I love a good musical ... I am 'old school' in that I am stuck, with few exceptions, in the days of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe and so on. And while I do enjoy the movie versions of some of them, for others, well, the big screen is ... too much ... the story and music are much better when 'limited' to the space on a stage. (An an example would be "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma! where, on stage, the two leads sang, under spotlights that never quite touched vs a wide open meadow, vaseline lens, and the two embracing ...) While I've read about the composers and lyricists, and some of the actors, this is my first book about the dancers! And what a read it was! It's all here ... the auditions, the rehearsals, the directors and choreographers ... the good, the bad (some so bad they closed opening night) and, like Box Office Poison, (below) a few 'what were they thinking?' ... I Danced on Broadway: Memoir of a Career on Stage, by Lee Wilson was a most entertaining and informative read!

Not every film makes a profit, we know that, but these, the ones discussed in Box Office Poison: Hollywood's Story in a Century of Flops, by Tim Robery are the ones that failed big time. (Although some have a cult following now, due to streaming services). From silent and black and white to color, special effects and computer generated images, here are the movies that failed to capture an audience. It includes sequels, adaptations from books, and a few 'what were they thinking?' ... all in all a most engaging read.

Reading Hermit With Dog