NPR

Theater stars spring to life on the pages of 'B is for Broadway'

A few years ago, a children's book called A is for Audra celebrated musical theater divas. Its creators have written a new book, B is for Broadway, celebrating theater from auditions to Ziegfeld.
Illustrator Peter Emmerich says he drew on both research and his own personal memories to draw people like Stephen Sondheim. "I put him in the book wearing what he was wearing when I met him," says Emmerich. "Because, like, I will never forget him in that red sweater."

A few years ago, a children's book called A is for Audra celebrated musical theater divas, while teaching kids the alphabet. Its creators have written a new book, B is for Broadway, which, in rhyming couplets and witty illustrations, celebrates theater, from auditions to Ziegfeld.

"I always joked that it is the book that I wished I could give my friends' kids that didn't exist," says author John Robert Allman, a long-time musical theater fan, about . "And any time a

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readInternational Relations
Newly Elected Prime Minister In Solomon Islands Is Likely To Keep Close China Ties
Solomon Islands lawmakers elected former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as prime minister Thursday in a development that suggests the South Pacific island nation will maintain close ties with China.
NPR5 min readWorld
Violence Erupts At UCLA As Protests Over Israel's War In Gaza Escalate Across The U.S.
Members of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups in Los Angeles clashed, with reports of fireworks and pepper spray use. Elsewhere, universities are tearing down encampments and arresting students.
NPR4 min read
The Announcement Of A New Prime Minister Divides Haiti's Transitional Council
A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti's new prime minister is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled country.

Related Books & Audiobooks