Dance Books

I picked this book up on a recommendation from someone who used to work on the I Love Lucy Show (Dann Cahn). It was fantastic! Written by Lucy herself, it really focused on her feelings and thoughts early on. Once I started I couldn't put it down.

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball was an autobiography she wrote but never published. Her daughter Lucie found the manuscript and decided to publish it almost a decade after her mother's death. Lucille Ball was a comic gem, she did everything so perfectly. This book is good but some of the parts seem empty so I can't give this book 5 stars. Ball talks about her modeling days, how she met and fell in love with Desi Arnaz, her hit t.v. show and becoming a businesswoman when she was highly criticized for being too tough. Check this good summer read out sometime, enjoy!

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Lucy fan. Knowing that it is an autobiography makes it more interesting. You can almost hear her voice as you read through the lines. Her life wasn't all roses. Lots of pictures for us to enjoy. Get the book. You won't put it down.

I quite enjoyed this one. It is Lucy's "lost" autobiography--that is, it was only discovered and published after her death in 1989. It was found tucked away in the files of her former attorney, discovered when her children were processing her estate. Apparently, Lucy had begun an "as told to" book by dictating for two years to a talented secretary who transcribed her tapes and even traveled to her hometown to interview her childhood friends for their memories. The resulting product is the history of Lucy from her birth in 1911 to Christmas of 1962. It is written in the present tense, and many of the readers who knew her commented that it was in her "own voice." When Lucie got to listen to the tapes, she even discovered that her mother had been accurately quoted for once! A warm picture emerges of an ambitious but essentially normal comedienne who was very family-oriented and hard-working. Her father died before she had a chance to know him, but she was raised lovingly by her mother and maternal grandparents. She goes through stints of modeling and starring in movies, about which time she meets Desi Arnaz. He played the Cuban firecracker to her more low-key character, and the sparks flew. They went on together to produce the most beloved television show of all time and to rule over the empire of Desilu Productions. But they found themselves not too compatible in the end--he was working too hard and given to explosive rages, and his drinking and many infidelities didn't help matters any. He humiliated her publically on many occasions, and that was why she eventually wanted a divorce. But she remained fond of him, and put this book away because she was afraid that its revelations would hurt him. She went on to meet and marry Gary Morton and found happiness with him for many years until her death. But Gary is only a small part of this book--you walk away struck by what Lucy and Desi achieved together that neither could have achieved alone.

Lucille Ball abandoned this book in 1964, out of concern that its contents would hurt Desi Arnaz. She then forgot about it (as did everyone else in her life, it seems), and it sat neglected in a box of papers until the mid-1990s. This is a phenomenal book, and easily the best I've read so far regarding Lucille Ball.

Love, Lucy should be read along with other biographies in order to get a balanced perspective (Miss Ball tends to be a bit circumspect, though not as private as I expected her to be, regarding her own shortcomings and her private life), but on the whole it is a fascinating glimpse into a legendary life when it was far from over. She had only recently divorced Desi Arnaz and was in the heart of working on The Lucy Show at the time she abandoned the project, and was still terribly active in the running of Desilu.

Lucille sometimes remembers things in a way that makes her seem a bit more moral than she really was. She doesn't discuss running wild and being naughty in her teen years, but since she had young children of her own at the time of the writing of Love, Lucy, I don't suppose I should have expected her to do so. Who wants to display their shortcomings to their kids and then say "don't do that!"

What is most beautiful about this book is the discussion of her love of Desi Arnaz and their marriage. Even though the marriage didn't survive, they adored one another and continued to do so until the ends of their lives. The quote that made me laugh out loud, and I could HEAR Lucy saying it was "It was not love at first sight; it took five minutes."

this book was life changing for me ...creating an epiphany moment of transformation and healing ... truly a must read for every woman !!

EVERY married person, male or female, should read this book. Very well written, interesting, and knowledgable. My husband and I agree that if we would have read this book a year ago, we would not be separated and in counseling. I can't wait to read the rest of her books!

This was the first book that I read in Lerner's Dance series
and I must say, it changed my life. The book teaches you how
to break out of the familial patterns that keep you stuck in
one position: the backseat. No, you won't become an overly
angry woman but I certainly felt like that at times. Instead,
it shows you where anger comes from and how to talk to others
without screaming at them. I learned how to become more assertive.

Lerner asserts that it's dangerous for a woman not to speak
her mind, however, society says that speaking out is equivalent
to being bitter or angry or anti-male. This is NOT what Lerner
wants women to learn but instead learn how to take a more
self-assertive position in intimate relationships. If, like
me, you had a problem in the past with being real at all times
and telling others how you truly felt, then please grab this book!

Very insightful. If you can't figure out why you're not getting along with family check this out.

What an eye opener! I highly recommend it to all women. It's like seeing suddenly your blind spots - sometimes not pretty but what a relief to understand yourself better, to understand why we do what we do. I will give it to my daughter when she's adolescent. And to all young women in my family. Thank your for writing it, Mrs. Lerner!

I purchased and read 9 different books about voice-over before buying VO:Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor. All of those 9 books were well written and one of them WAS my favorite. VO is now by far my favorite book about voice-over. H2 does a wonderful job of mixing the technical with the personal. Great stories mixed with priceless info. He teaches while he entertains. You'll learn AND laugh. VO is a good book to have for reference and I am going to be reading it straight through again in the very near future.

I really enjoyed Harlan Hogan's book VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice Actor. I read it early last year, and have gone back to it several times since for wisdom and tips in my own Voice Career!
The format of the book made it an easy read. Chapters from Harlans life and experiences mixed with Tips and Tricks of the Trade.
A book for any aspiring Voice Over Library!

Harlan Hogan provides a lot of explanation of how things work in the VO world (or at least as they did in 2002, when this book was written). He gives great advice while lightly touching on subjects like running your business, jargon, union vs. "pre-union", etc. However, he also offers some insight that beginning voice actors aren't likely to find in a lot of other books. Harlan does this by recounting stories from his own experience that not only entertain, but relate to the major points of each section. He also lets the reader in on inside jokes of the trade like "Blooper's Soap" and the infamous Findus Foods session with Orson Welles. Sure, they're easily Google-able, but how are they woven into the fabric of the industry?

I've done radio for a dozen years, switched to the computer tech side
for another half-dozen and now I'm studying and working on figuring out
where I will best fit into the VO market. This book not only confirmed
a lot of things I felt instinctively, but it also helped me to not
listen so much to the "what if" voice that we all carry with us.

I really enjoyed this book, it is really informative, entertaining and gives and inside look at voice over acting. This is one of the few books that I will re-read becouse of all the usefull information, a must read for anyone starting out or considering a career as a voice actor.

This book is excellent. It's packed with information about what one should expect if he/she wants to work in the Voice Acting industry, and it also includes many tips & tricks that voice actors could follow in order to advance in their careers.

It's hilariously entertaining yet down-to-earth informative - a rare combination achievable in books.

On top of that, it's easy to read, so you don't see much of those long-worded-jargons-which-you-will-find-in-technical-books for instance. Instead, you get cute cartoons replacing the too-much-information type of thing.

As I've mentioned in the title, I'd give this book 100 stars if I could.

This book truly is one of the BEST purchases I've EVER made.



~ Jessie

This book is a great gift, especially to those enterring new exciting chapters in their lives. It could as a result of death, illness, or just starting a new chapter. Life is hard but enjoy gain strengh from that around you.

This book is very inspirational and can be used a a motivator for young people embarking on their life journey. The accompanying cd is excellent as well.

I felt so connected to this and cried , I gave it to my daughter , who had just found out she had cancer . goldenyrs43

Leeann Womack does a fantastic job at describing how the song came about and how to apply it to every day life.

Being a lover of this song and of gift books, I naturally couldn't resist ordering this book the minute I saw it in a store. The lyrics of Leann Womack's classic song is featured throughout the book, along with inspirational messages and beautiful photography from those who put the book together.

I did dock a star because the messages in the book that accompanied the song occasionally came off as a little too..mushy. I'm really not that harsh a critic, not of books like these, but the beautiful words of inspiration were, a couple of times, replaced by words that were definetly too syrupy for my taste. I prefer truly moving messages and stories to speak for themselves, but it occassionally seemed like the authors wanted to hammer the point home, overdo the sentimentality, and even make their message serious and cheerfully bouncy at the exact same time (trust me, that doesn't work.) For ex: throughout the book, the lyrics of the song are printed in large bold letters in order to differentiate them from the authors' separate words of inspiration. Usually, the pages featuring the lyrics had no other words on them, but at one point, right above the words of Womack's moving song, the authors' placed a bulletin that said, "Attention! This is BIG stuff!" Considering the fact that Leann's song more than speaks for itself and doesn't need any extra emotional boosting, I found those additional words annoying and almost jarring to the flow of the song and its message.

Elsewhere in the book, as I mentioned before, the sentimentality goes into overdrive. One page is dedicated entirely to love and begins with the words, "Love, love, love. You have to love." Again, I got that idea the first time. It's nice to compliment the song with additional words of motivation, but we don't need an interpretive page with every selection of the song. In another part of the book, while speaking of youth, the narrator says, "Ah, youth..new skin, wide smiles, clear eyes..the future so bright. If only we could bottle it up, sip it now and again.." This sounded more to me like a bad commercial for a fountain of youth than a motivational speech. I don't mean to sound cynical, I usually love gift books, but the tone in this one was sometimes just too sweet for my taste.

I also didn't particularly care for the version of the song in the bonus CD. There's a mainstream version with soft rock music and female voices in the background (which I prefer) and there's a country version with male voices in the background and the occassional awful twangy instruments; this one's the latter. If you like country music, good for you, but I don't like the country version of this song.

There are plenty of good points of this book to make up for the disappointments, of course. The song is wonderful, whether you hear it or read it, and some of the separate words in the book were lovely to read. My favorite part of the book's text, other than the song, was a beautiful little haiku that the authors wrote called "You", celebrating every individual. The photographs are also gorgeous, from grinning children to nature scenery. A beautiful package, altogether.

Now, if they'd only make a gift book celebrating the beautiful song "Private Malone"..

I can't tell you how much I love Torch Song Trilogy. I can honestly say I love this more than Brokeback Mountain. Now before anyone starts ragging on me, I'll tell you why. Trilogy shows that gay people are just as vulnerable to hurt, joy, and humanity as straight people. Fierstein's character isn't afraid to take on the world even when it is hostile and violent toward him. He displays strength and compassion and never loses his sense of humor, no matter how despairing and bleak it gets. Now don't get me wrong, I love BBM but Arnold Beckoff has strength and resilience in a way that Ennis Del Mar could only dream of. Mountain was a wonderful film but like all major gay love stories it always has to end tragically with the death of one of the characters. Trilogy showed that while Arnold experienced the loss of a loved one, he also fought and gained an old flame who finally came to his senses. It would be nice for mainstream gay themed films to have characters that are unafraid to take on the world and fight for that respect. Instead we get gay characters who are the subjects of ill humor or tragedies that make people think twice about falling in love. I can also add that this is one of the better films of the overblown 1980s (I also believe the 80s was probably one of the worst decades for movies).

The only thing that saddens me about this movie, aside from the heartbreaking climax of a brutal attack that you must simply see to savor, along with the fact that this priceless artifact never made it to the "Big Screen" was poor advertising.

If this movie had been properly advertised, I would have been PERFECT for it's time, making movies like "Making Love," "Parting Glances", and "'Broke Back Mountain"

Harvey Fierstein wrote, directed, and produced this Broadway adaption of his fine work from the stage, and brought to the big screen, SEAMLESSLY, although Harvey of course, in his adorable self-deprecating humour, denies it all, making his quiet private demeanor a stark contrast to his "Diva" like status as a performer.

It's just no use to even try to explain this movie, for I personally, PERSONALLY believe one must be a young gay male in this country to have been raised from the 50's to the early 70's, when homosexuality was a "sickness" that must be cured.

Shudder...

Don't EVEN get me started on that subject.

Later, I may go and edit this review, as I have many times, but alas, I have other things to do in my nonstop, hectic life. Dog to walk, couch pillows to rotate...you know how it is.

I would call this Torch Song Tragedy, which is constituted by the actuality of the subject. In spite of all the time passed it still matches mainstream America's perception of gays.
I saw this movie many years ago and it moved me even today.

A quadruple all star cast topped off by Anne Bancroft and harvey fierstein. The story about a gay guy, whose Mom loves him, but wishes he wasn't. Harvey Fierstein's performance as gay Arnold gives a performance of a lifetime. He has never been better and will never be better.Being a gay female impersonator in New York confronts him with daily challenges, crisis', brief moments of happiness and loads of grief. This is a down to earth flick that tells the story, I'm a person and I deserve to live too. Once a Broadway play and now a film too good to miss

Ever since seeing him accept the Tony for his adaptation of "La Cage" I have had a tremendous admiration for the sheer creative genius of Harvey Fierstein. But "Torch song Trilogy" has got to be the icing on the cake; the cream on the top of Mt. Everest; the spark that set off Guy Fawlks Day on the 5th of November in London!

And as if the tale wasn't enough, that fantastic narration by Mr. Fierstein at the end of the film was just by far and away the best "special feature" I have ever had the pleasure of hearing! (Normally I avoid listening to a narrative over a movie I have only just watched!!)

And although I think the late and great Anne Bankroft was superb as the mother, I confess I would like to have seen Estelle Getty in the performance extolled by the author.

As a totally "square" viewer of this performance, I would hazzard a guess that in another 50 years or so "Torch Song" will have reached the level of film classics. The death scene of Matthew Broderick in the story was simply devastating!

For sheer entertainment and creative competence, my vote would have to go to Mr. Fierstein.

The Village Poet and Collection of Writings was a very interesting, creative, masterpiece. I truly believe that tremendous talent was displayed. The author was very imaginative, he was able to let his mind explore and captivate different ideas. The author is both a professor, and a talented author at the university.

The Village Poet and Collection of Writings is a well organized page turner. Believe this from someone who rarely turns a page. The plot is carefully revealed and the climax is amazing. The Emperor Titus is betrayed by his Chief Administrator Creon, but he finds out too late. Dr. Newton keeps the reader's attention and delivers a play that truly derserves 5 STARS! Go out and buy it.

THE VILLAGE POET AND COLLECTION OF WRITINGS is a series of stories and a play written when Leon Newton was about ten years old. The stories and the play show an amazing amount of knowledge, caring and kindness for a child so young. In the play, Emperor Titus is rather taken with himself, arrogantly referring to himself as the great emperor. He is also very loyal to his Chief Administrator because he had been a good administrator to the emperor's father. His son attempts to get him to see how corrupt the Chief Administrator is but his advice falls on deaf ears. The results, of course, are predictable.

In his short story "The Newspaper Boy," Newton successfully illustrates what is important in life. He shows us that it is not money, fame or worldly success, but what we do as human beings for others less fortunate than us. He also deals with the issue of racism in America and how debilitating it really is to all concerned.

It is amazing how appropriate his writings are for today's America. If only all of us could take his stories to heart the world would be a much better place. It is a short, easy read and well worth the time spent...

I enjoyed this artistic masterpiece greatly. I think Newton is a twenty first century prophet who deserves a prophet's reward.His writings are inspirational as well as entertaining. He is a gifted writer who expresses ideas that others are seemingly afraid to express. He possesses a boldness that gives his writing a serious cultural flavor. His writings are exceptional. I recommend them greatly to all who read this review.Artists like Newton come along once in a lifetime. This is definitely an artistic treasure.

The author of the village poet has a great inspiration for the sweet taste of life's wisdom. He has a strong will to live,care, love, and respect all God's people and desires. He shares his knowledge of life and views that he has seen. The author's teacher was God and life. Each person is a link, apart of a chain that connects and moves together. Give compassion to others and someone will return it to you. Show love and it too will be returned. Do not look for what you will get in return but look at the joy and happiness you may bring someone. To suceed you must be strong, righteous, wise and smart. Look to your creator for your strength and it will multiply.

This book is very reminiscent of "Praise Habit" written by musician David Crowder, where Crowder uses very cleverly the double meaning of the outward expression of Giving GOD Praise in every possible way, and the use of the word "Habit" as the hat worn by saintly women. "Worship as a way of Life" is done here much in the same fashion. Some interesting encouragements given and some "Worship" clarifications which make this an overall pleasant & instructional worth-while book to read.

Louie Giglio's book brings home the biblical concept that the life of a New Testament Christian is to be an ongoing act of worship, not simply the singing of a song and a prayer on Sunday morning. Giglio develops the point well, building the case that everyone worships something...the question is, what do you worship? God? God's blessings? Or Yourself?

Highly recommended to anyone trying to understand what worship is.

This is great little book that helps us dive deeper into what worship actually means. It's amazing to see Giglio show that we're all worshipers of something or someone...even if we don't realize it. When we direct our worship to God (our ascribing worth to God in everything we do), He gets more glory and we are joyfully satisfied in Him (Piper anybody?).

I highly recommend this book. I'm reading through it with a college worship leader training group that I lead. It's short and easy to read, making it a joy to read instead of feeling like homework from church (alongside their already heavy workload in school!). While it may be written in an easy-to-read style, the concepts held within will challenge your everyday life immensely. Worship Him with all your life!

Louie Giglio's book, The Air I Breathe, describes worship as a part of everyday life. We worship the things we value and get excited about. The god that we worship is evident from how we spend our time and money. At the end of every trail blazed by our time and money is a throne and on that throne is the "god" we worship. But, is the god we worship worthy of our praise? This is the primary question that Giglio raises.

I was drawn to Giglio's book the moment that I learned that he organized the Passion conference--an annual conference of Christian musicians. This conference has generated numerous CDs of praise music. The Best of Passion CD is one of my favorites.

The text for Giglio's books is Acts 17--Paul's visit to Mars hill. It is one the Bible's clearest statement of faith and the audience is a gathering of Greek intellectuals--agnostics. Paul notices that they have a statute where they worship an "unknown god". He then explains Christ as that unknown god.

Giglio's book is addressed to moderns and post-moderns who do not believe in God and do not think that they need God. It is short and very readable.

I found The Air I Breathe an inspiration. My have already lent my copy to a friend and have begun giving copies to people that I care about. I suspect that this book has brought people, especially teens, to faith in Christ. I highly recommend it.

Stephen

After hearing Louie Giglio speak recently, I was interested to see what he had to write about worship. This little book is quite simple, but Louie's insights into what true worship is all about are quite profound. One could read this entire book in one sitting, but I found that I had to keep putting it down so that I could think about the content. Louie's definition of worship is probably the best I've ever seen.

Our entire worship team is going to read the book together as a guide to help us become better "lead worshipers".

Who wants to remember 35 years of people robbing, cheating on each other, stealing money, jumping in bed with someone else when they were already married, the search and holding on of power. These were not nice people they were all distrubed human beings who belonged in jail or the sick house.

When the series finally left the air, it was a sign of sanity.

This is now a great retrospective of a great show that is now defunct. It is one of the best types of this book (though it is not as well done as General Hospital's). It should be in every collector's bookshelf.

This book is a must-have for any fan of the much-missed soap opera Another World- hundreds of photos, detailed year-by-year recaps, and interviews with the actors all make for a great tribute to a wonderful show. If there are any complaints, it's that some of the plot synopsis have been condensed a little too much, and more information about spin-offs Texas and Somerset would have been welcome, as well as more behind the scenes information. Still, this is an incredible book that should appeal to any fan!

For the first 10 years of watching AW, I was a loyal, but hardly passionate fan. The last 5 years, leading up to the cancellation, I developed a passionate attachment. This book has made dealing with the loss of this 15 year old friend so much easier. I treasure this book in so many ways. If you are or were a fan, this really is a must have. No doubt.

Anyone who watched this soap will enjoy this book. Since this soap was taken from us on the 35th anniversary, this book has even more meaning. You will get to relive the highlights and story lines now missing from our daily lives. I get mine out about every 6 months - or whenever I need a Bay City fix. Looking through the book always manages to bring tears or laughter to me.

This book breaks down the audition process and helps to give you something, a formula to work with and depend on to prepare your best performance. A great tool for any actor or performer.

This is a fantastic book with extremely helpful information to any young actor aspiring to become a professional actor. Every actor needs this book so they can improve their auditioning skills and get the part they want! Break a leg!

This book deals with theatre, and I was going into it thinking it would help me audition for movies. I did not learn anything from it. But...if you are into the theatre, you will find it very helpful.

This is a really great acting book- definitely one of the best i've read. Not only for auditions but for rehearsal as well, (as it states in the book.)

Considering the low price, I can't imagine a more valuable book for the actor. Michael Shurtleff is a luminary of theatre, and this book reads like a private class with him. Remember, this is a guy who basically launched the careers of DeNiro, Streisand, Redford, Vereen, Tomlin, Midler, and Hoffman. His wonderful career included both Broadway and film casting. He knows a lot, and in this book, he shares it with you.

This book may be called "Audition", but the discussions go way beyond the audition. Granted, the opening chapter (Practical Aspects of the Audition) contains sage advice applicable only to the audition. What follows in the book are the "12 Guideposts", the bible of scene study and character development. Following the very readable discussion of the "Guideposts", Shurtleff writes essays on topics such as musical theatre, comedy, pace, and monologues. I know that my copy will become well-worn as I refer back to it again and again.

I am currently in two shows, and I'm putting the "Guideposts" to work for me. I've not had an audition since buying the book, but I am looking forward to using Shurtleff's advice the next time I read for a part.

This is a must-read for actors and directors. Highly recommended.

2003's "The Making of Pride and Prejudice" is a peek behind the scenes at the transformation of Jane Austen's classic romance novel into the 1995 BBC television production, a classic in its own right.

Sue Birwhistle and Susie Conklin walk the reader through the entire process, from selling the idea to a reluctant studio, to Andrew Davies' superb adaptation of the novel into six TV episodes, through casting, preproduction, shooting, and finally postproduction. The book is filled with comments from the workers on both sides of the camera, and illustrated with fascinating set photography.

Recreating the 19th Century required extensive research into such mundane matters as period costumes, hairstyles, drapery patterns, furniture, and music and dance. Months of pre-production paid off in an authentic look, at the cost of daily two-hour costume and make-up sessions for the actors and nightly refreshing of sets. Minor challenges included the delicate task of keeping food presentable for the three day shoot of the Netherfield supper party.

Location shooting, even in a country rich with old homes, required patient negotiation with owners over the restoration of house and grounds to a 19th century appearance. The expenses of production required shooting by location vice chronological order; Colin Firth notes his very first scene was Darcy's marriage proposal to Elizabeth.

Casting presented its own challenges for such a popular story. The book shares the concerns of the actors, along with some interesting before and after make-up portraits. A highlight is an extended interview with Colin Firth on the challenges of the role of Mr. Darcy. Jennifer Ehle adds her own comments on the grueling five month shooting schedule, which required her presence on set for all but five days.

"The Making of Pride and Prejudice" will be equally fascinating to dedicated fans of the BBC television version and those interested in the actual details of production. This book is very highly recommended to both audiences.

Loved the actors interviews, the photos and all the back story. To learn that Jennifer Ehle (Lizzy) is blonde and to see her as such without the Lizzy dark-hair wig, was worth the buy in itself!

This book is a must for those who love A&E's version of Pride and Prejudice. It's very informational and gives the reader even a greater appreciation for the work and detail put into this magnificent movie!!

This delightful book telling of the making of the 1995 mini-series of Pride and Prejudice gives real insight into the preparation of what must be considered the definitive version on film of this beloved novel. Like the featurette on the DVD, it explains a great deal about the costumes, the choreography, the musical score and determing locations for the various well known places that the audience visits during the program. What is not on the featurette and is in the book is insight into what the performers were feeling during this major film event, expecially the primary characters of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy portrayed by Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. It is very interesting to hear their thoughts as they approached their roles. And it is also very apparent as you go through this book that everyone responsible for actually getting this on film loved the book and are fans of Jane Austen. Very nice indeed.

For the first time, I recently watch the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. This adaptation created a desire to know more about the filming and the cast & crew. I was pleasantly suprised to discover this wonderful book of trivia.

The photographs of the cast out of character gave a truly amazing picture of the quality of the makeup artists and costumers. Some of these actors, you'd NEVER recognize on the street!

I genuinely enjoyed the insights into casting the miniseries and the search for the perfect locations.

For me though, the best part of the book was the interview with Colin Firth, what a joy! He is such a gentleman.

The book while short is jam-packed with trivia from where specific scenes were shot, what scenes were shot first/last and how the actors costumes developed over time!

Truly a purchase that I'm glad that I made