Broadway Musicals: Show by Show, 9th edition

Broadway Musicals: Show by Show, 9th edition by Stanley Green

Revised and Updated by Cary Ginell

Pages: 439 plus indexes

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars. 

Described by the author, Stanley Green, as a combination history, guide, fact book and photograph album of the most memorable productions presented both on and off Broadway each year from 1866 to 2018. The wide variety of the types of stories told, the embracing of changing technology and social norms makes this a history of American society as well. With photos of playbills and posters and a brief summary of the plot and the musical's performance, Green also lists revival performances and movie versions of each musical. He lists the cast, songs, songwriter, lyricist, producer, director, choreographer, songs and the theatre where the musical was performed and the dates of the run. 

There are so many more musicals out there than I realized. Especially since those listed in the book are the successful, award-winning or otherwise memorable performances and not all the musicals performed in say, just New York City that year, or published that year. 

I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High

 I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High
by Tony Danza
Pages:
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

What starts out as an idea for a documentary television series becomes a lesson in the real-life struggles of teachers and teens across America, especially in the inner cities. Actor, Tony Danza started college wanting to teach high school history before he discovered acting. Now he has the chance to teach for one-year in inner city Philadelphia. But only one class a day of Sophomore English with a teacher agreeing to sit-in and monitor everything he does. The school board wants to make sure their students still get an education while the tv cameras are rolling.

Tony learns that teaching is the hardest job is ever done, physically, mentally and emotionally. He becomes connected to his students and learns how times have changed since he went to school in the city. He also ends up working for half of the school year for free because he caught the film crew and producer talking the teens into making trouble just to "spice up" the footage. He and the principal demand they leave, but Tony is able to stay and finish out the year with the students.