The Shuberts Present: 100 Years of American Theater

Any theatre buff will think he or she has died and gone to hog heaven. It is virtually impossible to put this gorgeous book down. Put together by the archivists who work for the Shubert Organization, this book covers Broadway with the Shuberts for the past 100 years. Currently the Organization owns 17 Broadway houses. A history of each theatre and what has played there is covered on these pages. The photography and beautiful design make this one of the best coffee table size books I have ever seen. And I have quite a collection. You won't regret your purchase!

An amazing book that I couldn't put down. The Shuberts have compiled a great tribute to Broadway theater. It's worth the money if you are a theater history buff!

As far as I know, no Shubert family members contributed or added to the writing of this book. As a result, I disagree with the title, The SHUBERTS Present: 100 Years of American Theater. It should read: The Shubert Foundation Presents:With a little research the author could have located our small family around the country to interview or get a thumbs up to fly.Also, I don't think the Shubert Foundation "IS A GOOD THING", as mentioned in the end of the book. Consider the dark,sinister,devious and backstabbing individuals within the organization, taking over The Shubert Theaters after the very untimely and questionable death of J.J. Shubert. The lawyers that once worked for the Shuberts now represented the "Foundation" garanteed the family would never have anything financially to do with the theaters again.Think about it, what family would merrily walk away from Three Quarter's of a Billion dollars...Unless they were scared or frightened?I believe the young Grandchildren of J.J. have a right to know the tragic truth regarding the takeover of their rightful dynasty. Someday soon I will tell them the story of their Grandpa and Great Grandpa and theaters they built. The most spectacular art forums in this country.After the Curtan Closed...Life continues along a much different path.

I purchased this book shortly after its publication and it has fast become a treasured element in my collection.The publication (yes, I know it's a bit pricey) covers all of the theatres currently owned and operated by the Shubert Organization in New York City (and a few across the country). The beautiful, full-colour spreads give details that the average theatre-goer would not be able to see in a visit. History abounds in the richly detailed text that encompasses 100 years of American theatrical history.There are many production photos that add to the story that each individual house holds in its history. Many of these shots are previously unpublished or are quite rare to say the least.I can fully recommend this book to any person who holds a love of the theatre and/or the unique architecture that composes this luxurious world.Note: The Winter Garden Theatre does not have a large spread of, shall we say, post Cats-era photographs (the way it would look today). I wish that the publishers could have waited a few months to get the new shots, it is a beautiful house.All in all, I'm sure many will agree that the 5 star rating I gave the book is well merited. Don't let the price scare you, the endless hours of great reading and history will make the cost seem minimal.