Offstage Observations : Inside Tales of the Not-So-Legitimate Theatre - Steven Suskin

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Offstage Observations

Inside Tales of the Not-So-Legitimate Theatre

By: Steven Suskin

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Hardcover | 1 March 2022

At a Glance

Hardcover
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
16.4 x 23.7 x 3.6

Hardcover

$71.75

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Broadway, once upon a time. A place where people buy tickets at the box office, with cash; where patrons dress for theatre, with no sneakers, no water bottles, and no backpacks; and the only text messages are the ones put there by the playwright. A place where iconic legends of stage and screen can be found in plain view, smiling politely or egotistically preening. Where three dollars will get you a balcony seat at the biggest hit--or the lowliest flop--in town. And a place where an innocent teenager from the suburbs can buy a ticket, slip through the stage door, and wander o'er the threshold into the magical world backstage.

Steven Suskin introduces Broadway, once upon a time, in Offstage Observations: Tales of the Not-So-Legitimate Theatre. The drama critic and noted chronicler of Broadway takes the reader through a decade's worth of adventures, working his way from a menial pencil sharpener for producer David Merrick toward a career as a full-fledged manager, producer, and drama critic. The book follows the author's progress from the wintry night after his sixteenth birthday, when he unexpectedly finds himself alone on the empty stage of a Broadway theatre, peering out at the silent, empty auditorium lit only by a solitary ghost light to the matinee eight summers later when he finds himself accidentally and uncomfortably acting in a Broadway musical, bombarded by roars of laughter from a houseful of playgoers.

A keen observer of the impertinent with an ear for amusing anecdotes, whimsical curiosities, and exaggerated tales of life upon the wicked stage, Suskin draws a portrait of a not-so-long-ago theatre world that has all but vanished.

Industry Reviews

âThe joy and the curse of live theatre is that it is ephemeral, the performance you see lives on only in your memory. But while reading Offstage Observations, I came as close as one can get to feeling I was actually experiencing all the great (and not so great!) shows and performances that Steven Suskin so wonderfully recreates with his words. This book is a gift to anyone who loves the theatre.ââ"Marc Shaiman

âA wonderful book about a young manâs obsession with the theatre and the many adventures he had along the way. He saw everythingâ"and I mean EVERYTHINGâ"and seems also to remember everything! Suskinâs Broadway tales are a delight.ââ"Andr© Bishop

âI would advise anyone who loves theater to read Offstage Observations. Steven Suskinâs journey through the offstage world is unique and compelling, funny and touching.ââ"Jerry Zaks

âReading this book felt like finding my Broadway roots! Steven Suskin is a great listener and a great observer, and in the perfect position to illuminate our story. His impeccable taste helps us understand the tapestry of NYC theatre, including both hits and flops, in our quest for art to achieve refinement.ââ"Faith Prince

âA blood-curdling tale of lust and passionâ"Steven Suskinâs for Broadway, that is. Youâll meet the great and the near-great, and more than a few eccentric and entertaining schlockmeisters along the wayâ"including a felon or two. Tales of triumph and calamity, egotism, talent, chicanery, and bluster, opportunities taken and opportunities blownâ"itâs show business at its confounding best. Pick a rainy day, brew up a pot of coffee or a pitcher of martinis, and just start reading. You wonât want to stop.ââ"Jack Viertel

âWhat a treat to read Steven Suskinâ"a fount of theatrical knowledge, garnered over years of experience alternately glorious and grim. And all narrated with precision, scruple, and honesty of the kind only an abiding love for the theaters truth can bring.ââ"Michael Feingold

"Offstage Observations is the perfect book for theatre aficionados. Reading it will alter how you perceive the show and business of Broadway. Part autobiography, part theatre history, it will hold a special place on readers shelves for the research and pleasure it provides."

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