âA vivid page-turnerâ (NPR) detailing the rise, fall, and redemption of Broadwayâits stars, its biggest shows, its producers, and all the drama, intrigue, and power plays that happened behind the scenes.
âA rich, lovely, debut history of New York theater in the 1970s and eightiesâ (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Razzle Dazzle is a narrative account of the people and the money and the power that turned New Yorkâs gritty back alleys and sex-shops into the glitzy, dazzling Great White Way.
In the mid-1970s Times Square was the seedy symbol of New Yorkâs economic decline. Its once shining star, the renowned Shubert Organization, was losing theaters to make way for parking lots and losing money. Bernard Jacobs and Jerry Schoenfeld, two ambitious board members, saw the crumbling company was ripe for takeover and staged a coup and staved off corporate intrigue, personal betrayals and criminal investigations. Once Jacobs and Schoenfeld solidified their power, they turned a collapsed theater-owning holding company into one of the most successful entertainment empires in the world, spearheading the revitalization of Broadway and the renewal of Times Square.
âFor those interested in the business behind the greasepaint, at a riveting time in Broadwayâs and New Yorkâs history, this is the ticketâ (USA TODAY). Michael Riedel tells the stories of the Shubert Organization and the shows that re-built a city in grand styleâincluding Cats, A Chorus Line, and Mamma Mia!ârevealing the backstage drama that often rivaled what transpired onstage, exposing bitter rivalries, unlikely alliances, and inside gossip. âThe trouble with Razzle Dazzle isâŠyou canât put the damn thing downâ (Huffington Post).