CONTRADICTIONS: Notes on Twenty-Six Years in the Theatre

by Hal Prince ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 25, 1974

Prince Hal of Showbiz (Damn Yankees, West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, Follies) tells all in this fine theatrical autobiography that should finally clear up that messy problem of what it is that producers actually do -- i.e., everything. His energy seems to be rivalled only by that of Joe Papp; in 1954 (The Pajama Game) Prince was the youngest producer on Broadway, and now, 20 years later, he still is -- which says all that needs to be said about the Great White Way, which apparently Prince himself (due to the unpleasantries involved in moving Candide from Brooklyn to Manhattan) is on the verge of quitting. He discusses his successes and failures with candor and a total lack of sentiment, albeit not without pride -- mistakes he and others made, the shows he did for love and those he did for money (A Little Night Music). Also of interest is the practical info on such things as appropriate theater size, opening cities, and when to extend (or not) a run or go on the road. An engaging book by a man who, as much as anyone, created the modern musical.

Pub Date: Nov. 25, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dodd, Mead

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1974

Categories: NONFICTION