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Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway

Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway

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  • Create Date：2021-04-17 14:52:32
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Michael Riedel
  • ISBN：1451672179
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Summary

“A vivid page-turner” （NPR） detailing the rise， fall， and redemption of Broadway—its stars， its biggest shows， its producers， and all the drama， intrigue， and power plays that happened behind the scenes。

“A rich， lovely， debut history of New York theater in the 1970s and eighties” （Kirkus Reviews， starred review）， Razzle Dazzle is a narrative account of the people and the money and the power that turned New York’s gritty back alleys and sex-shops into the glitzy， dazzling Great White Way。

In the mid-1970s Times Square was the seedy symbol of New York’s economic decline。 Its once shining star， the renowned Shubert Organization， was losing theaters to make way for parking lots and losing money。 Bernard Jacobs and Jerry Schoenfeld， two ambitious board members， saw the crumbling company was ripe for takeover and staged a coup and staved off corporate intrigue， personal betrayals and criminal investigations。 Once Jacobs and Schoenfeld solidified their power， they turned a collapsed theater-owning holding company into one of the most successful entertainment empires in the world， spearheading the revitalization of Broadway and the renewal of Times Square。

“For those interested in the business behind the greasepaint， at a riveting time in Broadway’s and New York’s history， this is the ticket” （USA TODAY）。 Michael Riedel tells the stories of the Shubert Organization and the shows that re-built a city in grand style—including Cats， A Chorus Line， and Mamma Mia！—revealing the backstage drama that often rivaled what transpired onstage， exposing bitter rivalries， unlikely alliances， and inside gossip。 “The trouble with Razzle Dazzle is…you can’t put the damn thing down” （Huffington Post）。

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Reviews

Jacob ，

This is a great book that goes over the history of the people who own the Broadway theatres， the people who make the shows， and the people who perform them。 It reads like fiction sometimes and is such an easy read。 Only goes up to about 1990。 But I highly recommend it for Broadway lovers。

Richard ，

A terrific book for the devoted Broadway fans。 The history of the Schubert’s and the Nederlanders is a compelling read。

Jeremy ，

It would be so easy to start off this review with lyrics from the song of the title， because when thinking of Broadway， the image one often gets is of， ahem， the razzle dazzle of it all。 Yet it's what lies underneath it all， and what gives this book， Razzle Dazzle by Michael Riedel， its drive is the business aspect of show business。 The Shuberts were three brothers that， starting in the late 19th century， amassed wealth and great power within the theater world by owning a great many Broadway the It would be so easy to start off this review with lyrics from the song of the title， because when thinking of Broadway， the image one often gets is of， ahem， the razzle dazzle of it all。 Yet it's what lies underneath it all， and what gives this book， Razzle Dazzle by Michael Riedel， its drive is the business aspect of show business。 The Shuberts were three brothers that， starting in the late 19th century， amassed wealth and great power within the theater world by owning a great many Broadway theaters （and other theaters around the country）。 By the 1960s， all three brothers had died， and the only heir apparent that would keep it in the family was a drunk and very bad at business。 He nearly destroyed the company。 If it weren't for two company lawyers， Bernard B。 Jacobs and Gerald Schoenfeld， who forced a takeover， the business of Broadway would most look very different today。 Riedel， himself a Broadway columnist and insider， surveys the era of the Shuberts， and its organization， and how it built Broadway into a billion dollar commodity， weathering the storm of an ever changing Manhattan， and the seediness of 42nd St often at the forefront。 Riedel shares many stories of the many personalities involved， including Broadway legends David Merrick， Michael Bennett， Tommy Tune， Cameron Mackintosh， and Andrew Lloyd Webber in how fortunes and hits were made， the odd flops， and all the backbiting therein。 But a curious thing happens about halfway through。 Jacobs and Schoenfeld， who have been set up as the saving graces of Broadway， become egotistical bullies， making it hard to align the two。 And some nonchronological stories may make dramatic sense， but it makes it harder to get the full picture。 Riedel wants to show the razzle dazzle of Broadway， which he does to an extent， but in this telling， the real razzle dazzle happens behind the curtains。 。。。more

Kate McMurray ，

I really enjoyed this。 More a history of the Shubert Organization than anything else， but somehow at the same time a dishy exploration of what was happening in New York and on Broadway in the 70s and 80s， which is maybe an overlooked period in American theater。 Lots of interesting insider information on how shows are developed and produced—the focus on the Shuberts means the book ends up mostly being about producers and directors rather than actors or other parts of stagecraft—but still really f I really enjoyed this。 More a history of the Shubert Organization than anything else， but somehow at the same time a dishy exploration of what was happening in New York and on Broadway in the 70s and 80s， which is maybe an overlooked period in American theater。 Lots of interesting insider information on how shows are developed and produced—the focus on the Shuberts means the book ends up mostly being about producers and directors rather than actors or other parts of stagecraft—but still really fascinating。 。。。more

Myrna Gottlieb ，

A wonderful book on the history of Broadway- the theater owners， the producers， and Times Square。。 Highly recommended if you are interested in the theater。

Karen ，

Interesting， but probably only for fans of Broadway musicals。 Lots of interesting background and gossip about Broadway insiders， and about famous Broadway shows。 There are a LOT of people mentioned which sometimes became confusing as I didn't know all the major players， there's a lot crammed into this book！ But I'm glad I read it since I've been reading up on Broadway and watching as many musicals online as possible since I won't be going to the theater for some time。 I also really enjoyed Singu Interesting， but probably only for fans of Broadway musicals。 Lots of interesting background and gossip about Broadway insiders， and about famous Broadway shows。 There are a LOT of people mentioned which sometimes became confusing as I didn't know all the major players， there's a lot crammed into this book！ But I'm glad I read it since I've been reading up on Broadway and watching as many musicals online as possible since I won't be going to the theater for some time。 I also really enjoyed Singular Sensation by the same author， which is shorter and more focused on recent shows。 I read them out of order but I'd recommend reading this one first。 。。。more

Toni ，

This is the book before the latest， ‘Singular Sensation。’ This is my favorite because it covers the 70’s when I was a young adult and into the ‘City’ all the time。 😎 The days of Pippen with Ben Vereen， A Chorus Line， and all the Floyd Weber shows which I’m soso about。 Sorry to those fans。 Plus， NYC in the 70’s was a different place and Broadway helped bring it back during this time， into the 90’s。 And of course， all those great inside stories。 Have fun！ 😊

Brent ，

Great stories of Broadway's past。 The only think keeping it from being a 5-star is some of the writing is a bit dry at times。 Great stories of Broadway's past。 The only think keeping it from being a 5-star is some of the writing is a bit dry at times。 。。。more

Karen Hamlin ，

A thorough history of the ins and outs of the business side of Broadway。 Second half of the book more interesting than the first half。

Cindy Petzoldt ，

If you love Broadway （and I do）， this is a terrific behind-the-scenes view of the 1990s and 2000s。 The author does a great job explaining some of the business part of show business as well as the greed that sank some shows that could have been legendary。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book， which is a cut above the usual dish-the-dirt show biz expose and still a fun as well as informative read。 I especially enjoyed reading about the development of two of my favorite and completely disparate musicals If you love Broadway （and I do）， this is a terrific behind-the-scenes view of the 1990s and 2000s。 The author does a great job explaining some of the business part of show business as well as the greed that sank some shows that could have been legendary。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book， which is a cut above the usual dish-the-dirt show biz expose and still a fun as well as informative read。 I especially enjoyed reading about the development of two of my favorite and completely disparate musicals of the last two decades: Ragtime and The Producers。 。。。more

MH ，

An engaging history of Broadway in the 70s and 80s， centered on the powerful Shubert and Nederlander organizations。 Riedel finds plenty of room for personal portraits and backstage drama - feuds， fiascoes， and a ton of bad behavior - but his focus on the big money makes it more than just a gossipy show biz book （and certainly more than "a love letter to Broadway！" as one of the publisher's pull quotes has it）， as the industry power brokers deal with the urban blight of 1970s New York， the AIDS e An engaging history of Broadway in the 70s and 80s， centered on the powerful Shubert and Nederlander organizations。 Riedel finds plenty of room for personal portraits and backstage drama - feuds， fiascoes， and a ton of bad behavior - but his focus on the big money makes it more than just a gossipy show biz book （and certainly more than "a love letter to Broadway！" as one of the publisher's pull quotes has it）， as the industry power brokers deal with the urban blight of 1970s New York， the AIDS epidemic， changing audience tastes and their complicated relationship with civic authorities。 It's all gripping， and Riedel tells his stories really well。 。。。more

Steve ，

I have been really interested in the theater for the past few years， as an outgrowth of my long-time enthusiasm for the opera。 So， I really don't know much about it。 I saw a reference to this book in a Chicago Tribune article and it turned out to be a wonderful overview of （mostly） the Broadway musical throughout the second half of the 20th century。 Interesting， well-written， fast moving， great fun。 I have been really interested in the theater for the past few years， as an outgrowth of my long-time enthusiasm for the opera。 So， I really don't know much about it。 I saw a reference to this book in a Chicago Tribune article and it turned out to be a wonderful overview of （mostly） the Broadway musical throughout the second half of the 20th century。 Interesting， well-written， fast moving， great fun。 。。。more

Conner Castagno ，

This is not technically gay lit but it included some history of AIDs which affected a lot of the theater world in the 80s。 It was an interesting read but pretty long winded and the timelines were a little too disorganized。 That being said， it was really well written and I learned a lot about Broadway which I love。 The best part was in depth looks into some more famous shows like Phantom， Les Mis， CATS （<3） and some lesser known ones like Nine。 A great ready for any Broadway fan。

Gordon Prescott ，

Juicy tidbits about Broadway from the perspective of the Shubert Theaters。 Sections about Michael Bennett and A Chorus Line were the highlights along with the dirt on Andrew Lloyd Webber。 This book is only for broadway musical addicts。

Keshaun C ，

Really compelling book。 Tells the story of a pivotal time on Broadway， but in a way also tells of a pivotal time in NYC history。 Filled with amazing first hand accounts from many people， and great research。

Robert Stevens ，

RAZZLE DAZZLE shines brightest when sharing the GOSSIP alongside the DRAMA connected to the shows discussed， especially with the power players of the epoch discussed。 This book also is effective at showing the evolution of Times Square and Broadway from its seedy past to the GLITZ AND GLAMOUR that it is today， the gem of New York City， and the United States。 I also very much appreciate the commentary on the AIDS epidemic and how it impacted the theatre world。 While interesting， the parts that di RAZZLE DAZZLE shines brightest when sharing the GOSSIP alongside the DRAMA connected to the shows discussed， especially with the power players of the epoch discussed。 This book also is effective at showing the evolution of Times Square and Broadway from its seedy past to the GLITZ AND GLAMOUR that it is today， the gem of New York City， and the United States。 I also very much appreciate the commentary on the AIDS epidemic and how it impacted the theatre world。 While interesting， the parts that did not hold up as much were the parts about legal and financial issues， but I still learned a lot that I did not know， which is still a plus。 As a lover of PHANTOM and LES MISÉRABLES， I wish more details were shared about these two shows。I have read both books of Michael Riedel。 I read his 2020 book （SINGULAR SENSATION） late last year。 I much prefer it， but both books are interesting and showcase the old Broadway and the new Broadway。 Theatre has its up and downs， but it endures。 ______________________________________________________“But the truth is there’s no such thing as a bad house—just a bad show。” 。。。more

David R ，

I read the follow up to this book， Singular Sensation， first， but like that one I read this in a day。 This book， unlike the second， focuses primarily on the influence of theatre organization owners - Shubert and Nederlander - and then producers and directors such as Hal Prince， Andrew Lloyd Webber， Cameron Mackintosh， David Merrick， Michael Bennett， and Bob Fosse - and traces the development of Broadway theatre production from the 1960s to the late 1980s and early 1990s （where the second book pi I read the follow up to this book， Singular Sensation， first， but like that one I read this in a day。 This book， unlike the second， focuses primarily on the influence of theatre organization owners - Shubert and Nederlander - and then producers and directors such as Hal Prince， Andrew Lloyd Webber， Cameron Mackintosh， David Merrick， Michael Bennett， and Bob Fosse - and traces the development of Broadway theatre production from the 1960s to the late 1980s and early 1990s （where the second book picks up， focusing more on shows and producers and actors）。 it also discusses New York City history， and in this sense is reminiscent of the book The Bronx Is Burning， about NYC in 1977 and also the New York Yankees that season。 As most reviews have noted， this book is the more weightier of the two because of the substantive background and reads less of a romp than the second as a result。 An enjoyable， informative read。 。。。more

Hannah McIntyre ，

This was really good！ I'm not normally much of a non-fiction reader， and I know NOTHING about Broadway， but the way this was written kept me hooked the whole way through。 This was really good！ I'm not normally much of a non-fiction reader， and I know NOTHING about Broadway， but the way this was written kept me hooked the whole way through。 。。。more

Laura ，

This history of Broadway by Michael Riedel， theater columnist for the New Your Post， is informative， supremely interesting， and a great deal of fun。 After a brief review of Broadway's "Golden Age" （mid-1940s through the mid-60s）， Riedel shifts to the dark days of both the theater world and NYC generally in the 1970s， and the role of the Shubert Organization during the reign of lawyers Bernie Jacobs and Jerry Schoenfeld in shepherding their resurgence。 The focus is on the Shuberts， but the book c This history of Broadway by Michael Riedel， theater columnist for the New Your Post， is informative， supremely interesting， and a great deal of fun。 After a brief review of Broadway's "Golden Age" （mid-1940s through the mid-60s）， Riedel shifts to the dark days of both the theater world and NYC generally in the 1970s， and the role of the Shubert Organization during the reign of lawyers Bernie Jacobs and Jerry Schoenfeld in shepherding their resurgence。 The focus is on the Shuberts， but the book covers a number of other figures and organizations， both American and British， as well。 The tone is dishy， with lots of "insider" detail， describing producer in-fighting， affairs， drug and alcohol abuse， financial finagling -- all the gossipy stuff。 The book is fascinating and fun， but it only goes through the mid 1990s。 The sequel， entitled Singular Sensation， has just been published， and I can't wait to read it！ 。。。more

Gary ，

Broadway isn't much more than a century old but no mention is made of its predecessor VAUDEVILLE and silent movies。 3 bros。 Named Shubert slowly transformed the Great White Way but it was the British brought in the megahits。 Later the NEDERLANDERS took over the Deuce 。。。yes another 3 bros。 But the Shuberts reigned the first 75 yrsGood read for diehard theater geeks。 Broadway isn't much more than a century old but no mention is made of its predecessor VAUDEVILLE and silent movies。 3 bros。 Named Shubert slowly transformed the Great White Way but it was the British brought in the megahits。 Later the NEDERLANDERS took over the Deuce 。。。yes another 3 bros。 But the Shuberts reigned the first 75 yrsGood read for diehard theater geeks。 。。。more

Martin ，

To quote a Stephen Sondheim lyric “I’m just a Broadway baby。” Which is true， born and grew up in Manhattan and fell in love with Broadway at an early age when my parents first took me to “My Fair Lady” （of which I remember very little， except for the rotating stages changing scenes which fascinated a little boy。） So I’m always drawn to behind the scenes stories and histories of Broadway and this is good on both counts。 It’s very readable， although you may find it a little slow going at first as To quote a Stephen Sondheim lyric “I’m just a Broadway baby。” Which is true， born and grew up in Manhattan and fell in love with Broadway at an early age when my parents first took me to “My Fair Lady” （of which I remember very little， except for the rotating stages changing scenes which fascinated a little boy。） So I’m always drawn to behind the scenes stories and histories of Broadway and this is good on both counts。 It’s very readable， although you may find it a little slow going at first as there’s a lot of early background and diverse characters to introduce。 The history focuses mostly on the Schubert empire and the so called Battle For Broadway and gives some fascinating insight into their growth and sometimes dysfunctional development。 But you’ll also meet the other players， Nederlander， Jujamcyn and later Disney。 Other major characters include Michael Bennett （Chorus Line and Dreamgirls fame） David Merrick， Tommy Tune and many others。 There is a nice dollop of gossip versus history， and you do have to accept that while this is well researched， Michael Reidel is the New York Post critic and his relationships with many of those he’s writing about influences his point of view。 That being said it’s an enjoyable read and despite my knowing a good deal about Broadway， I did learn a lot。 My minor critiques are that the author often assumes you’ll recognize names and doesn’t always clarify who they area at first。 And he does repeat the same anecdote more than once。 It’s almost as if after writing an early chapter， he puts it aside and repeats the same story again later， forgetting he already told us this。 It’s a minor shortcoming in an otherwise enjoyable and informative history of a Broadway。 I look forward to his new book “Singular Sensation”。 。。。more

Tracy Fox ，

If you grew up in the 70's and 80's and love Broadway， this is the book for you！ If you grew up in the 70's and 80's and love Broadway， this is the book for you！ 。。。more

Mel ，

Fabulous ode to Broadway。 Such a wealth of information and so much knowledge in one book。 A must read for any theatre lover。 My only critic would be that it isn’t always sequential。 This makes difficult to keep up with at times， but to be honest I don’t know any other way you could write this story。

Caitlin ，

Wow。 It’s like a complete history of broadway and New York City in one。 The author has clearly done tons of research and it’s a fascinating book about the ups and downs of broadway and how it relates to the ups and downs of NYC over the years。 Loved learning about all the big names in theatre - especially all the people many of the theatres I’ve sat in are named after。 It was quite dense with info so at times I found myself forgetting who was who but overall great book and one I am sure to go ba Wow。 It’s like a complete history of broadway and New York City in one。 The author has clearly done tons of research and it’s a fascinating book about the ups and downs of broadway and how it relates to the ups and downs of NYC over the years。 Loved learning about all the big names in theatre - especially all the people many of the theatres I’ve sat in are named after。 It was quite dense with info so at times I found myself forgetting who was who but overall great book and one I am sure to go back to。 。。。more

Greg ，

Razzle Dazzle by Michael Riedel is a fantastic blow by blow account of how the Schubert organization， and two of its board members， Bernard Jacobs and Gerald Schoenfeld， turned the moribund state of Broadway theatre around in the 1970s。 By helping to create some of the greatest hit shows of our time， they revitalized the world’s most famous theatre district and set it on course to a more glowing and prosperous future still very much in evidence today。From how Michael Bennett created A Chorus Li Razzle Dazzle by Michael Riedel is a fantastic blow by blow account of how the Schubert organization， and two of its board members， Bernard Jacobs and Gerald Schoenfeld， turned the moribund state of Broadway theatre around in the 1970s。 By helping to create some of the greatest hit shows of our time， they revitalized the world’s most famous theatre district and set it on course to a more glowing and prosperous future still very much in evidence today。From how Michael Bennett created A Chorus Line， the creation of long-running mega musicals like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and Cats， and innovative shows like Chess and Nine， to the fight to save famous landmark Broadway theatres in the mid-70s， and the influence of powerful producers like David Merrick。 It’s all here！ Even Australian entrepreneur and producer， Robert Stigwood （Saturday Night Fever， Bee Gees）， makes an appearance。 Enjoy！ 。。。more

Selket Nicole ，

this book is densely packed， and it was slow going for me， but also absolutely fascinating！ i recommend it to anyone with an interest in musical theater or theater history。

Emily Mcauliffe ，

So boring。 So， so boring。 Granted， I love a good musical but am far from being a massive broadway fan girl。 But still。 Gave up halfway through。 Life’s too short。

Sarah ，

probably not a book for the casual broadway fan but i was literally obsessed with every single word of this story。 as much a story about new york city history， jewish immigrant life， indecency laws， union negotiations， the aids epidemic and t。s。 eliot as it was a story about broadway - but also absolutely contains a blow by blow look at exactly how "a chorus line" came to be， who loathed each other， and why。 got to the end and just cried and cried and cried for missing live theatre so badly！ may probably not a book for the casual broadway fan but i was literally obsessed with every single word of this story。 as much a story about new york city history， jewish immigrant life， indecency laws， union negotiations， the aids epidemic and t。s。 eliot as it was a story about broadway - but also absolutely contains a blow by blow look at exactly how "a chorus line" came to be， who loathed each other， and why。 got to the end and just cried and cried and cried for missing live theatre so badly！ maybe that's coloring my perception of it but oh it was so great。 。。。more

Rodrigo Gómez Morales ，

It’s a very well-known fact that I love books and that I enjoy traveling。 New York has been one of my favorite cities in the world since I visited it for the first time when I was about fourteen years old。 I immediately fell in love with the skyscrapers， the movement， the streets， the shops， the number of things to do， Central Park， the iconic landmarks and， above all things， Broadway。 I saw a musical based on the infamous story of a ship called the Titanic。 It was about a year before the James It’s a very well-known fact that I love books and that I enjoy traveling。 New York has been one of my favorite cities in the world since I visited it for the first time when I was about fourteen years old。 I immediately fell in love with the skyscrapers， the movement， the streets， the shops， the number of things to do， Central Park， the iconic landmarks and， above all things， Broadway。 I saw a musical based on the infamous story of a ship called the Titanic。 It was about a year before the James Cameron movie was released。 I don’t remember much about the play （although I should because it won so many Tony awards that year）。 I only remember the cast singing “Great ship， Titanic！” repeatedly and a food cart moving across the stage to make the audience believe that the ship was beginning to sink （I actually found the show on YouTube）。 What I do remember vividly is being flabbergasted by the architecture of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre， the well-dressed new Yorkers parading into the theater， and the experience of a live performance in a Broadway theater。 Since then， I have seen lots of different musicals in New York and elsewhere， always thrilled like that first time I was in a Broadway show。 I was in New York in February 2020， just before an invisible threat endangered the whole city and most of the rest of the world。 I was there a week before the city lockdown， and I believe I barely escaped the disease caused by this new type of coronavirus。 Still， I got to see a lot of theater: I saw Come from Away， Moulin Rouge， To Kill a Mockingbird， and Hadestown。I did some shopping and， of course， I went to the Barnes & Noble at the 5th Avenue。 I perused through the available books and suddenly found a cover that called my attention， as if it were calling my name from the top shelf。 It had a glittering blue background and letters with a Broadway marquee font that spelled the name of a song I know by heart: Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway。 I also knew about the author: Michael Riedel is a theater critic I sometimes read before traveling to New York。 I’ve found his critic as objective as can be， and I enjoy his writing。 I already had several books in my basket， but this one looked special。 I always like buying books about the places I travel to， and this one served the purpose。 I skimmed through some of the pages and found some of my favorite musicals， like A Chorus Line， Phantom of the Opera， and Les Misérables。 I started reading during March， but as the virus pandemic started to grow exponentially， my work load started increasing proportionally， so I had little time to read during those first weeks of March。 It took longer than expected， but I have to say it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read。 Now， take my review with a little grain of salt， because I am influenced by the fact that I love musical theater and I have a thing for New York。 If you couldn’t care about Broadway， this book is certainly not for you。 But if you’d like to read about the streets that compose the Theater District in New York， and you enjoy picturing yourself in familiar places， but in different times， and you want to know how Broadway became what it is today， I cannot recommend this book enough。 I would actually be thrilled to watch an HBO limited series about the history of Broadway based on this account。 It’s advertised as a history book， but the truth is that it reads like a novel。 I love a book that makes you laugh… not just a smirk， but a shameless guffaw。 This is that kind of text。 It’s so witty and it makes you feel like Michael Riedel gossiping with you about those New York millionaires， throwing a tantrum or being abusive with their staff。 I was reading about some of the theaters I had been not even a month ago， and the descriptions are so vivid that they made me want to go back。 I had to look many things up， like the Cats advertisement or the I ♥ NY ad with that catchy tune。 I was enthralled to learn about the Shubert Organization and their influence， not only on Broadway， but on the whole city。 Entertainment factor:  90   🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑Characters:            100  🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕Writing style: t       100  🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕Attention to detail:   90   🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑Strong Plot:           100  🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕Thought-provoking:     100  🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕Impact:                100  🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕My grade:              100  🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕Average:               96   🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 。。。more

Krista ，

This is a "follow the money" sort of book of the people behind the Broadway industry。 It touches on a lot of interesting stories， but does so in a pretty dry way。 Michael Riedel tries to fit so many facts and quotes into the book that he loses the stories。 It's like you see a glimpse of a good story on the other side of the street， but you have to wade through 4 feet of mud to get there。 By the time you reach the other side， you're so tired out from getting there that it's pretty much impossible This is a "follow the money" sort of book of the people behind the Broadway industry。 It touches on a lot of interesting stories， but does so in a pretty dry way。 Michael Riedel tries to fit so many facts and quotes into the book that he loses the stories。 It's like you see a glimpse of a good story on the other side of the street， but you have to wade through 4 feet of mud to get there。 By the time you reach the other side， you're so tired out from getting there that it's pretty much impossible to relate to and engage with the story。 If you are doing research on the people behind Broadway， this might be a good place to start。 If you are just interested in learning more about the stories behind Broadway， this might not be the best book for you。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0