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LIFE James Dean: A Rebel's Life in Pictures
by The Editors of LifeLIFE Magazine memorializes actor James Dean.
Shakespeare Without Tears
by Margaret WebsterA prominent producer-director of Shakespeare's plays writes with wit and verve about the Elizabethan theater and subsequent modifications in theatrical practice, differences between actors and audiences in Shakespeare's day and ours, and more "There is not an obscure or otherwise dull page in the book." -- N.Y. Times Book Review.
Suggestopedia and Language
by W. Jane BancroftFirst published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The Bell Family
by Noel StreatfeildIf you love Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes, you’ll adore The Bell Family.'Well, little people, what's the news?’Meet the big, happy Bell family who live in the vicarage at St Marks.Father is a reverend; Mother is as kind as kind can be. Then there's all the children – practical Paul, dancing Jane, mischievous Ginnie, and finally the baby of the family, Angus, whose ambition is to own a private zoo (he has already begun with his six boxes of caterpillars). And not forgetting Esau, a surefire competitor for the most beautiful dog in Britain.Follow their eventful lives from tense auditions to birthday treats; from troubled times to hilarious escapades. The perfect Christmas gift for ballet-loving children.Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out which one of the Bell children you most resemble!
A Child of the Century
by Ben HechtBen Hecht’s critically acclaimed autobiographical memoir, first published in 1954, offers incomparably pungent evocations of Chicago in the 1910s and 1920s, Hollywood in the 1930s, and New York during the Second World War and after. “His manners are not always nice, but then nice manners do not always make interesting autobiographies, and this autobiography has the merit of being intensely interesting.”—Saul Bellow, New York Times Named to Time’s list of All-Time 100 Nonfiction Books, which deems it “the un-put-downable testament of the era’s great multimedia entertainer.”
Garbo
by Robert GottliebA New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice | One of Literary Hub's most anticipated books of 2021Award-winning master critic Robert Gottlieb takes a singular and multifaceted look at the life of silver screen legend Greta Garbo, and the culture that worshiped her.“Wherever you look in the period between 1925 and 1941,” Robert Gottlieb writes in Garbo, “Greta Garbo is in people’s minds, hearts, and dreams.” Strikingly glamorous and famously inscrutable, she managed, in sixteen short years, to infiltrate the world’s subconscious; the end of her film career, when she was thirty-six, only made her more irresistible. Garbo appeared in just twenty-four Hollywood movies, yet her impact on the world—and that indescribable, transcendent presence she possessed—was rivaled only by Marilyn Monroe’s. She was looked on as a unique phenomenon, a sphinx, a myth, the most beautiful woman in the world, but in reality she was a Swedish peasant girl, uneducated, naïve, and always on her guard. When she arrived in Hollywood, aged nineteen, she spoke barely a word of English and was completely unprepared for the ferocious publicity that quickly adhered to her as, almost overnight, she became the world’s most famous actress.In Garbo, the acclaimed critic and editor Robert Gottlieb offers a vivid and thorough retelling of her life, beginning in the slums of Stockholm and proceeding through her years of struggling to elude the attention of the world—her desperate, futile striving to be “left alone.” He takes us through the films themselves, from M-G-M’s early presentation of her as a “vamp”—her overwhelming beauty drawing men to their doom, a formula she loathed—to the artistic heights of Camille and Ninotchka (“Garbo Laughs!”), by way of Anna Christie (“Garbo Talks!”), Mata Hari, and Grand Hotel. He examines her passive withdrawal from the movies, and the endless attempts to draw her back. And he sketches the life she led as a very wealthy woman in New York—“a hermit about town”—and the life she led in Europe among the Rothschilds and men like Onassis and Churchill. Her relationships with her famous co-star John Gilbert, with Cecil Beaton, with Leopold Stokowski, with Erich Maria Remarque, with George Schlee—were they consummated? Was she bisexual? Was she sexual at all? The whole world wanted to know—and still wants to know.In addition to offering his rich account of her life, Gottlieb, in what he calls “A Garbo Reader,” brings together a remarkable assembly of glimpses of Garbo from other people’s memoirs and interviews, ranging from Ingmar Bergman and Tallulah Bankhead to Roland Barthes; from literature (she turns up everywhere—in Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, in Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, and the letters of Marianne Moore and Alice B. Toklas); from countless songs and cartoons and articles of merchandise. Most extraordinary of all are the pictures—250 or so ravishing movie stills, formal portraits, and revealing snapshots—all reproduced here in superb duotone. She had no personal vanity, no interest in clothes and make-up, yet the story of Garbo is essentially the story of a face and the camera. Forty years after her career ended, she was still being tormented by unrelenting paparazzi wherever she went.Includes Black-and-White Photographs
Katherine: The classic historical romance
by Anya SetonKatherine comes to the court of Edward III at the age of fifteen. The naïve convent-educated orphan of a penniless knight is dazzled by the jousts and the entertainments of court. Nevertheless, Katherine is beautiful, and she turns the head of the King's favourite son John of Gaunt. But he is married, and she is soon to be betrothed.A few years later their paths cross again and this time their passion for each other cannot be denied or suppressed. Katherine becomes the prince's mistress, and discovers an extraordinary world of power, pleasure and passion.(P)2009 ISIS Publishing Ltd
Legacy of Chopin
by Jan HolcmanChopin's views on all phases of music: pianism, composing, teaching, piano transcriptions, criticism, musical progress, etc.
Men, Women and Pianos: A Social History
by Arthur LoesserA piano's-eye view of the social and philosophical history of Western Europe and the United States from the 17th century to the 1950s, with glances forward and back.
Men, Women & Pianos
by Arthur LoesserSome of the greatest composers of history have confined some of their most precious thoughts to the piano. For a century and a half, series of pianists of outstanding nimbleness and expressive power have attracted millions of admirers to their performances. Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, Liszt, Rubinstein and Rachmaninov, to achieve the fulfillment of their art, needed to have pianos. From where did they get them? From factories, of course. But piano factories cannot stay in business simply by making a few instruments for a few great musicians. They must sell their products annually by the hundreds, by the thousands, to all manner of persons: doctors, lawyers, merchants, government officials. What did those persons want with pianos? This book may supply some answers to this question." That is the modest raison d'être for his book given by the author in a letter to the publisher. But any reader will see at once that the proliferations in the answer to his question result in something much more important and delightful. What Mr. Loesser has written is really a piano's-eye view of the social--and sometimes the philosophical--history of Western Europe and the United States from the seventeenth century to the present, with glances both forward and back. With a keen eye for both the ridiculous and the significant detail (which turn out often to be the same thing), he traces the history of the design and manufacture of the piano, and the music written for it, from its predecessors, the clavichord and the virginal, to the latest concert grand and the modern "spinet." Long established as an internationally known concert pianist, Mr. Loesser here shows himself to be an elegant stylist and an impressively learned scholar, who has the wit to see that in a social history the role of the interior decorator may be quite as important as that of the virtuoso--and that of the ambitious parent, more important than either.
Shakespearean Stage Production: Then and Now (Routledge Library Editions: Shakespeare in Performance #3)
by Cécile De BankeAn absorbing and original addition to Shakespeareana, this handbook of production is for all lovers of Shakespeare whether producer, player, scholar or spectator. In four sections, Staging, Actors and Acting, Costume, Music and Dance, it traces Shakespearean production from Elizabethan times to the 1950s when the book was originally published. This book suggests that Shakespeare should be performed today on the type of stage for which his plays were written. It analyses the development of the Elizabethan stage, from crude inn-yard performances to the building and use of the famous Globe. Since the Globe saw the enactment of some of the Bard’s greatest dramas, its construction, properties, stage devices, and sound effects are reviewed in detail with suggestions on how a producer can create the same effects on a modern or reconstructed Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare’s plays were written to fit particular groups of actors. The book gives descriptions of the men who formed the acting companies of Elizabethan London and of the actors of Shakespeare’s own company, giving insights into the training and acting that Shakespeare advocated. With full descriptions and pages of reproductions, the costume section shows the types of dress necessary for each play, along with accessories and trimmings. A table of Elizabethan fabrics and colours is included. The final section explores the little-known and interesting story of the integral part of music and dance in Shakespeare’s works. Scene by scene the section discusses appropriate music or song for each play and supplies substitute ideas for Elizabethan instruments. Various dances are described – among them the pavan, gailliard, canary and courante. This book is an invaluable wealth of research, with extensive bibliographies and extra information.
A Short History of Music (Fourth American Edition, Revised)
by Alfred EinsteinThis book covers considers such topics as: primitive music--what was it? how do we know anything about it? music of the middle ages, music of the renaissance, instrumental music through the ages, opera--Latin America is included in this discussion, chamber music--did you know it was popular in the 1920s? Though sometimes technical, this volume is easy to read.
The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
by Ron Howard Clint HowardHappy Days, The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben—these shows captivated millions of TV viewers in the ’60s and ’70s. Join award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and audience-favorite actor Clint Howard as they frankly and fondly share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors. <p><p> “What was it like to grow up on TV?” Ron Howard has been asked this question throughout his adult life. in The Boys, he and his younger brother, Clint, examine their childhoods in detail for the first time. For Ron, playing Opie on The Andy Griffith Show and Richie Cunningham on Happy Days offered fame, joy, and opportunity—but also invited stress and bullying. For Clint, a fast start on such programs as Gentle Ben and Star Trek petered out in adolescence, with some tough consequences and lessons. <p><p> With the perspective of time and success—Ron as a filmmaker, producer, and Hollywood A-lister, Clint as a busy character actor—the Howard brothers delve deep into an upbringing that seemed normal to them yet was anything but. Their Midwestern parents, Rance and Jean, moved to California to pursue their own showbiz dreams. But it was their young sons who found steady employment as actors. Rance put aside his ego and ambition to become Ron and Clint’s teacher, sage, and moral compass. Jean became their loving protector—sometimes over-protector—from the snares and traps of Hollywood. <p><p> By turns confessional, nostalgic, heartwarming, and harrowing, THE BOYS is a dual narrative that lifts the lid on the Howard brothers’ closely held lives. It’s the journey of a tight four-person family unit that held fast in an unforgiving business and of two brothers who survived “child-actor syndrome” to become fulfilled adults.
Dancing Out of Bali
by Richard Attenborough John Coast"It is Bali felt, understood, loved, communicated...Coast has a kind of word magic." --New York Herald TribuneThis book tells of a young Englishman, fresh out of a Japanese prison camp, and his Javanese wife, and how they leave Indonesia for the footlights of Broadway. This is a story of life, music, and dancing in Bali, with all the charm of the Balinese people. Dancing out of Bali is a truly remarkable personal adventure story for all readers, especially dance lovers.
Dancing Out of Bali
by John Coast Richard Attenborough"If you know where to look, you can still discover and recognize what it was that intoxicating John Coast fifty years ago." -Sir David AttenboroughThis book is one of the great classics about Bali, now with dozens of illustrations and photographs.Dancing out of Bali is a fascinating personal account of a young Englishman who settled in a small house in Bali in the midst of the political turmoil that griped post-war Indonesia. There, he immersed himself in Balinese culture and made ambitious plans to bring a troupe of Balinese dancers and musicians to Europe and America. The book relates John Coast's daring and remarkable adventure that took him from revolution in Indonesia to the footlights of London and Broadway. Within a few weeks, the troupe had captured the hearts of audiences. Here are photographs of Bali and stories of the performer's magic island and of the enchanting dancers, including the beautiful 12-year-old Ni Gusti Raka. She became a star overnight and delighted audiences everywhere during the troupe's triumphant tour.It is also a story of Balinese culture and life in Bali-following the devastating Japanese occupation-of music and dancing in Bali, of many of the island's great performing dancers and musicians,
Dancing Out of Bali
by John Coast Richard Attenborough"It is Bali felt, understood, loved, communicated...Coast has a kind of word magic." --New York Herald TribuneThis book tells of a young Englishman, fresh out of a Japanese prison camp, and his Javanese wife, and how they leave Indonesia for the footlights of Broadway. This is a story of life, music, and dancing in Bali, with all the charm of the Balinese people. Dancing out of Bali is a truly remarkable personal adventure story for all readers, especially dance lovers.
The Funniest One in Room: The Lives and Legends of Del Close
by Kim Howard JohnsonContaining recollections from more than 80 of the comedic giant's closest friends and colleagues, this absorbing biography explores Del Close's old haunts, his sensational past, and the reality behind the tales he told so often. From traveling with a carnival and hanging out with a pre-Scientology L. Ron Hubbard to riding with the Merry Pranksters and using a coven of witches to help him kick a lifelong cocaine habit, Close led an incredibly rich life--one whose absurdity proved great fodder for improv theater. Astute and compassionate, Close influenced improvisational theater's greatest comedic talents of the last 50 years--Nichols and May, Lenny Bruce, Bill Murray, Chris Farley, Tina Fey--and coached the witty masterminds behind such comedic institutions as Second City, Saturday Night Live, Groundlings, and the Upright Citizen's Brigade.
Golden Slippers
by Lee WyndhamThrough the mist before her eyes Maggie saw Kirk Sherwood, the only boy she had dated in high school. He had said good-bye the night before, not wanting to intrude on the last-minute family farewells. Maggie suddenly realized that never again --no matter what happened --even if she flopped dismally in her dancing career--would anything be the same for her in Spring Valley. She stared at the concrete ribbon of highway spinning out ahead, beckoning them toward New York.
A Manual of Counterpoint Based on Sixteenth-Century Practice
by David D. BoydenSince counterpoint is the art of combining 2 or more melodies, this book discusses the contours of melodies in relation to other ones.
Richard Scarry's Rabbit and His Friends (Little Golden Book)
by Richard ScarryA classic Little Golden Book about a sweet and unusual creature, written and illustrated by Richard Scarry in 1953, is back in print!When Rabbit finds an egg, he assumes it belongs to Hen, until it hatches. Out of the egg comes an adorable roly-poly animal with webbed feet and a beak like Duck, a tail and fur coat like Beaver, and a shy dispostion like Squirrel. This funny story about a platypus who becomes friends with everyone was written and illustrated by Richard Scarry in 1953. It is now back in print in the Little Golden Book line. Perfect for Easter baskets, baby showers, and year-round fun, this book is sure to become a family storytime favorite!
Dance to the Piper
by Joan Acocella Agnes De MilleBorn into a family of successful playwrights and producers, Agnes de Mille was determined to be an actress. Then one day she witnessed the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, and her life was altered forever. Hypnotized by Pavlova's beauty, in that moment de Mille dedicated herself to dance. Her memoir records with lighthearted humor and wisdom not only the difficulties she faced--the resistance of her parents, the sacrifices of her training--but also the frontier atmosphere of early Hollywood and New York and London during the Depression. "This is the story of an American dancer," writes de Mille, "a spoiled egocentric wealthy girl, who learned with difficulty to become a worker, to set and meet standards, to brace a Victorian sensibility to contemporary roughhousing, and who, with happy good fortune, participated by the side of great colleagues in a renaissance of the most ancient and magical of all the arts."
Slipper Under Glass (Maggie Jones, Ballerina #1)
by Lee WyndhamThe Exotic World of The Dance... For seven years Maggie Jones has dedicated herself to the dance, dreaming of the day when she'll be Magda Jonescu, prima ballerina. She must prove herself not only to her generous Aunt Jo, who has paid for the lessons and sent fabulous gifts from exotic places, but also to her doubting family. Neither Maggie's father, who is allergic to her feathery costumes, nor her younger brother, who thinks dancing is for sissies, can understand the forces which drive Maggie to practice for hours on end. On Maggie struggles, assailed by doubts, but sustained by her dreams and a yellowed ballet slipper--kept under glass--in which Pavlova danced The Swan. Success comes to Maggie in a strange, unbelievable way and, faced with a golden opportunity, she must learn how to compromise reality with her dreams.
Guests
by Russell LynesOur eminent founding father Ben Franklin once famously compared guests to stinking fish. While this assessment may seem a trifle harsh, the truth remains that social intercourse is a most risky endeavor. Who better to address this concern than the inimitable pundit Russell Lynes--a man renowned for his unparalleled expertise on the social graces and the many personality types who regularly abuse them? In this classic guide to "guesting," Lynes provides an indispensable overview of the rituals of behavior that make it possible to visit and be visited, and the necessary safeguards that protect us from our friends and our friends from us. It is a book that demands to be read by every potential guest and host, stinker and stinkee alike.
The Late Romances: Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale, The Tempest
by William ShakespeareThe first of Shakespeare's late romances moves spectacularly from one dramatic period to another as the hero, Pericles, sails off to adventure and love, and experiences what for him is a miracle. Cymbeline: A favorite romantic drama, this play of a wife unjustly accused of faithlessness moves from a world of intrigue and slander to one of reconciliation and forgiveness, and contains two of Shakespeare's most poignantly beautiful songs. The Winter's Tale: From a darkly melodramatic beginning to a joyous pastoral ending, this romance of a jealous king and his long-suffering queen is superb entertainment, with revelations, plot twists, and a final compelling theatrical moment of discovery. The Tempest: This tale of the exiled Duke of Milan, marooned on an enchanted island, is so richly filled with music and magic, romance and comedy, that its theme of love and reconciliation offers a splendid feast for the senses and the heart.