Music Book Review: Musical Theatre for Dummies by Seth Rudetsky

Musical Theatre for Dummies
by Seth Rudetsky (Music 782.14 Rud)

I’ve been a fan of both Seth Rudetsky, and the “…for Dummies” series of books for years, so this was a perfect combination! I regularly listen to Rudetsky as he hosts the “On Broadway” program on SiriusXM radio, playing Broadway music, interviewing fellow Broadway stars, and dishing about Broadway history. And, since the inception of the “For Dummies” series in 1991, I can easily say I’ve read at least 20 “For Dummies” volumes on topics as widely diverse as Guitar Playing, Wine Basics, Digital Photography, various computer software packages, and Playwriting.

 

Seth (with his co-authors Ryan M. Prendergast and Bill Jenkins) breaks the world of Musical Theatre into three major sections (with multiple sub-sections) — Getting Started With Musical Theatre, The People Who Make Musical Theatre Happen, and The Blood, Sweat and Tears of Theatre Life. He follows this up with an extra, fourth, section “The Part of Tens”, covering “Ten (Plus) Songs You Didn’t Realize Came From Musical Theatre” and “Ten Celebs Who Started in Musical Theatre”. Seth uses the typical format of the “For Dummies” series to include sidebar articles marked with little icons: “Seth Speaks”, in which he shares tangential stories; “Tip”, in which he highlights useful tips for those wanting insider info; and “Remember” for his most important points.

 

Two of the most enjoyable things about listening to Seth on the radio are his encyclopedic knowledge about all things Broadway (and his inherent love for the subject matter), and his brassy, sassy, over-the-top personality. Both of those come through in this volume in spades. For anyone only vaguely familiar with the wild and crazy world of musical theatre — from Broadway to small community theatres — Musical Theatre for Dummies may feel a bit like an overdose. But for anyone who has a passion this field, reading this will feel like sitting in on a multi-hour dish session with one of the most knowledgeable Broadway insiders you’re ever likely to encounter — and not someone with a dry “informational/educational” tone, rather someone who simply loves musical theatre and can’t wait to tell you all about it.

 

(Reading all the tidbits Seth shares in this book may make you wish to read more books about Broadway history and the shows made famous there — our Polley Music Library on the second floor of the downtown library has tons on this topic. I also recommend Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway (no longer in the libraries) and Singular Sensation: The Triumph of Broadway by Michael Riedel.)

 

( official Seth Rudetsky web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Check out this, and all the other great music resources, at the Polley Music Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Bennett Martin Public Library at 14th & "N" St. in downtown Lincoln. You'll find biographies of musicians, books about music history, instructional books, sheet music, CDs, music-related magazines, and much more. Also check out Polley Music Library Picks, the Polley Music Library's e-mail newsletter, and follow them on Facebook!