No comments about I'm the Greatest Star: Broadway's Top Musical Legends from 1900 to Today.

1 comments about Anna Halprin: Experience as Dance.

1. Anna Halprin is now 82 years old. Retirement - 'I have so many dances to do yet.'
   
   And dance she does, in her own way, her own style, dancing based on a long, long lifetime of breaking the mold of tradition.
   
   This book is an admiring biography of Anna and even more a story of the dances she has performed. Ms. Ross is Associate Profesor of Drama at Stanford University and the author of several books on dance. She had virtually unlimited access to Anna, her husband Lawrence, and their extensive files, making this essentially an approved biography.
   
   It is clear that Ms. Ross admires Anna a great deal. Not only as a dancer and teacher of dance, but as a woman, a human being that has led a life of exploration of finding new grounds, of struggle against cancer. Her book reflects this admiration. It reports on a life well lived.

5 comments about The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky.

1. To understand this book, you must have a good background in psychology in order to be able to spot the philosophical insights made by this otherwise, very ill man. The duality between 'feeling' and 'thinking' as well as the perceptive remarks made about the nuances of various people in Nijinsky's life are highly intelligent.
   
   At most times the book is full of amusing schizophrenic rants that make the diary an awesome source for learning about the everyday inner life of paranoid schizophrenics - of whom Nijinsky is a perfect example.



2. 1. "God said to me, 'Go home and tell your wife that you are mad'."

   Even if we are not ready to accept this assertion as a proof of Nijinsky's genius (i.e. him edging on God-Consciousness on his way to full enlightenment), we should at least be able to recognise that the author obviously did not view himself as insane, but, in his own eyes, consciously pretended to be such as the only means at hand to escape the harsh chilliness and cruelty of an insensitive world, handing over all responsibilities of the non-esoteric sides of life to those who feel they know such things better.

   2. Neither the conclusion should be that the great Master of Choreography ended his life in a miserable demise, unworthy of a great genius and a potential role-model for generations to come.

   On the last pages, as if to conclude the diary, Nijinsky speaks of a wonderful vision of his three years old daughter as she smiles at him: "I see what she is trying to tell me: it is not all about sadness and miserliness - there's also joy in life". Thus reminding of Tolstoy's famous formula "if you want to be joyful and happy, then just be that!".

   The author's life has clearly been that of struggle and constant contemplations over the world's stubbornness in its reiterated refusal to accept the artist's message of love, despite its pure simplicity. And yet now on the verge of the sunset of life it all suddenly seems to have been nothing but a temporary, though little longer than usual, unpleasant dream, the remaining fogs of which are dispersed through a simple rearrangement of attention leading one to a life in a closer company with one's God. A life the fuller utilisation of the pleasures of which are not bound by the limits of life and death.

   3. As for Nijinsky's main message, as it is contained in the diary itself, I think it is found in the place where the artist speaks of his discovery of the true nature of the phenomena of art criticism: the self-appointed critics of art are nothing but egotists who have never created anything themselves. They pinpoint and nit-pick on any flaws and draw conclusions where such cannot be drawn, causing the hearts of the sincere artists to bleed.

   It implies that it is more than fair to observe that when it comes to art in general no judgements can be made whatsoever. An inspiration behind any artistic expression always comes from beyond oneself, out of a sincere desire to convey something to others. The only thing that is really alright to criticise is if the artist's motive is in question, that is if the original purpose is purely commercial and, thus, a con in its essence. Similarly judging is not the same as describing, just as to describe is not the same as to judge.

   Interestingly, few other books and films have received as much subtle thrashing (along with appraisals) as Nijinsky's diary and Paul Cox' recent poetic documentary based on it. The point is that a truly worthless piece of literature, or other, never does. There simply seems to be something very provocative about innocence and tenderness to self-important people. And maybe the book CANNOT be appreciated fully by readers with a "lesser purity of heart" and large egos.

   4. Other highlights of the wisdom in Nijinsky's diary (quoting freely from memory) are these: "I told my wife we had married for the wrong reasons and that we should re-marry, but this time in the spirit"; and: "People go to church and then drink wine because they have heard it said that it is the blood of Christ. How to explain to a fool that Christ's blood would make one sober rather than drunk?".




3. Nijinsky's unexpurgated diary is an important document both for dance history and for psychiatry. This edition has an excellent, insightful introduction and very thorough translator's notes. I found out fascinating details, such as the fact that Nijinsky began the diary the day he gave a deranged performance at a hotel, and probably meant it as proof that he was not as crazy as he seemed. (Sadly, it proved exactly the opposite.) A beautiful job has been done in presenting and contexting this difficult material. Anyone with an interest in dance and/or mental illness should read it.



4. this book is highly through in it's full translation of Nijinsky's diary, but best part of this book are the inclusion of the never before published "fourth book" which included poems and letters written by Nijinsky as well as an introduction which helps to clarify not only the historical background but also delves into the mental state Nijinsky was in as he wrote his diary.



5. Nijinsky, hombre posesionado por el genio, hace algun tiempo visiti en el museo de orsay, en Paris, la exposicion sobre él, de lo mejor al igual que su apasionada vida

3 comments about Abbott's Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks for Magicians.

1. If you are looking for a source of rope magic effects to peruse, looking to add some interesting minutes to your act, this is one of the first books you should buy...and at these prices, you can't go wrong. If you are a newbie-beginner in magic looking for easy tricks, this will start you off...and includes intermediate and advanced magic and methods for you to study. Even seasoned can find great stuff here.



2. This is an excellent book for anyone involved in magic; amateur or professional. It contains an incredible number of tricks, many of which are professional quality. For example, the first trick in the book is very simple, repeatable (yes, repeatable), can be viewed from any direction, and I have used it to fool professionals on several occasions. The tricks are broken into neat categories and cover enough ground so almost anyone can find something they like. The book often has several ways to do the same effect giving the reader a choice.

   Why only 4 stars? The illustrations are frequently not very good - an all-to-common problem with books on magic. The directions often leave something to be desired also. While I only found 1 trick I could not figure out (I have gone through over 1/2 of the book) it often took longer than was necessary because of imprecise directions. My example above took over half an hour to figure out, but is teachable from person to person in about 2 minutes. Also, many of the tricks are modifications of the same thing. Lastly, the fact that only a narrow area of magic is covered (and redundantly) may put off some readers.

   Please note that most of the detractions above are, in my opinion, not as significant as the overall quality. If I could, I would rate this 4 and 1/2 stars - not quite perfect but very good.




3. This book is a classic of magic. Anyone interested in doing magic with ropes must have this book. It's nearly 400 pages are packed full with just about everything a magician can do with a rope; penetrations, restorations, false knots, you name it. It's a small price to pay for this wealth of knowledge. -Diamond Jim Tyler

No comments about Ready-To-Use Activities for Teaching Macbeth (Shakespeare Teacher's Activities Library).

No comments about Site Specific Art: Performance, Place and Documentation.

1 comments about The Japanese Theatre.

1. This volume somehow manages to cover the whole complex history of Japanese theatre in a single volume. It has an excellent glossary and a well-organized bibliography. An useful introduction to Japanese theatre both for the serious student and for the neophyte. Extremely useful for courses in Asian Theatre or Japanese Culture.

No comments about Communicating: A Social and Career Focus (9th Edition).

5 comments about The Addams Chronicles: An Altogether Ooky Look at the Addams Family.

1. There's not as much difference between the two Addams Chronicles editions as there is with the two Munsters books. But the added info and color photos make this Addams Chronicles the definate one to own.



2. I really loved the Addams family and this book brought it all back. Great info on what happened to each member after the family ended. If you're a fan it's a must read.



3. "The Addams Chronicles" is a wonderful book that delves into the nooks and crannies of one of the best, most thought out and well crafted TV shows ever produced. The cast histories, behind-the-scenes stories and color photos are exhilarating. The chapter on the ravishingly beautiful Carolyn Jones who played Morticia is way way too short.



4. I loved the first edition of this book so much that I HAD to buy the revised edition! This is a must-have for all Addams Family fans! Stephen Cox makes you feel like you're part of the family!



5. Will we ever again see a TV show as full of nonconformity, deep dark humor, and head-scratching eccentricity as the Addams Family? I doubt it. This book is a treasure trove of trivia and collector's info for Addams geeks worldwide. Stephen Cox is as knowledgeable an enthusiast as you could hope for, though his writing could use some work. That's usually not a problem in a fun trivia book like this, though when it comes to cultural analysis he does get in over his head sometimes. Examples are his weak attempts to compare the show to the French playwright Moliere, or to explain the deep cultural significance of Gomez's love for cigars. But otherwise, you'll learn some great Addams TV tidbits here, like who played Thing (Ted Cassidy, better known for playing Lurch), and who did Cousin Itt's voice (soundman Tony Magro). You also may not have known that the pig who played Pugsley's frighteningly alive piggy bank also played Arnold on Green Acres. The only real problem with this book is the very quick and rather uninformative biographies of the stars. With the exception of Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester), most of the actors get bios that are only two or three pages long. But in the end, I'm especially happy to learn that I'm not the only one who thinks that Carolyn Jones as Morticia was quite sexy, rather than creepy. [~doomsdayer520~]

3 comments about The Theater Will Rock: A History of the Rock Musical, from Hair to Hedwig.

1. I started this book on a Sunday afternoon and spent the entire day reading. This book is so well written -- easy to follow and incredibly fascinating -- that you really don't have to be an academic to understand and enjoy. I definitely reccomend this to anyone interested in learning a bit more about this remarkable genre...



2. Wollman obviously fancies herself soooooo far above both rock and musical theatre (and their respective fan bases), and she writes about both with such cynicism, such pretension, and such self-importance, that it's tough to get through this book. She aggressively dismisses what's special and transcendent about both rock and musical theatre, and reveals her stunning ignorance about both. She routinely makes gigantic, sweeping assumptions about musicals that just aren't true, or, in some cases, assumptions that may have been true 40 years ago but not today. She does the same with rock. Being an Ivory Tower musicologist clearly does NOT equip her or qualify her to intelligently discuss these most populist art forms, and she should leave such commentaries to those who understand more fully and intimately these amazing, complex, life transforming, uniquely American art forms.



3. I've never read a scholarly work about the modern music scene that was so thoroughly readable, entertaining, and informative. I highly recommend it for fans of musicals, those who aren't fans of musicals, music students, and novices--everyone will get something out of this book.