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Description
"Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick formed one of the most significant musical partnerships of the 1960s, creating some of the most beloved and enduring works in musical theater" (Jewish Ledger)
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 Fiddler on the Roof 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.
This 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 (She Loves Me), contemporary satires (The Body Beautiful), historical epics (The Rothschilds), comedic fantasy (The Apple Tree) and of course, their tragicomic stories of everyday life (Fiddler on the Roof) 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.
Published 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.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: WHOEVER POPPA PICKS: Patriarchs, Stars and Menshes
Tevye v Tevye
Tevye the Patriarch
Tradition
I Wouldn't Have to Work Hard
If Good Fortune Never Comes
Fatal Wedding
Stars
We're Not in America Yet
Honorary Menschen
CHAPTER 2: A PERSON WANTS TO GET SOMEWHERES: America and Success
The Flip Side of Oklahoma!
You Heard of Horatio Alger?
There's a World to be Won
Swiftly Flow the Years. Nostalgia
CHAPTER 3: AND THAT'S WHAT COMES FROM MEN AND WOMEN DANCING!: Romance in Bock and Harnick
CHAPTER 4: MAY YOU BE LIKE RUTH AND LIKE ESTHER: Women
CHAPTER 5: MERRY LITTLE MINUETS: Irony, Pastiche, Parody and Satire
Irony
Pastiche
Satire
Finian's Wake
CHAPTER 6: FIDDLER ON THE ROAD: How Fiddler on the Roof has Travelled Around the World, Or Why It's Better to be a Mensh than an Ubermensch
Fiddler on the Screen
Fiddler Round the World
Conclusion
SYNOPSES
The Shows
Other Work
Bibliography
Index
Product details
| Published | Dec 10 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Paperback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 9781350568372 |
| Imprint | Methuen Drama |
| Dimensions | 9 x 5 inches |
| Series | Musical Theatre Critical Companions |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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