Broadway orchestrators make a huge difference in the way that a musical comes across to the audience–yet few theatergoers even know who they are, much less understand what they do. So it was with enormous pleasure that I recently read The Sound of Broadway Music, Steven Suskin’s new book about the men who created the orchestral language of American musical comedy. No sooner did I finish The Sound of Broadway Music than I knew that I wanted to write a “Sightings” column about it. You’ll find the results in today’s Wall Street Journal.
If the names of Sid Ramin, Don Walker, and Ralph Burns ring no bells in your head, pick up a copy of the Journal and learn how much you owe them.
UPDATE: Read the whole thing here.
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
