1 comments about A Primer for Choreographers.

1. This book, like the title says, is a primer for choreographers. That means this book explains the basics to beginners like me. It explained in rich language how choreographers should do their jobs well. It helped me understand that dance is more than a bunch of people moving around. In some places, it gets a little hard to understand and a little too philosophical, but overall, it is a good, informative book. I would recommend this to ameteur choreographers, but not to those with more experience.

1 comments about Invitation to Public Speaking (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Wadsworth Series in Speech Communication).

1. This book is a great learning tool for any Speech student. It's an easy reader and has helpful learning tools. A great asset for really understanding how to speak publicly.

4 comments about Outer Limits.

1. What a wonderful book! I love watching the old horror programs on television, such as Karloff's Thriller, The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. What I enjoy most is watching each program, and then spend a few minutes reading up on the production history and trivia about the program, thanks to books like this. I just spent the last three years reading "The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion" by Grams and Wikstrom and watched each and every episode of the Hitchcock TV series one by one. What a fascinating program. So logically, I purchased this book and am done the first season. With each viewing I turn to this book and find out trivia I did not know, and other neat facts. That's what tells me if the book is a good book or not. A must-have.



2. Newly Revised and expanded The new OL companionis incredible! Over 400 pages and 100's of photos.GNP CRESCENDO did a great job!



3. An excellent book that describes all the episodes and gives behind-the-scenes facts about each one and how the series started. Well written and entertaining.



4. David J. Schow and Jeffrey Frentzen have done a wonderfully thorough job of documenting the history and impact of 1960's science-fiction series "The Outer Limits." This well-researched book includes exhaustive interviews with series creator Leslie Stevens and show mastermind Joseph Stefano, as well as the writers, directors and technicians responsible for the individual episodes. Each episode is reviewed, with representative stills and rare production information. Schow and Frentzen display an admirable affinity for the series, and their insights into the underlying concerns of this unique show are both enlightening and entertaining. This is the standard by which all other television series tomes should be measured, and is long overdue for a reprint.

5 comments about The A to Z Guide of Babylon 5.

1. THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL BOOK BUT ONLY COVERS SEASON 1, 2 AND 1ST 3 EPISODES OF SEASON 3.



2. No matter what you want to know about the most minute detail of the BABYLON 5 series, it's in there.this is a guide where the characters and references, however brief in appearance, rate an entry. The best for beginners and afficianados alike. A must for "fivers".



3. Not much to say really. This book really covers everything a Babylon 5 index should hold: facts, names, dates, people, tribes & races, spacecraft, the works. What can only be suggested to the author and the publishing company is that a re-print is not a new edition, so people who have bought the previous edition do not need to buy the same book twice. Also a required reading for all Babylon 5 fans, together with the Andy Lane guide.



4. The book includes a list of all the main characters, and it describes them very similar to the real series on television. Although the book is written in partil particip, it's a good forum for all Babylon5 lovers



5. Despite containing little (nothing?) that is new to regular visitors to the Lurker's Guide and other on-line B5 resources, this little tome brings it all together in a easy to reference book that can be carried with you if needed.
   The only flaw, as has been mentioned in other eviews, is its history - covering only the first two seasons. It does this well however and enables us to find out what even a delicately adjusted PAUSE on the VCR fails to reveal in the way of newspaper articles/headlines etc.
   If/When a revision is brought out it will make one of the most useful reference works available.

   btw - for the previous review, vocabulary aside the term used in the episode WAS anti-agapic! Maybe jms erred somehwere!!

5 comments about Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites: Sixteen Driving Tours with Directions and the Full Story, from Tallulah Bankhead to River Phoenix.

1. Wow, This was not a book I purchased. It was given to me for my birthday. I thought, wow, another EJ Fleming Tome. Great. Well, this was a shocker. I am planning a trip down the coast in the spring and planning on checking out many of these Hollywood sites. Fleming does it again and again. He is the most incredible writer of our time!



2. This unusual guidebook is structured as a series of sixteen tours to scandalous sites around the Los Angeles area., from Hollywood (central, Western, and more) to Beverly Hills to the outer boroughs. Why are we so fascinated with sites of death and scandal? Who knows?!? We are, though, and we might as well own up to it. Nothing sells better than the true-life stories of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll (or sex, drugs, and Hollywood's big screen, in this case).
   
   This is billed as a guidebook, but, as a Los Angeles resident, I found it more fascinating from an armchair perspective than as a step-by-step trip guide. I have no desire to go on any of these sixteen tours, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the scandalous sites around the Los Angeles area. Much of the text focuses on pre-1930's and lesser-known film stars, so few people are likely to obsessively follow any given tour as a tribute to a fallen movie star. Anyone familiar with the Los Angeles area will enjoy this book and glean ideas for "Oh, do you know what happened here??" during the course of the text. If you are an L.A. resident and ant to impress your friends and visitors, look no further.
   
   The text is a guidebook on the surface, but beneath the exterior, it is truly a guide to every major Hollywood scandal. I don't plan on using it as a driving tour; rather, it has furthered my education about the region. On the other hand, the comprehensive index will allow any fan of specific stars to locate the site of related scandals.



3. I love visiting celebrity graves and infamous locations so this book was perfect for me. I even learned about a few scandals I had never heard about before. Mr. Fleming provides good directions and helpful tips so you won't miss a thing. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Hollywood scandals.



4. I have family that lives in the L.A. area and when I visit them, they know we will do a "Death Tour". They teased me at first and then when we started seeing the sites, they stopped!! Now they look forward to the next tour that we will take. This book is an interesting compilation of not only where events have taken place, but also the history behind them. Although, the title can seem a bit ominous, there are a lot of other sites to see in the book besides "DEATH" (stars homes, arrest locations, homes used for TV shows, etc.). So, as for the previous review about this being too morbid, I completely disagree. Besides, death is after all a part of life. Enjoy...I certainly have!



5. first things first, it is a very good book with great research but just too morbid for my taste. I prefer sight seeing of star homes, movie studios, the Chinese theater, the wax museum, etc.... where celebrities met their mortality has never interested me...

5 comments about Dressing a Galaxy: The Costume of Star Wars Limited Edition with DVD.

1. I was so excited when my package arrived and couldn't wait to open it.
   What i got is an unbelievable box that holds a mass of little treasures, beginning with the little piece of Darth Vaders Cape and continuing with the book itself, the fabric samples or the also included DVD.
   Everything is done with so much care for the details and you also get a certificate plus a little card with your book's collectors number. I don't regret my purchase at all. Even though it was a lot of money, it's totally worth it for every fan of the Saga who doesn't just like the ships, battles or lightsaber-fights. Also i have a little suggestion - be careful carrying it around - it is really heavy :)



2. Ever since I saw Episode One I have been fascinated by the costume designs of the Star Wars universe and finally here is the book that shows just how special these costumes are. With large photographs of the costumes and detailed close ups that show the attention to detail.
   
   Finally my time in a galaxy far, far away has an end?



3. This book is above and beyond excellent. From the way that the book is packaged, presented and written, not to mention the tangible supplements that are exclusive to this edition - such as the cloth swatch from Darth Vader's cape - what a thrill it is to actually own something that has literally been a part of the Star Wars universe!
   
   This book is highly informative, insightful and entertaining.
   Packed full of sumptuous photographs, illustrations, fold-outs, cloth swatches and an exclusive DVD - ANYTHING a Star Wars fan or those with only a passing interest in film costuming could ever want.
   
   This publication is a must. It is simply an absolute joy to behold and a treasure trove for one and all who read it. I'm sure it is destined to become a crown jewel in many a Star Wars fan book collection!
   
   I cannot recommend Dressing a Galaxy enough - go buy it, and May The Force Be With You!



4. You can buy whatever book you want on the Star Wars films, but not having this one is a crime. Photography is amazingly clear and detailed, the inserts are awesome, and the swatches...forget about it...they are priceless.
   
   This is, by far THE package of the Star Wars empire. Destined to be a classic and one "to die for" in the Star Wars ranks. Don't, let it pass you by.



5. 
   
   I was beginning to think this book wouldn't come, because the release was put back twice and then it seemed to be unavailable. Well, I guess with limited editions of this price band it's understandable. I was kind of starting to not care, because at this price I was starting to think I should save my money. Then today, my other half called me at work to say this huge parcel had been delivered. Yes!
   I got home an hour ago and, well, it IS huge. Extremely well packed, a box inside another box, and then the fabric-covered clamshell box with the fastended silk wrap. Lovely. I almost didn't want to unseal it any further, but carefully I did. The fresh print smell hit me first, and within seconds I got a headache from it. Opening the box gave me that geeky excitement I haven't had since, I don't know when. I'd made sure to wash my hands first. Then I opened it. The book is outwardly the same as the regular version, set into the right-hand side of the clamshell with a red silk pull underneath to help lift it out. On the other side, there was the replica wookie belt buckle, a certificate of authenticity, a companion DVD, and a special sealed sample of Vader's cloak fabric. All looked pretty good.
   
   I lifted out the book with the pull, and noticed it's thicker than the regular version, with lots of the special inserts I'd read about. Nice and weighty, I put it aside, because underneath is a gatefold supplement containing a dozen or more fabric samples from the costumes pictured next to them. Lovely. Really lovely. And then, underneath that, a thicker booklet showcasing digital creatures from the prequels and their costumes. I then opened the main book to find the limited edition number. There are 2,500 of these books, and I got number 2,479. I think I was lucky getting this!
   
   So often these collectors pieces are disappointing, but I have to be completely honest with this. It's a beautiful book, and I haven't even started reading it yet, which isn't going to make a lot of difference because of the quality of the whole package. If you can get hold of a copy, do it. I know it's pricey, but you'll get over that soon enough, and you'll have what I think is one of the best pieces of Star Wars memorabilia ever made.

1 comments about Theater Festivals: Best Worldwide Venues for New Works.

1. Playwrights may think there are few venues open to accepting a new play: think again. Lisa Mulcahy is a theater teacher, director, performer and writer: her articles on theatre have been published extensively and she's in the perfect position to provide Theater Festivals: Best Worldwide Venues For New Works, a guide to how to use such festivals as launches for a new play. Learn how to showcase original work all over the world with a reference which describes festival missions, application processes, and technical requirements. From fees to physical theater and production specs, here's everything you need to propose a successful project to the right venue.

5 comments about Deconstructing Harold Hill: An Insider's Guide to Musical Theatre.

1. Every analysis that Miller wrote in this book just blew me away. It completely opened my eyes to all the subtext behind musicals that prior to this just seemed...well, dull. However, I suddenly acquired new views on musicals like "The Music Man" and "Camelot" and I now appreciate them not only as classics but engaging pieces of theatre. His ideas on all the other musicals, especially the Sondheim pieces are simply enlightening. What are you waiting for? Buy it!



2. I loved this author's first book, From Assassins to West Side Story, but I wasn't prepared for the further depth and greater brilliance of his second book, Deconstructing Harold Hill. This is a man who knows his theatre, who understands human nature, and who cares enough about great art to treat it seriously and respectfully without being afraid to criticize it or demand fresh approaches. This is a work of great intellect that is still accessible to readers with no theatre or music background (a rarity), and yet, I would guess, in depth and surprising enough to aid the most experienced professional.

   In his introduction, Mr. Miller complains that American directors don't come at older American musicals with fresh enough perspectives, and the rest of the book does what those directors can't -- it looks, as if for the first time, at a collection of wonderful, important musicals, looking at them fresh, taking the time to think about and question the things nobody else will.

   His discussin of the use of musical themes in The Music Man is incredble -- there's so much there I hadn't noticed before -- and his writing makes it all accessible for someone with no music background. His discussions of the character of Harold Hill -- basically a villain who acts like a hero -- is fascinating. He sees glorious little details in this show I've never seen before.

   His chapter on Camelot opened my eyes like never before to the depth and possibilities of this show that usually falls into the shadow of My Fair Lady. Mr. Miller sees complexity and nuance in these characters that I've never seen explored before. How amazing it would be to see a production of Camelot that used Mr. Miller's ideas. The show would be transformed instantly from a pretty musical into a soaring, searing piece of tragic theatre.

   His chapter on Chicago makes a compelling case for why the revival doesn't do the show justice. And his chapters on Sondheim musicals (Passion and Sunday in the Park) confirm for me that Mr. Miller is the preeminent American interpreter of Sondheim's works. Though I live in Seattle, I may just venture down to St. Louis to see Mr. Miller's ideas at work on his own stage. How lucky the people of St. Louis must be to have an artist this intelligent, this passionate, and this emotional working in their city.




3. I am a Lecturer in Acting and Music Theatre at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Bachelor of Music Theatre program) and DECONSTRUCTING HAROLD HILL is on my book list for the students. Why?

   Because underneath your writing is an undeniable energy, love, support for our craft; this fragile crystal of a business called 'show'. I am not really concerned whether or not I agree with your opinions, apothesis, arguments, discussions etc...what I want is my students to be infected by PASSION and your book is an undeniable example of that. Like you and me, I WANT them to have opinions, to engage in lively and researched debate, to listen to/see the works of the repertoire, to know which song/scene comes from what and that takes energetic, rigourous and PASSIONATE research. If your book goes a wee way to get them off their arses and into action...so be it.

   I thank you for a book that has not only enthused my students but that goes one step further towards securing the fragile architecture of our business...

   WILL CONYERS




4. I am a Lecturer in Acting and Music Theatre at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Bachelor of Music Theatre program) and DECONSTRUCTING HAROLD HILL is on my book list for the students. Why?

   Because underneath your writing is an undeniable energy, love, support for our craft; this fragile crystal of a business called 'show'. I am not really concerned whether or not I agree with your opinions, apothesis, arguments, discussions etc...what I want is my students to be infected by PASSION and your book is an undeniable example of that. Like you and me, I WANT them to have opinions, to engage in lively and researched debate, to listen to/see the works of the repertoire, to know which song/scene comes from what and that takes energetic, rigourous and PASSIONATE research. If your book goes a wee way to get them off their arses and into action...so be it.

   I thank you for a book that has not only enthused my students but that goes one step further towards securing the fragile architecture of our business...

   WILL CONYERS




5. How wonderful and unusual to find a book about musical theatre that is never pretentious, never dull, brilliantly opinionated, and that has a healthy sense of humor about its subject. There is more joy and humor in this book than in any other similar book I've ever read. Miller's intelligence and enthusiasm overflows and you'll find yourself smiling, laughing out loud, and humming along as you read this happily readable, entertaining, irreverent book.

   This book understands that the dark side of humanity is always more complex and more interesting and so it focuses mostly on shows that tackle the dark side -- Camelot, Chicago, Falsettos, King and I -- but interestingly, all shows that use a lot of humor to make their very serious points.

   This is not a book for those grumpy old curmudgeons who are always grumbling that musicals ought to be silly, sappy, escapist comedies. This is a book for people who love Grown-Up Musicals, the kind that feed both brain and soul. If that's you, you have to buy this book. You'll love it.

2 comments about Callas at Juilliard: The Master Classes.

1. Callas provides good musical guidance on many famous soprano arias. Reading the book almost brings her back to life.

   This is a good book if you're looking for some musical insights from one of the greatest musicians. She talks about technique, expression, and the characters themselves. This book would probably not interest you if you're looking for a biography of Callas. This book is more focused on the music and her insights.




2. In 1971-72, several years absent from the operatic and performing stage, Maria Callas appeared in a series of master classes at Juilliard, which attracted attention far beyond the world of the admittedly famed music school at which they were held.

   There were several reasons for this. At the time Callas was still the most famous opera singer in the world, as much for her entanglement in the lives of Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy as for her vocal and dramatic artistry. The format of the master class is a peculiar hybrid of individual lesson and public performance, both for the students and the teacher. As Ardoin and others have pointed out, whatever her concern for imparting her knowledge and experience to students, Callas undoubtedly saw the Juilliard classes as an opportunity to test the waters--appearing and even singing, under the guise of demonstrating, in public again to see if she could handle a possible return to her career.

   Minus the extramusical baggage that surrounded them, and the excitement Callas' personal presence and vocal illustrations must have created, what remains of these master classes? These faithful transcriptions of many of the sessions give as good an idea as can be had without actually listening to tapes, and show that Callas was a scrupulous, detailed and demanding musical taskmaster. To operatic connoisseurs, there is much interest in the variants, cuts and cadenzas she suggests, illustrated in many musical examples which really need to be compared with published scores in order to obtain the clearest idea of her suggestions. One problem with the original edition was that the excerpts were riddled with printing mistakes--it remains to be seen how much, if any, of this has been rectified.

   One is struck by the businesslike tone of much of the instruction, not at all like the embroidered scenarios of McNally's play, and how much Callas invokes her own teachers, such as Tullio Serafin, giving a real sense of the musical traditions of Italian opera. Ultimately, this book is mainly of interest to those who appreciate Callas the musician, not Callas the legendary diva. For such readers it repays careful perusal, though probably not all in one sitting. Amadeus Press is to be thanked for restoring this volume to the print catalogue.

5 comments about Geisha: The Life, the Voices, the Art.

1. This book of uncaptioned photographs is a waste of money. Some of the photos are interesting in a voyeuristic way but without captions or more information about the photos, it seems somewhat like snapshots with a paparazzi quality (as one reviewer commented).
   
   I did not feel that the photographer had a deep respect for her subjects nor a great deal of knowledge of the Geisha world which she was allowed to photograph.
   
   Some of the shots are simply ridiculous, like the one of the guy getting "pantsed" at a party. I mean - what does that have to do with Geisha? Yeah, ok, so they go to parties to entertain and end up playing silly drinking games. What does that tell me about Geisha?
   
   If I was Geisha, I would have been embarrassed by this book.



2. I could be completely wrong, but was anyone else irritated by the fact that the photos with more sexual connotation in this book, seemed to be of courtesans, and NOT Geisha.
   
   At least according to the differentiations made in costume between the two in Liz Dalby's book "Geisha" (front tied obi)
   
   Otherwise gorgeous photographs. But I was curious if anyone else caught that.



3. I was really looking for a book with very detailed photographs of geisha and their kimono and hairstyles (each represents something different, such as seasons etc.) for illustration reference purposes, but this book kind of fell short. A handful of photos are absolutley gorgeous, but a few are a little akward. Many are out of focus and there are several of older women bathing... I think many people can enjoy this book, it all depends on what you are looking for.



4. I commend the author for publishing these pictures notwithstanding the criticism she received from another reviewer for doing so. Those interested in looking into this world were hungry for this information. I do agree with the previous reviewer, however, that the book should have contained explanatory captions and information in the context of the photographs. I wanted to know the story behind the photograph, and this was lacking.



5. This book is absolutely beautiful. Not a whole lot of information, but the scenes depicted are a window into a world closed to most everyone. The quotes from the Geisha are quite interesting, as well.