Singular Sensation

The Triumph of Broadway

By: Michael Riedel

Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett

“Fun and gossipy.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“A masterful history.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“Engaging.” (Newsweek)

A “brisk, insightful, and deliciously detailed take” (Kirkus Reviews) on a transformative decade on Broadway, featuring 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 '90s, 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.

“Told with all the wit and style readers could wish for” (Booklist) Michael Riedel presents the drama behind every mega-hit or shocking flop. 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.

©2020 Michael Riedel. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Shaun Taylor-Corbett delivers a serviceable narration of longtime theater critic Michael Riedel's comprehensive history of Broadway. Riedel's earlier work, RAZZLE DAZZLE, looked at '70s and '80s Broadway. This time he focuses on the '90s, a decade when musicals and dramas changed significantly. Riedel delves into what makes a successful show and investigates what contributes to a flop. Taylor–Corbett sounds knowledgeable while discussing examples of the late '80s ranging from PHANTOM and CATS to the less spectacular but delightfully innovative AVENUE Q. With an understated delivery, he recounts the humorous backstage anecdotes and reminiscences of producers, directors, and stars of '90s shows ranging from THE PRODUCERS to THE LION KING. SINGULAR SENSATION confirms the reasons pre-COVID Broadway was enjoying a new Golden Age." (AudioFile)

Great book. Narration not the best.

Loved the story. But the mispronunciations of many names was very distracting. Still very enjoyable.

Why Didn’t Michael Riedel Read This Himself?

Because his scintillating reporting is undermined by Shaun Taylor-Corbett’s constant mispronunciations of proper names and titles that fall on a savvy reader’s ear like an aria performed by Florence Foster Jenkins. Very distracting. Very good, dishy book. The performance is actually pretty good when the reader isn’t putting the em-PHA-sis on the wrong syl-LA-ble or just plain bungling a name or title. So, listener beware. BUT WHY DIDN’T THE AUTHOR JUST READ IT HIMSELF?

Entertaining and Educational

My greatest takeaway was abject confusion as to how Garth Drabinsky was allowed back to Broadway with Paradise Square, but it was a wonderful, educational, entertaining lesson in theatre.