On Broadway: From Rent to Revolution

Right from the forward, Chip Kidd’s self-righteous and condescending intro was a real turn off. I’m sure the publishers were excited to have such an influential designer introducing the work, but what they failed to understand is that a large part of their potential audience aren’t just design nerds, but theater lovers. Several designs were wonderful and iconic, but many of them were just fine. I think the intro just soured me so that it was no longer a joy to appreciate the design and the work. Buy it if you must, but otherwise, I’d pass.

This book is gorgeous & I haven't been this excited for a design book in a long time. I purchased it because a friend of mine is a SpotCo art director and knowing his design, I knew this book would be full of beautiful work by him and the rest of SpotCo.My favorite part of this book is the "Event/Non-Event" section that introduces each Broadway production. The Event/Non-Event, plus the interviews by Broadway stars, producers, and SpotCo designers, gives a glimpse into the thinking behind creating advertising for Broadway.This isn't an all-inclusive book of Broadway history, and it's not meant to be. It is, as the description says, a peek into Broadway advertising - pitching ideas for shows, concepting ideas for key art, and figuring out how to involve the community & excite them for a production. Maybe it's also meant to be a coffee table book, but I think that idea makes the book feel cheap. It is far from a coffee table book for me because it is so packed with advertising insight & inspirational design that it is well worth the time to scour every single page.

I want to be fair to this book, because much of it is very good, and I would have both bought it and positively reviewed it IF IT HAD BEEN MARKETED HONESTLY!See, this is NOT a book of the history of the Broadway musical since "Rent"It is a book about THE ADVERTISING of the Broadway musical since "Rent"by a company called Spotco.Much of their ads are fine... even brilliant... but the ads are not the shows OR the history of the theatreAs I say, I would, very likely have still bought this AND been much more kindly disposed to it if it were a bit more honest in its...well... advertising

More a review of SpotCo's (one of Broadway's biggest ad/pr agencies) many advertising campaigns than a review of Broadway itself, this beautifully crafted book shows how a show arrives at its marketing "look". The book covers SpotCo's work from "Rent" (its first client) to "Hamilton" and is really meant to be a coffee table book (and I'm sure will be THE holiday present this year among the Broadway business folks).

So much to read and absorb. This is like a delicious dessert...don't want it to end. I have seen most of the shows but certainly am familiar with all of them. Not what I expected..it's the history of the Agency and the staff who have created the posters for Broadway productions. Still reading..

Drew takes a spotlight and shines it on the flip-side "star" of a Broadway show...the design and advertising, and how to connect the dots between the audience and the stage. A fun, juicy, behind-the-scenes peek into all the best kinds of drama, along with what feels like a front-row seat to all the backstage action. Bravo Drew & Co!

daughter liked it

Nice book, but I didn't realize it was only about shows handled by SPOTCO. I was looking for more of a history of musical theatre during the period covered and so a lot of important shows are left out. Still, it's a handsome book.

Bought as a present and the person I bought it for loves it. Beautiful quality.

Muy bueno para tenerlo como acervo cultural para los amantes de los musicales.

Muy completo. Tanto para profesionales como para aficionados. Muy bien ilustrado. Una guía necesaria para entender la historia del teatro musical en Broadway y en el mundo.