Show and Tell: The New Book of Broadway Anecdotes

The stories are OK (like most show biz anecdotes, you've heard many before, often attributed to others), but the prose is frequently baffling. Tiny example at random; "At a party thrown by Billy Rose and stripper/intellectual Gypsy Rose Lee, Burton Lane told the following story:" Then it turns out to be a story Lane told ABOUT the party, not AT the party, but the reader is left momentarily to sift through the twisted prose (on every page, BTW) to figure it out and go on. (Did something go horribly wrong with the Kindle edition?)It's such a pice of fluff that one can just plow ahead (to paraphrase Disney's Dory, "Just keep skimming... just keep skimming.") and trust that the sense will reveal itself, and if it doesn't, you're on to the next anecdote anyway. (As an former audiobook narrator, I believe that every author should read his/her work aloud before signing off on the galleys, having to make it SOUND like it makes sense shows you where the mistakes are very quickly.) Good airplane, bedside, or bathroom read, but not much more than an poorly penned time killer.

I couldn't stop reading this delightful book. Legendary actors, directors, producers in flamboyant, awkward, angry and wacky moments...pages filled with stories of the players and the theaters...I loved it. I sent a copy to my dad. It's a great gift for theater lovers. So well researched and carefully thought out. Open it to any page, anywhere, anytime.

This book tells many humorous and surprising anecdotes about famous Broadway actors, composers and producers, going back to the 19th century, in an enjoyable and encyclopedic way. If you love the theater, this is a good way to gain some insight into the behavior of some of its most famous, and some not-so-famous performers and creators.

It's OK. It gets a little wordy and boring after a while, but there are lots of very interesting pictures and little side-notes

Enjoyed this book. Well written and covers a lot of ground. Wish some of thew "further reading" selections were more readily available. Whets the appetite to dig deeper into an interesting subject.

This is definitely a book for theater freaks. Lot's of insider information on star of the past. Mostly humorous. Not particularly well written - requiring some re-reading to gain understanding. But light and fluffy and fun on a lazy day or dreary night. Enjoy.

Perfect for anyone with an interest in show business.

This book is chock-full of wonderful stories about the theater. It is a must read for theater afficianados. I loved it.

Ken Bloom has gathered together, under one roof, so to speak, a joyous collection of insider show-biz stories culled from the careers of some of the greatest talents and personalities ever to have graced the Broadway stage. He does so with the skill and showmanship of a seasoned raconteur. The result is over 300 beguiling pages of richly textured theater lore - from Florenz Ziegfeld to Lin-Manuel Miranda. A palpable hit! Or, as the great Ira Gershwin once said: who could ask for anything more?

Agree with others that this is not the best collection of anecdotes I have read. Some of the stories are just odd and a few are a re write of other tales that seem to miss the point.

Very interesting and informative. Some anecdotes I had heard before, attributed to different people. This is expected in show business.