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OverviewWhen the show was first produced in 1960, at a time when transatlantic musical theatre was dominated by American productions, Oliver! already stood out for its overt Englishness. But in writing Oliver!, librettist and composer Lionel Bart had to reconcile the Englishness of his Dickensian source with the American qualities of the integrated book musical. To do so, he turned to the musical traditions that had defined his upbringing: English music hall, Cockney street singing, and East End Yiddish theatre. This book reconstructs the complicated biography of Bart's play, from its early inception as a pop musical inspired by a marketable image, through its evolution into a sincere Dickensian adaptation that would push English musical theatre to new dramatic heights. The book also addresses Oliver!'s phenomenal reception in its homeland, where audiences responded to the musical's Englishness with a nationalistic fervor. The musical, which has more than fulfilled its promise as one of the most popular English musicals of all time, remains one of the country's most significant shows.Author Marc Napolitano shows how Oliver!'s popularity has ultimately exerted a significant influence on two separate cultural trends. Firstly, Bart's adaptation forever impacted the culture text of Dickens's Oliver Twist; to this day, the general perception of the story and the innumerable allusions to the novel in popular media are colored heavily by the sights, scenes, sounds, and songs from the musical, and virtually every major adaptation of from the 1970s on has responded to Bart's work in some way. Secondly, Oliver! helped to move the English musical forward by establishing a post-war English musical tradition that would eventually pave the way for the global dominance of the West End musical in the 1980s. As such, Napolitano's book promises to be an important book for students and scholars in musical theatre studies as well as to general readers interested in the megamusical. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Marc Napolitano (Assistant Professor in English, Assistant Professor in English, West Point Military Academy, West Point, NY)Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc Dimensions: Width: 16.00cm , Height: 2.80cm , Length: 23.90cm Weight: 0.522kg ISBN: 9780199364824ISBN 10: 0199364826 Pages: 302 Publication Date: 06 November 2014 Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Tertiary & Higher Education , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: To order  Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us. Table of ContentsReviewsNapolitano demonstrates excellent command of the literature. Recommended. --Choice The study shows a good balance between popular culture writ large and the tensions in the show's creation between different collaborators, and between the original production and subsequent revivals...Therefore, by its very structure, content and aims, this is important work. --Studies in Musical Theatre Napolitano demonstrates excellent command of the literature. Recommended. --Choice The study shows a good balance between popular culture writ large and the tensions in the show's creation between different collaborators, and between the original production and subsequent revivals...Therefore, by its very structure, content and aims, this is important work. --Studies in Musical Theatre Author InformationMarc Napolitano is an assistant professor of English at the United States Military Academy, West Point. He attained his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where his research interests included Victorian literature, Dickensian studies, and adaptation theory. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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