{"title":"Dr. Ben Francis","description":"\u003cp\u003eDr. Ben Francis offers insightful explorations into the world of arts and culture, blending sharp analysis with engaging storytelling. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eCareful the Spell You Cast\u003c\/em\u003e, illuminate the nuanced intersections between creativity and society, inviting readers to consider the deeper currents shaping artistic expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a keen eye for cultural detail and a thoughtful narrative style, Dr. Francis's books appeal to those intrigued by the layers of meaning in music, theatre, and the broader cultural landscape. His writing enriches any reader’s understanding of how art reflects and influences our world.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"careful-the-spell-you-cast-by-dr-ben-francis-9781350281851","title":"Careful the Spell You Cast","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStephen Sondheim is one of the best-known and most-loved musical theatre composers, but also one of the most misunderstood, often being labelled as 'distant' or 'cynical'. \u003ci\u003eCareful the Spell You Cast\u003c\/i\u003e instead argues that Sondheim firmly belongs to the Broadway aspirational tradition, in that many of his characters are defined by their dreams: to abandon one's dream (as Ben does in \u003ci\u003eFollies\u003c\/i\u003e, Frank does in \u003ci\u003eMerrily We Roll Along\u003c\/i\u003e, and Addison does in \u003ci\u003eRoad Show\u003c\/i\u003e) is to lose one's soul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRather than take the established view of Sondheim as a cynic, this book contends that throughout Sondheim's work, letting go of one's illusions is a process that his characters need to go through. They must cast off illusions and false dreams, without becoming cynical and destroying their genuine dreams in the process. In turn, this view aligns Sondheim's work as being aspirational and a logical continuation from the work of his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the trajectory of Sondheim's career, \u003ci\u003eCareful the Spell You Cast\u003c\/i\u003e shows how Sondheim has dramatized this process throughout his writing life alongside different collaborators. From his work as a lyricist with the musicals \u003ci\u003eGypsy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWest Side Story\u003c\/i\u003e through to his later collaborations with Hal Prince (\u003ci\u003eCompany, Follies\u003c\/i\u003e) and James Lapine (\u003ci\u003eInto the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George\u003c\/i\u003e), this book reframes the established view through lyrical and structural analysis in relation to the characters within each of these celebrated works of musical theatre, arguing that Sondheim is, in the popular sense of the word, a romantic within the tradition of the Broadway musical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47470233977068,"sku":"9781350281851","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781350281851-careful-the-spell-you-cast.jpg?v=1775214326"},{"product_id":"jerry-bock-and-sheldon-harnick-by-dr-ben-francis-9781350568372","title":"Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick\u003c\/em\u003e formed one of the most significant musical partnerships of the 1960s, creating some of the most beloved and enduring works in musical theatre. The work of American musical theatre writing team Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick has been oddly overlooked by scholars, despite the fact that their most famous show \u003cem\u003eFiddler on the Roof\u003c\/em\u003e is an enduring classic that is still being performed all over the world. Part of this reason stems from the fact that Bock and Harnick prided themselves on never writing the same show twice, giving them longevity in a form that was unmatched by their contemporaries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis critical companion to their work is the first book to focus on the integration of music and drama in their hit musicals. From domestic comedies (\u003cem\u003eShe Loves Me\u003c\/em\u003e), contemporary satires (\u003cem\u003eThe Body Beautiful\u003c\/em\u003e), historical epics (\u003cem\u003eThe Rothschilds\u003c\/em\u003e), comedic fantasy (\u003cem\u003eThe Apple Tree\u003c\/em\u003e) and of course, their tragicomic stories of everyday life (\u003cem\u003eFiddler on the Roof\u003c\/em\u003e), this is the first book that will look at how the team reinvented themselves from show to show throughout the 'golden age' of Broadway and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePublished in Methuen Drama's Musical Theatre Critical Companion series, this book is structured into thematic chapters that cover themes such as patriarchy, Judaism, romance, women, Americana and satire, combining primary research, original study, and interviews with their collaborators to offer a comprehensive and much-needed look at two critically overlooked giants of musical theatre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67794241519852,"sku":"9781350568372","price":50.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781350568372-jerry-bock-and-sheldon-harnick-1.jpg?v=1792452812"},{"product_id":"jerry-bock-and-sheldon-harnick-by-dr-ben-francis-9781350568389","title":"Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick\u003c\/em\u003e formed one of the most significant musical partnerships of the 1960s, creating some of the most beloved and enduring works in musical theatre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe work of the American musical theatre writing team Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick has been oddly overlooked by scholars, despite the fact that their most famous show, \u003cem\u003eFiddler on the Roof\u003c\/em\u003e, is an enduring classic that is still being performed all over the world. Part of this reason stems from the fact that Bock and Harnick prided themselves on never writing the same show twice, giving them longevity in a form that was unmatched by their contemporaries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis critical companion to their work is the first book to focus on the integration of music and drama in their hit musicals. From domestic comedies (\u003cem\u003eShe Loves Me\u003c\/em\u003e), contemporary satires (\u003cem\u003eThe Body Beautiful\u003c\/em\u003e), historical epics (\u003cem\u003eThe Rothschilds\u003c\/em\u003e), comedic fantasy (\u003cem\u003eThe Apple Tree\u003c\/em\u003e), and of course, their tragicomic stories of everyday life (\u003cem\u003eFiddler on the Roof\u003c\/em\u003e), this is the first book that will look at how the team reinvented themselves from show to show throughout the 'golden age' of Broadway and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePublished in Methuen Drama's Musical Theatre Critical Companion series, this book is structured into thematic chapters that cover themes such as patriarchy, Judaism, romance, women, Americana, and satire. 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