By: Gerald Schoenfeld
334 Pages
Summary:
The Shubert name is legendary in theater circles. Now find out how the family made their name and almost lost in more than once. See how the legacy- all the good and the bad- came to be.
I wish I lived in New York. I've always wanted to go to a Broadway show. However, I've never been able to. So, I live vicariously through other venues. Still, I've always been curious and attracted to the glitz, glamour, sweat, and tears of Broadway tales.
The Shuberts were a set of 3 brothers who would join forces to make one the most successful companies in Broadway history. How could you not be curious as to how they did it? Of all the things I imagined that could happen on their road to success, I never was close to what the reality was.
From untimely deaths, to bitter estrangements, to numerous lawsuits, I came to realize the Shubert story was a sad one. J.J., Lee, and Sam had big dreams, but two of them would never live to see how big those dreams would be. Once Sam died, it was only J.J. and Lee left. These two hated each other to the point they barely spoke to one another. In fact, when Lee died, J.J. didn't attend the funeral.
Just about the first half of the book deals with all the family drama and the numerous lawsuits. I have to admit, I reached a point of skipping because it was depressing to see the lengths greed and selfishness would take people to.
However, you do eventually get to read about the shows and all the people involved in them. I was given an education on shows like A Chorus Line, Annie, Dreamgirls and many others. That was the real joy of the book for me.
If you love theater and Broadway, this book is worth reading. You may have to skim through parts you don't care about.
Rating: Borrow From The Library
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