[PDF] Ziegfeld and His Follies: A Biography of Broadway's Greatest Producer (Screen Classics) by Cynthia Brideson; Sara Brideson in Arts-Photography

Description

A Gilbert is of no use without a Sullivan. With these words; W.S. Gilbert summed up his reasons for persisting in his collaboration with Arthur Sullivan despite the combative nature of their relationship. In fact; Michael Ainger suggests in Gilbert and Sullivan the success of the pairs work is a direct result of their personality clash; as each partner challenged the other to produce his best work. After exhaustive research into the DOyly Carte collection of documents; Ainger offers the most detailed account to date of Gilbert and Sullivans starkly different backgrounds and long working partnership. Having survived an impoverished and insecure childhood; Gilbert flourished as a financially successful theater professional; married happily and established himself as a property owner. His sense of proprietorship extended beyond real estate; and he fought tenaciously to protect the integrity of his musical works. Sullivan; the product of a supportive family who nourished his talent; was much less satisfied with stability than his collaborator. His creative self-doubts and self-demands led to nervous and physical breakdowns; but it also propelled the team to break the successful mode of their earliest work to produce more ambitious pieces of theater; including The Mikado and The Yeoman of the Guards . Offering previously-unpublished draft libretti and personal letters; this thorough double-biography will be an essential addition to the library of any Gilbert and Sullivan fan.