Making It on Broadway: Actors' Tales of Climbing to the Top

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: "Making it on Broadway" is absolutely amazing. This book depicts the business as it is. Accurate and Ispiring! I reccomend this book to actors, people in the business, and theatre lovers! READ THIS!!!

Rating:
Summary: Insight into life on Broadway
Review: A collection of commentary from Tony Award winners and other successful actors, Making It On Broadway gives a real-life view into the career of an actor. From the beginnings of their career when they first took an interest in acting to moving and settling in to a new home, survival jobs, live theater, Broadway life, the changing scene of Broadway, the personal life of an actor and problems that acting creates, romance, road trips, and finally when dreams come true, the whole life cycle of an actor is uncovered in detail. This is a very good book that shows the difference between the glamorized version of being a Broadway actor and what it really takes in terms of commitment, experiences, and the toll on your personal life. But it does not concentrate entirely on the difficulties of becoming an actor; the authors also discuss the thrill when you actually make it. When so many people have false ideas of what it would be like, and colleges and training facilities have a financial interest in encouraging students to remain it is a breath of fresh air to hear the viewpoint of all of these actors who have actually made it. Just like any other occupation, acting has its good and bad points and this book points them out from the perspective of people who did make it. Making It On Broadway is a recommended read for anyone who wants to pursue acting as a career.

Rating:
Summary: Beyond the Great White Way
Review: For theatre people or anyone interested in acting this book is a MUST!! It actually is more about making "it" on Broadway. The Great White Way is strewn with many funny, sad stories. These are actors who make a living at their craft. Most of them are not household names but they work primarily in Broadway musicals. This book painfully tells of their youth, their dreams and their struggles. All in their own words.
Some of it is very funny and some is very sad. They express anger at what Broadway has become and tell of the hard work and discipline that is required of them. There are some very amusing anecdotes about things that go horribly awry during a production.
Dave Clemmons tells a very touching and sad story of a little girl who came to see him in "Les Miserables" in Salt Lake City. It has a happy ending but really tugs at your heart strings.
The theatres are old and dirty, and most of the time the pay is not that great. But they do it because they love the theatre. The are all Broadway Babys. Read it, you won't regret one word.

Rating:
Summary: Very Depressing
Review: I want a career on Broadway when I'm older. I found this book honest and extremely interesting, but very depressing. They make it seem like life on Broadway is misery and horror.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: It's a simple easy read that I would recomend for anyone who is looking to make it in the theater business. I found that I am refering to this daily (in fact the only thing that I am using more is Ariella Vaccarino's wonderful "Voice Lessons to go" series (another must have for the most novice to the most professional singer). Anyway, the book is great. Buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This book is brilliant and worth far more than the asking price, if you ask me. Sure, it's got more than its fair share of funny and interesting little theatre anecdotes, but it's also a great textbook about the trials of being a professional actor, as well as a study in the commercialism of modern theatre. I'm actually using it as a textbook in my capstone Theatre course, as we're focusing a bit on "what makes a hit". I think that anyone interested in any aspect of Theatre should give this one a read; it really gives a fascinating view into it, as well as being just a really good read.
Oh, and one of my favorite parts is the set of interviews all talking about the Les Mis entrance mishap... funny stuff. Warning: don't read this backstage, or you *will* almost miss your cues!

Rating:
Summary: So entertaining...!
Review: This book is so entertaining. I love hearing actors' stories in their own words, from their point of view. There are some great stories (My favorite section so far is the "Mishaps during a performance" section.) and some wonderful insight. Very well done.
I am enjoying reading it so much that I have to force myself to slow down. I don't want to finish it too soon.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This book is so entertaining. I love hearing actors' stories in their own words, from their point of view. There are some great stories (My favorite section so far is the "Mishaps during a performance" section.) and some wonderful insight. Very well done.
I am enjoying reading it so much that I have to force myself to slow down. I don't want to finish it too soon.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This is a must-have for anyone who wants to work in the musical theater business on Broadway. At it's best it is uplifting and dreamlike, and it's worst is suicidally depressing. But if you want to get onto the Great White Way, you can't allow yourself to be brought down by fear or depression. This book gives you that knowledge straight from the horse's mouth.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: This is such a great read! Theater fans like me love hearing actual broadway actors speak about what the business is really like. Most other Broadway books talk about either the history of theater or how vaguely to construct a show, but this book really gets to the core of what being on Broadway is about. Be prepared for shocking, hilarious, and sometimes even painful stories shared by so many revered performers. It's an extremely truthful and important read for everyone even vaguely interested in theater!