. He weaves an entertainingly unpredictable story.

   This short play warrants reading more than once, even more than twice, as the Swiss playwright Friedrich Durrenmatt not only entertains us, but explores fundamental questions regarding the role of science in modern society. The Physicists was written in 1962 when the world faced the possibility of nuclear war at any moment. The Physicists has been produced at the London Royal Court Theatre, on Broadway, and by many university theatre departments. I intend to become acquainted with the plays of Friedrich Durrenmatt.




3. I originally read this play some time ago while studying German in college and it is one of the few works from those years that has "stuck with me". In fact I still have the German language edition that I used at that time.
   As other reviewers have said, one of the central themes of this work is the degree of responsibility that scientists have to humanity or something called "the public". Having worked for over twenty years now as a nuclear scientist, I can definitely say that at times the desire for knowledge can override the consideration of all the possible uses of a given technology. The question them becomes, can an idea be "unthought"? This secondary theme of the book is intertwined with the theory of the inevitability of ideas at a given time and place.
   The translation by Kirkup is quite good as compared to the original German version that I have. Though the expository style (some very long dialogs) may be a bit daunting at times, stick with it. This play is a philosophical discussion, not a Hollywood action film.



4. I want all of you to read this play. It is weird butfascinating, surprising and just brilliant. Get to know Germanliterature at one of its best!



5. Durrenmatt's play provides an excellent and thought-provoking critique on the role of modern science and technology in human affairs. Is science responsible to humanity? If we deem specific knowledge "harmful", how can we hope to prevent its discovery? If the knowledge does exist, how do we prevent its misuse? This is a play that is incredibly relevant in an age plagued with similar issues in genetic engineering and cloning. I'd highly recommend the German translation.

3 comments about The Harold Arlen Songbook.

1. Musical theater daughter in college has this songbook and really liked some of the songs--some very popular songs and others unknown gems which are great for auditions. We had to give this as gifts to several voice teachers--after she had shared the songbook, they really wanted a copy to share with their own voice students. Most popular song by this musical theater and movie composer: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"...Check out his other songs!



2. This is a wonderful anthology of Harold Arlen songs. Since he wrote over 400 songs, it's impossible to include them all, but the best are definitely represented here. If you want to learn an Arlen song, this is the source.



3. Even if he never wrote anything else, Harold Arlen earned a stellar position in the Great American Songbook for writing "Over the Rainbow", as well as the other songs from "The Wizard of Oz". But he wrote so many more wonderful songs, ranging from the happiest and most light-hearted melodies to songs of nearly-operatic power. Sopranos, in particular, should look at this collection, which contains "Blues in the Night", "I Had Myself a True Love", and "I Wonder What Became of Me". The arrangements in this book are quite full, although a professional accompanist could make more of them, and the keys are singable. It is one of the staples of my popular music library. Harold Arlen's work is often associated with Judy Garland, but I think Eileen Farrell is actually the absolute best interpreter of his songs. Look for her CDs titled "Eileen Farrell Sings Harold Arlen" and "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues". They will blow you away, and maybe change your perception of what great singing can be.

5 comments about The Craft and Business of Songwriting (2nd Edition).

1. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to write a hit song? Perhaps you have asked yourself why do some songs become commercial successes while others end up in the dustbin?

   Journalist, talk show host, teacher and consultant, John Braheny, provides us with the answers to these queries as well as many other topics in his blue-ribbon manual The Craft and Business of Songwriting-Second Edition.

   Braheny was one of the founders, along with Len Chandler, of the Los Angles Songwriters Showcase. For 15 years he was intimately involved with this national non-profit organization that was dedicated to creating opportunities for discovering aspiring songwriters. As a result of this relationship, he accumulated an exceptional amount of knowledge pertaining to the business and craft of song writing. The reader is fortunate to have all of this information neatly wrapped up in a compact manual that is split into two main sections, the craft of writing songs and the business of selling and marketing songs.

   Within the section dealing with the craft the author delves into such topics as creativity, inspiration, subject matter, media, listeners, lyric writing, song construction and possible collaboration with other writers. Naturally we would probably be sceptical of a book that purports to teach us how to write a song. Some would say you are born to write a song, others would disagree and say it is possible to be taught the craft. Braheny believes that you can't be taught inspiration or imagination. However, you can be taught ways to get in touch with what you have to say and how to communicate it effectively. Using this premise as a base, the book provides us with the tools that will perhaps uncover our hidden talents.

   The second half of the book deals with the business features of song writing and as the author states, "writing a great song is only part of being a successful songwriter. Unsung thousands possess the talent and craft to write great songs, but without understanding the business and knowing how to protect your creations and get them heard by those who can make them successful, those songs are like orphans." Perhaps we should refer to the second half as the entrepreneurial skills needed to sell, promote and market your songs. Within this section we are introduced to such topics as protecting your songs, securing money, publishing, self- publishing, demos, marketing, Internet and record deals.

   The appendix of the book provides the reader with a very comprehensive listing of songwriters' resources containing names, addresses, phone numbers, web sites and general descriptions of the various references. No doubt this inclusion will save anyone who aspires to be a songwriter a great deal of time and effort.

   After reading the book are you guaranteed that you will be successful songwriter? Probably not. Unfortunately, we don't have a crystal ball indicating who will succeed and who will fail. However, at least after reading and being exposed to the elements of song writing, you will have a better understanding as to how the music industry works in relation to the songwriter, or writer/performer. As the author asserts in his introduction, "it will demystify and humanize what can often feel to a newcomer like a cold, monolithic, and impersonal industry."

   The above review first appeared on the reviewer's own site




2. So what if words and music come natural? We write the stuff down, add a tune and sing it to the world. Then what? This book, The Craft and Business of Songwriting, is a very affordable reference; and probably all you need.I'm happy it contains material that will make me wiser.Buy this or you'll miss out.



3. The first Edition of the book, was a must read, now this 2nd Edition, updated with new information and current song references, is also a must read for everyone that writes songs. The most complete songwriting book, for beginning songwriters to the aspiring, to even pro writers will learn from the book. I often refer to it as "The Songwriters Bible", just full of information that we need in the world of songwriting.
   I have been a Nashville Songwriters Association International coordinator in Charlotte for (6) years, and do at least one activity or read a quote from a hit writer or music professional in the book at every meeting. This book is years of songwriting seminars and workshops all in one. The reader will learn just like the title says, the craft and business from someone who knows what they are talking about, and has led workshops for some of the best songwriters of all time, including the awesome Diane Warren and several other hit writers. John Braheny made a difference with hit writers, with myself, and other songwriters that I have recommended the book to in the past 14+ years of reading the first edition, and now the 2nd edition. I recomend this as the very first book for every songwriter to read and study. If you know someone who writes songs, buy the book for them, and a copy for yourself. Buy a highlighter or two, to use when reading the book. ...Doak Turner
   ...



4. One of my most basic problems when starting off as a songwriter, was the lack of background and knowledge on how to approach a new song. I am talking about your basic strategies and how to structure them into a final product. Where does one begin, what do you need to take into account, what to do first, how to approach rhyme, basic tips about melody, chords etc. I found this book to answer these type of questions in a simple and interesting way.

   The author is obviously a specialist with a very good track record. He taught me how to analyse existing songs to expand my knowledge. No more do I just listen to music, I learnt the skill to expand my songwriting knowledge whilst listening to other songs on the radio or on CD.

   I have learnt how to decide on a basic structure, how to approach the most important issue of finding a "hook" for your song and refining it to something useful. I have discovered that it is O.K. to rewrite songs, but I have learnt how to approach it. This book has taught me how to make songs more interesting and it has made songwriting a more interesting hobby for me.

   I think the most important lesson from this book is how to grow from a songwriter that tries to express his/her own feelings to himself/herself and a few close friends, to someone who can express his deepest feelings in such a way that his song could be loved by millions and could become a commercial success. It also contain an abundace of valuable information on the industry and how to promote your music.

   If I did not read this book I would have missed something for sure. If you are serious about songwriting you cannot go without this book.




5. Although this book isn't as comprehensive as others in the songwriting department, it presents information in a very concise and interesting format. It also has a comprehensive section (half the book) on the BUSINESS. It's a quick, easy read and definitely worth the price. But if you want to get serious about songwriting, you'll also need a book with more theory such as WRITING MUSIC FOR HIT SONGS.

2 comments about Following the Flame.

1. Wasn't sure whether to give this novel a 4 or a 5. It was very well written, yet at times seemed a bit long and the split times--hundreds of them it seemed--while authentic, gave me a headache. I at times felt sorry for Lagenslacker and angry at him for wasting his life, but then isn't that what a good book does: it pulls you deeply inside and makes things seem so real you become lost in it's world.
   
   The one tiny complaint is the author kept saying Pre's trails, but all the various paths near Autzen stadium are known as Pre's trail. It consists of many loops but are considered all part of the same long trail.
   (I live within 1 mile of this trail and run very slowly on it 3 times a week.)
   
   The many passages dedicated to Prefontaine only strengthen this book. The Sport's Illustrated pic of Pre was a very nice touch. All the funny uses of Langen(fill in the blank)'s later part of his last name added humor to this novel.
   
   If this isn't the best running fiction i've ever read, it comes close...



2. I almost had to quit reading this in bed at night. The way Lautenslager writes is so vivid that I felt I was running in the races he describes. It was almost too much at times, but I couldn't quit! And when my heart wasn't thumping, I was laughing out loud--a lot of it was really funny--which kept waking my husband up. He couldn't wait for me to finish the book and I hated for it to end.
   
   The author obviously writes from personal experience. This book feels very true to life--even with some of the improbably named characters. It is a very rich, very engrossing, very funny read. I hope this guy keeps writing. I would love to find out what happened after that final page.

5 comments about The Ultimate Improv Book: A Complete Guide to Comedy Improvisation.

1. This is the best improvisation book I have come across because it actually has instruction and rules about improvisation. It's not just a list of improv situations and games - it's a real "how-to" and "why" and "what appeals to an audience" book. I teach improvisation and even though other books are great resources, this one is a front runner just because of its instruction aspect of the whole concept of Improvisation.



2. ANYONE and EVERYONE involved with the Canadian improv games should own this book. Teams who are just starting out, teachers who are thinking of starting a team, and players who have been improvising for years can all benefit from the information. Great skill-developing games, lists of characteristics, genres, and so on to help teams practise, and conprehensive descriptions of each game. Outlines dos and don't of improv. I love this book more than life itself.



3. If you are interested in becoming a "player" or coach with an improv team or troupe - this book is all you will ever need. It is organized for easy action and understanding. It is almost always hands-on, explains each technique with real-life examples and never misses the mark. It is like buying a teacher's manual and includes an awesome training schedule and system for whipping any group into a great improv team. I highly recommend this book. I have used it to take 2 teams to the Canadian Improv Games national finals in Ottawa! Buy it!



4. I had thought that this book would be a good guide for beginner or experience improvisors to improve their skills; however the book is written with advice on how to start an improv team at a high school and has a great deal of focus on competiting in the Canadian Improv Games (two areas i was just not intersted in). The chapters are very short and try to drop in every improv term without going into depth on any. The book does have a nice list of exercises and suggestions at the end, but many again focus on performating them with younger improvisors and some descriptions weren't complete enough to attempt to use them.

   This book would probably be most helpful to someone who is already very familiar with improv and who wants to teach it to high school students. But for the sake of those you are teaching, seek out more complete references like those by Viola Spolin.




5. Edward Nevraumont and Nicholas Hanson's Ultimate Improv Book provides a complete curriculum in 24 class-length units, covering the basics of improvisational skills, comedy basics, and improv work. Games and skits lend to honing skills as well as putting on productions.

2 comments about The New York Agent Book: How to Get the Agent You Need for the Career You Want (New York Agent Book).

1. K Callan has produced a series of entertaining, common sense, well-researched books on the acting industry and this is definitely one of them. Full of quotes from agents across New York, it contains insights and suggestions into likes and dislikes of agents, tips on how to get an agent to pay attention, what to look for in an agent and much more. If you're starting your agent search or looking for new representation, it's worth a look.



2. ok, i am having trouble getting an agent but this book helped, it specified what an agent does, and what agent you want depending on your career choice. this book seemed to be mostly acting oriented but it had some good info for models too. the one thing i didn't find helpful about this book was that it didn't specify what each particular agency was looking for. it only talked about who started the agency and their background. this book can point people in the right direction for getting into the business but it can't really get you an agent.

5 comments about Secrets of Voice-Over Success: Top Voice-Over Actors Reveal How They Did It.

1. Like a good song that make you get up and move, this book is pure inspiration! The stories are told in a way that gives you the experience of discovering the truth of your own heart. I appreciate the contributors' honest accounts of their setbacks, and discomforts. I also wanted to know what the professionals learned on their way to reaching the pinnacle of their success. Most of all, it delivers a powerful message of having the nerve to turn out the odds. It stimulated my conscience in a way that even my understanding of passion elevated to another level.
   
   Even though I'm not a voice over actor, I'm still an actor who audition on a regular basis. The principles are the same and I've had to refer to the lessons more than a few times. Needless to say, this book has served me very well. I applied the lessons to my line of work and have gotten amazing results.
   
   It is your soul that will find food here. Unless you put the suggestions to practice, the secrets will pass you by leaving you once again with frustration and doubt. In other words, this book will point you into the direction of your hearts' desire. If you follow your heart, "Secrets" will find and move you in some way. Only when ready to receive new information will your thirst for knowledge and a new point of view expand. After reading, I asked myself, do I dare? The stories in this book tells me the answer is a question of courage and effort; a question of desire. We either love/enjoy our labor or not. It's for each of us to decide.
   
   Certainly, you'll get a second wind after reading this gem of a book called, Secrets of Voice Over Success.
   
   
   
   Joan:
   You and the other contributors' courage have encouraged me. If just one soul is empowered, that's valid enough. And, you've even managed to find a creative way to enlarge the vision of humanity by contributing to a good cause such as the Alzheimer's Association. Bravo!!! Your work is a perfect expression of love in action! Now suddenly the impossible seems possible!



2. This book does what no other VO book has. It puts aspiring VO talent into the world of successful VO talent. Every other book I've looked at is a technical guide...dry and dull. Training is important and I've had my share but this book answers all the FAQ's the other books miss. If you want to make a living at VO this is a must have.



3. One of the most common question questions I hear in the Los Angeles voice over world is how did the big guns get to the top. Well, this book uses standardized interview questions to 19 of the top vo talent in the U.S., Joan herself being one of them. You couldn't wish for a better one on one interview with each one.
   
   Everyone interviewed certainly had distinct things to say, but some common threads were "just fell into it", battled racism on the way and hard work and persistence really pays off.
   
   A note to the wise: if you're in this business for quick profit forget about it. This career path has alot of competition, and only those with stamina and passion for voice work will stand the test of time and make a full-time living at it.
   
   The Alzheimer aspect was valuable in today's society where it is estimated that in the coming decades, unless something is done, millions of the aging group of Americans will succumb to this heart-wrenching disease. Go Joan!!
   
   Tansy Alexander



4. I'm just flummoxed by a previous review of Joan Baker's "Secrets of Voice-Over Success". Ms. Baker is deemed by the reviewer to be irrelevant, obvious and out of date because she neglects to deconstruct the semiotics of the latest manifestations of an ever-changing gamut of voiceover styles. Whazzat? Pretty heavy, I guess, but these quibbles convey nothing of the wonderful and inspiring book I read. What could be more relevant and uplifting than the tales these voice artists relate as to how they reached the high level of success they enjoy today. These are top people, engaging in national level campaigns right now. Their voices are supposed to be irrelevant? I don't think so.
   
   For a newcomer to voiceover like myself it's so encouraging to learn how others overcame pitfalls and obstacles to make it in our chosen field. Joan Baker's nifty volume is like a pat on the back and a helping hand along the way. Kudos to Joan and to all the artists who so generously gave of their time and experience to help make this marvelous book a reality. And what more wonderful theme to tie the volume together than touching on the effects of Alzheimer's on the lives of so many of us? Something tells me that one day, when we've reached the other side of the River Jordan, we'll be surprised to learn just how much good this book will have done to help those poor souls afflicted with Alzheimer's.



5. I orginally met the author Joan Baker at her Learning Annex workshop called "Make Millions With Your Voice" where I was very very impressed but after just finishing her book and meeting more than half the people in the book at her workshop-Iam overwhelmed with inspiration!
   Thank you Joan Baker and the Vo Artist's in Secrets for moving me forward in my vo career that I've been navigating for the past 6 years. Thank you!
   I would recommend this book to anyone seeking solutions in the Vo industry.

5 comments about Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal, with a new preface.

1. This is a beautifully written very open look at the world of a professional dancer. The difficulties and joys of life in a world class ballet company are clearly and thoughtfully laid out by Bentley. The pride she had for her place in NYCB, and the sadness of standing in the background while others danced in the spotlight in front of her. But ultimately we are allowed to see the great joy finds in her dancing, and the struggle and work it took to get her there, as well as the struggle and hard work it took to keep her there. Overall I thought that Bentley was very candid and very honest about her life in NYCB. Every dance student planning a life as a professional dancer should read this book.



2. Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal is the exquisite chronicle of a ballet dancer's experiences with the New York City Ballet. The dancer, Toni Bentley, claims a certain naivetee, but I don't believe it's innocent ignorance as much as it is simple yearning for experiences she rarely has.

   She has a delicate flair for words, and her prose couldn't be any less lovely than her pliees and tondus.

   Dancing with a world-famous ballet company is gruelling. The dancers are overworked, underfed, and have little understanding of how the "real world" works, yet it would seem they like it that way. Ballet companies thusly have much in common with military outfits: soldiers and dancers work brutally hard, but have their concerns looked after by the higher-ups. Balanchine is the dancers' general.

   With the incredibly long hours and the accompanying mental and physical exhaustion, how did Toni get the time to write this book?

   She writes,

   "We are hairless. We have no leg hairs, no pubic hair, no armpit hair, no facial hair, no neck hair and only a solid little lump at the top of our heads. Any sign of stubble must be closely watched out for and removed.

   "That is not all. We don't eat food, we eat music. We need artistic sustenance only. Emotional, inspiring sustenance. Al our physical energy is the overflow of spiritual feelings. We live on faith, belief, love, inspiration, vitamins and Tab."

   Toni eventually does break free of the NYC Ballet machine, but she's drawn inexorably back. After all, as she says, "We live only to dance. If living were not an essential prerequisite, we would abstain."




3. With "Winter Season," Toni Bentley allows her audience to see a real picture of the incredibly tough, demanding and creative world of professional ballet. We see George Balanchine at the end of the career, and such greats as Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins. The incredible, difficult, almost insane demands put on the dancers are clearly drawn, as is Ms. Bentley's love for her art. Especially evocative is her struggle with reconciling art with her demanding profession.

   Often, artistic memoirs focus on the superstars, the Tallchiefs and Nureyevs, for instance. The view from the corps de ballet is all the more interesting for being so rare. This book is beautiful, wry, humorous and exquisitely-written. I wish Ms. Bentley had written several other volumes.




4. I really enjoyed this book. It gave a wonderful glimpse into the real world of professional dancing. Miss Bentley told this story with beautiful language, her words flowed like water. I found it wonderful to know what it was like to live the life of a dancer, to know the struggles and the victories, the fantasies and the realities. I recommend this book for all who love dance and for anyone interested in show business or simply anyone who enjoys a good read.



5. I enjoyed this book. It was an absorbing, eye-opening look into the world of the ballet written by an insider - a young, intense and highly intelligent young woman, a dancer with the NYC Ballet, who exposes life in this elite and unique world.

1 comments about It.

1. In this book Roach takes some fascinating subject matter - the mystery of celebrity, what's behind the magic, and how we interact with it - and drops snippets of it in a meandering, barely organized elegy to Samuel Pepys, Charles II, and Elinor Glyn. He is far too much in love with these people to be objective, and waxes romantic about romance when he should be analyzing it. His terms are often weakly defined - I've had to do several involved research sessions to determine how he might be possibly using phrases like "the It-Effect" and "synecdochical." The book is interesting and provokes a lot of thought, and is worth reading if you're willing to slog through it, but have a dictionary handy and be prepared to slog.

1 comments about Teaching Classical Ballet.

1. Mr. White has written an excellent book that no teacher should be without. I found that I agreed with him on so many issues facing teachers in the ballet world today, and immediately sought further studies with him regarding the Vaganova method. After my studies with him, I have carried his book in my bag as an excellent reference tool. The photographs of the basic positions and poses are excellent. The content covers many aspects of establishing a ballet school, including how to build the floor, the stereo equipment, etc. I highly recommend this book to all ballet teachers! A must read! Thank you Mr. White!