Recounts the history of the Von Trapp family, traces the evolution of the popular musical from stage to screen, and describes the contributions of its composers, writers, and performers.

The definitive book on the world's most beloved musical with the added bonus of the original soundtrack on CD. Now you can sing along to all your favourite tunes, while reading up on the incredible and enduring story of Maria Von Trapp. Taking you from Maria's birth in Vienna to the triumphal West End stage show in 2007, featuring Connie Fisher, this is a tale that has evolved over a hundred years. The book details every step in the development of this masterwork, from real-life to page to stage to film to international phenomenon. It profiles every creative artist who helped shape the musical version of the Von Trapp Family story - from Rodgers and Hammerstein and Mary Martin to Robert Wise, Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, and most recently Andrew Lloyd Webber. Folded into the tale are guest appearances by Petula Clark, Carol Burnett, John Coltrane and Noel Coward. The Collection features a CD of the original Julie Andrews soundtrack and a book containing: more than 170 pictures, many never seen before; complete lyrics to a dozen songs; rare manuscript pages from the pens of R&H; a map of Salzburg and the film's locations; unseen storyboards from the film; updates on the Sing-A-Long phenomenon

Following the successful The Sound of Music Companion, comes The South Pacific Companion, the essential guide and history for the discerning musical lover and SP fanatic. 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of this wonderful film. This fascinating book covers the history of the stage show and its historical context. World War II was fresh in the world's minds when this show first opened on Broadway - only 4 years after the end of the war - and this gave the film an immensely poignant immediacy. Deservedly, both the novel and the musical of South Pacific won the Pulitzer Prize. South Pacific returns to the UK stage in summer 2007 with a 10 month tour, starring Helena Blackman (from How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria) and Dave Willetts. In 2008 the musical's first ever Broadway revival is to open at the Lincoln Center in April. With extensive images from the film, plus many never seen before photographs from the original stage show, this is a beautiful and indispensable guide to South Pacific. Wordcount: 35,000 words Other Companion titles: Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Phantom of the Opera Companion 9781862057630 The Sound of Music Companion 9781862057500 The Sound of Music Companion Collection with CD 9781862057777 !-- bullets -- 2008 sees the first US revival on Broadway 50th anniversary of the much loved film Places the story in the wider context of a world at war Many great images from the ever popular film

The definitive book on the world's most beloved musical, The Sound of Music Companion charts the incredible and enduring story of Maria von Trapp and her story over the last hundred years – from Maria's birth in Vienna in 1905 to the 50th anniversary of the film's release in 2015. The book details every step in the evolution of this masterwork from real-life to page to stage to film to international phenomenon. It profiles every creative artist who has helped to shape the musical version of the von Trapp Family story – from Rodgers and Hammerstein and Mary Martin to Robert Wise, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer – and includes landmark international stage productions, the movie in pop culture and the 2012 TV movie. Folded into the saga are guest appearances by Petula Clark, Carol Burnett, John Coltrane, Noël Coward, Carrie Underwood and Connie Walsh. Included are more than 170 pictures, many never seen before, in addition to: Complete lyrics to a dozen songs Rare manuscript pages from the pens of Rodgers and Hammerstein A map of Salzburg and the film's locations Unseen storyboards from the film Updates on the Sing-A-Long phenomenon

Subtitle in pre-publication: How one young nun, one handsome Austrian captain, and seven singing Von Trapp children inspired the mostbeloved film of all time.

(FAQ). The Sound of Music FAQ is a comprehensive, encyclopedia-like reference to the world's most popular movie musical. Rather than focusing on the often-told stories of this classic movie, this book looks at the 1965 Oscar-winner in relation to its source, including the true von Trapp family story and the Broadway musical from which it was derived. The Sound of Music FAQ explores such facts and trivia as the movie's phenomenal original run in cinemas, during which it dominated the box office for a staggering amount of time and became the highest grossing movie of the 1960s and of all time; its long and varied life on home video and primetime television; the bestselling soundtrack and many other related recordings; information behind the stunning Austrian locations; the critical feedback; the many stage revivals; and the continuing references, homages, reunions, and tributes related to it over the many decades since its release.

Everyone has heard the songs from The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The stage show was a roaring success in New York and London, and the much-loved feature film, directed by Hollywood veteran Robert Wise, continues to be a staple of television schedules 50 years after its release in 1965. In this fascinating and wide-ranging book, Paul Simpson explores the incredible story of the Von Trapp family and their escape from the Third Reich in all its incarnations, from real-life adventure, to book, to stage, to award-winning film to cultural phenomenon. He discusses the stage show, the many differences that were incorporated into the fictionalisation of the tale, and how that story was brought to the screen. He also looks at the numerous other ways in which the Von Trapp?s story has been told, including the two West German movies from the 1950s and the extensive forty-part Japanese anime series from the 1990s, to explain why the story of the Von Trapp family has appealed to so many generations. Praise for A Brief Guide to Stephen King: 'The best book about King and his work I have ever read' Books Monthly