Not Since Carrie is Ken Mandelbaum's brilliant survey of Broadway's biggest flops. This highly readable and entertaining book highlights almost 200 musicals created between 1950 and 1990, framed around the notorious musical adaptation of Carrie, and examines the reasons for their failure. "Essential and hilarious," raves The New Yorker, and The New York Times calls the book "A must-read."

"These cautionary tales are provocative, highly instructive, occasionally brutal, and, from a safe distance, downright hilarious, making Second Act Trouble the perfect Broadway bedtime reader - unless you are prone to nightmares."--BOOK JACKET.

(Vocal Selections). "This show has guts!" proclaimed Richard Zoglin of Time magazine about this 2012 revival, which won the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical Revival. It features music by Michael Gore, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and book by Lawrence D. Cohen (based on the novel by Stephen King). Our folio features vocal selections for 18 songs from that revival, including: Alma Mater * And Eve Was Weak * Carrie * Carrie (Reprise) * Do Me a Favor * Dreamer in Disguise * Epilogue * Evening Prayers * I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance * In * A Night We'll Never Forget * Once You See * Open Your Heart * Unsuspecting Hearts * When There's No One * Why Not Me? * The World According to Chris * You Shine.

“One of the best literary works of this year” (Miami Herald-Tribune): The true story of a theatrical dream—or nightmare—come true…the making of the Spider-Man musical. As you might imagine, writing a Broadway musical has its challenges. But it turns out there are challenges one can’t begin to imagine when collaborating with two rock legends and a superstar director to stage the biggest, most expensive production in theater history. Renowned director Julie Taymor picked playwright Glen Berger to cowrite the book for a $25 million Spider-Man musical. Together—along with U2’s Bono and Edge—they would shape a work that was technically daring and emotionally profound, with a story fueled by the hero’s quest for love…and the villains’ quest for revenge. Or at least, that’s what they’d hoped for. But when charismatic producer Tony Adams died suddenly, the show began to lose its footing. Soon the budget was ballooning, financing was evaporating, and producers were jumping ship or getting demoted. And then came the injuries. And then came word-of-mouth about the show itself. What followed was a pageant of foul-ups, falling-outs, ever-more harrowing mishaps, and a whole lot of malfunctioning spider legs. This “circus-rock-and-roll-drama,” with its $65 million price tag, had become more of a spectacle than its creators ever wished for. During the show’s unprecedented seven months of previews, the company’s struggles to reach opening night inspired breathless tabloid coverage and garnered international notoriety. Through it all, Berger observed the chaos with his signature mix of big ambition and self-deprecating humor.

The extraordinary story of a transformative decade on Broadway, featuring gripping behind-the-scenes accounts of shows such as Rent, Angels in America, Chicago, The Lion King, and The Producers—shows that changed the history of the American theater. The 1990s was a decade of profound change on Broadway. At the dawn of the nineties, the British invasion of Broadway was in full swing, as musical spectacles like Les Miserables, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera dominated the box office. But Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard soon spelled the end of this era and ushered in a new wave of American musicals, beginning with the ascendance of an unlikely show by a struggling writer who reimagined Puccini’s opera La Bohème as the smash Broadway show Rent. American musical comedy made its grand return, culminating in The Producers, while plays, always an endangered species on Broadway, staged a powerful comeback with Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. A different breed of producers rose up to challenge the grip theater owners had long held on Broadway, and corporations began to see how much money could be made from live theater. And just as Broadway had clawed its way back into the mainstream of American popular culture, the September 11 attacks struck fear into the heart of Americans who thought Times Square might be the next target. But Broadway was back in business just two days later, buoyed by talented theater people intent on bringing New Yorkers together and supporting the economics of an injured city. Michael Riedel presents the drama behind every mega-hit or shocking flop, bringing readers into high-stakes premieres, fraught rehearsals, tough contract negotiations, intense Tony Award battles, and more. From the bitter feuds to the surprising collaborations, all the intrigue of a revolutionary era in the Theater District is packed into Singular Sensation. Broadway has triumphs and disasters, but the show always goes on.

A TOP 10 RAINBOW LIST BOOK William C. Morris YA Debut Award nominee Carrie Mesrobian delivers a “raw, sympathetic coming-of-age story [that] uncovers the messy, painful, yet vitally important process of self-discovery” (Booklist, starred review) when a high school senior comes to terms with his attraction to both his girlfriend and his male best friend. It took Will Caynes seventeen years to have his first kiss. He should be ecstatic…except that it was with his best friend, Angus, while they were both drunk and stoned. Will’s not gay, but he did sort of enjoy whatever it was he felt with Angus. Unsettled by his growing interest in Angus, Will avoids his friend and even starts dating a sophomore, Brandy. When he’s hooking up with her, he’s totally into it, so he must be straight, right? Then why does he secretly keep going back to Angus? Confusing as Will’s feelings are, they’re a welcome distraction from his complicated home life. His father has started drinking earlier each day when he should be working on never-ending house renovations. And his mom—divorced and living in a McMansion with her new husband—isn’t much help, unless she’s buying Will a bunch of stuff he doesn’t need. Between the two of them, neither feels like much of a parent—which leaves Will on his own in figuring things out with his girlfriend and best friend. He loves them both, but deciding who to be with will ultimately hurt someone. Himself, probably the most.

Flop Musicals of the Twenty-First Century offers a provocative and revealing historical narrative of a group of musicals that cost millions and that had spectacular potential...but bombed anyway. Unlike similar books on the topic which have taken a more truncated approach to telling the fascinating stories of these shows, Stephen Purdy chooses instead to examine at length the production histories of these shows which are all bound together by a common thread. In this volume Purdy focuses the lens on several seemingly infallible theatre creatives that weren't destined to repeat their successes with the shows discussed in this volume. As such, Purdy grounds the discussion by examining what the legendary creators of Les Miserables, pop superstar Elton John, wunderkind Julie Taymor and many others have in common besides being inspired storytellers of iconic Broadway musicals. The answer is that that also all created shows that, for one reason or a dozen, didn't find an audience. This particular volume shares the story of what can happen when formidable creative teams of sell-out musicals attempt to re-create their success but miss the mark. This is an engaging book for students, practitioners and fans of musical theatre that contains thoughtful observations about luck and creative differences, botched adaptations and alienated audiences, all of which can determine the fate of a musical.

“Carrie Fountain’s YA novel is part-plot-twisty thriller, part-sweet romance, and perfect for summer reading!” —Bustle, Best YA Book of July, on I'm Not Missing It’s senior year, and Miranda Black’s best friend, Syd, has run away—suddenly and inexplicably, leaving behind nothing but a pink leopard print cell phone with a text message from the mysterious HIM. Everyone wants to know why Syd left, but the truth is, Miranda has no idea. When Miranda’s mother abandoned her as a child, Miranda had found shelter in her friendship with Syd, who wore her own motherlessness like a badge of honor. Now Miranda’s been left behind again, left to untangle the questions of why Syd left, where she is—and if she’s even a friend worth saving, all while stumbling into first love with the most unlikely boy in school. How do you take on the future when it feels like so much of your past wasn’t even real?

Jerrie Marcus Smith remembers her great aunt Carrie as a humorless woman who always wore black and who, Jerrie says, "scared me to death." Only as an adult did Jerrie grasp the impact of Carrie Marcus Neiman. Along with her brother, Herbert Marcus Sr., and her husband A.L. Neiman, Carrie co-founded in 1907 the famed Neiman Marcus department store in Dallas, Texas. Carrie played an integral role in the store''s success, despite having three strikes against her: she was a woman, she was Jewish, and (after her husband''s illicit relationship with a second-floor saleswoman) she was divorced. Yet with impeccable taste and exemplary manners, she traveled as a buyer to New York in the 1920s (without a man!) and, as Jerrie says, "was nobody''s pushover." Carrie was self-taught and never attended college. Her only pregnancy ended in miscarriage; she worked at Neiman Marcus until her death at age 66. Yet through memories shared by her father, the late Neiman Marcus legend Stanley Marcus, as well as through spellbinding interviews with long retired salespeople, Jerrie has felt inextricably tied to Carrie. Each recollection of Aunt Carrie, each remembrance, each detail melted away Jerrie''s childhood fear of the stern woman in black, leaving in its place a colorful portrait of a person to be admired, to be loved and--perhaps most of all--to be shared. "This captivating portrait of a strong and elegant woman will take you through fashion into the journey of a changing America and the birth of its most prestigious store, Neiman Marcus."--Diane von Furstenberg, fashion designer, philanthropist "A Girl Named Carrie is essential reading for everyone who admires the establishment and growth of the iconic Neiman Marcus, which set the standard for the American department store era and influenced stores around the world. Carrie Marcus Neiman was present at the creation and established the essential concepts that remain today. Yes, it''s a must-read!"--Leonard A. Lauder, Chairman Emeritus, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. "There''s a reason Life magazine sent some of its most celebrated photographers to capture the Neiman Marcus world: X, Y, and Z. A Girl Named Carrie shows us all of them."--Bill Shapiro, Former Editor-in-Chief of Life magazine "Carrie Marcus Neiman--A Female Founder and Chair of the Board long before this was even a dream of women. As the co-Founder of Neiman Marcus, she brought contemporary styles of Ready to Wear to women who had always had tailor-made clothes. She was a true disruptor in the industry and a constant inspiration to me as the next female CEO of the company 103 years later. "--Karen Katz, Former CEO Neiman Marcus Group "Thoughtful and evocative, A Girl Named Carrie tells the often remembered but never-before recorded history of Carrie Marcus Neiman. As an arbiter of taste and supporter of culture, "Aunt Carrie" not only brought clothing from New York and Paris to Dallas but placed Dallas alongside those two cities as an international fashion mecca. Her uncompromising standards for production and well-informed style established ready-to-wear as an accepted way to dress, her fastidious attention to detail created an expectation for customer service still appreciated by Neiman Marcus customers today, and her leadership as a businesswoman in the early twentieth century stands as a feminist example. Followers of fashion and appreciators of culture owe a debt of gratitude to this remarkable woman, whose story is beautifully told and illustrated here!"--Annette Becker, Director, Texas Fashion Collection, University of North Texas "Lovely writing! Bountiful visuals! A fascinating read!"--Jeffrey Banks, fashion designer and author "In A Girl Named Carrie Jerrie Marcus Smith has captured not only a powerful personality but also a pivotal moment in a city, a family and, above all, in American retailing. Carrie Neiman invented the specialty store, along with her husband, Al, and brother, Herbert Marcus. They called it Neiman Marcus, and it was born to be elegant but different from other emporiums, more daring, more imaginative, more attuned to fashion as a harbinger of the future as well as a talisman for its own time. All three, still in their 20s, were central to the enterprise, but without the taste, talent and foresight of Carrie Neiman, first and always chief buyer, the guys, good as they were at finance and promotion, would have had nothing to sell. Justifiably, the stores--eventually plural--have been known by her name, Neiman''s. This is a fascinating tale told with clarity, honesty, style and finesse by a great-niece who grew up in the glory days of Neiman Marcus. Also, the photographs are dazzling."--Lee Cullum, Journalist and Senior Fellow, John G. Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs, SMU "What a lovely and lively tribute to one of high fashions secret weapons, Ms. Carrie Neiman! A rare one-of-a-kind visionary, Ms. Neiman reshaped fashion retailing with ideas and pleasures that are still influential today. After years in the shadows it makes me very happy that she is being celebrated for the ingenuity and grace she brought to Neiman Marcus and all of us that visited it."--Todd Oldham, Designer and Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by RISD

Have you ever wished you could receive a little guidance from your favorite book boyfriend? Ever dreamed of being the Chosen One in a YA novel? Want to know all the secrets of surviving the dreaded plot twist? Or maybe you're just really confused about what "opal-tinted, luminous cerulean orbs" actually are? Well, popular Twitter personality @broodingYAhero is here to help as he tackles the final frontier in his media dominance: writing a book. Join Broody McHottiepants as he attempts to pen Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me, a "self-help" guide (with activities--you always need activities) that lovingly pokes fun at the YA tropes that we roll our eyes at, but secretly love. As his nefarious ex, Blondie DeMeani, attempts to thwart him at every turn, Broody overcomes to detail, among other topics, how to choose your genre, how to keep your love interest engaged (while maintaining lead character status), his secret formula for guaranteed love triangle success, and how to make sure you secure that sequel, all while keeping his hair perfectly coiffed and never breaking a sweat.