Did you know that Frank Sinatra was nearly considered for the original production of Fiddler on the Roof? Or that Jerome Robbins never choreographed the famous "Dance at the Gym" in West Side Story? Or that Lin-Manuel Miranda called out an audience member on Twitter for texting during aperformance of Hamilton (the perpetrator was Madonna)? In Show and Tell: The New Book of Broadway Anecdotes, Broadway aficionado-in-chief Ken Bloom takes us on a spirited spin through some of the most intriguing factoids in show business, offering up an unconventional history of the theatre in allits idiosyncratic glory. From the cantankerous retorts of George Abbott to the (literally) show-stopping antics of Katherine Hepburn, you'll learn about the adventures and star turns of some of the Broadway's biggest personalities, and discover little-known tidbits about beloved plays and musicalsfrom The Black Crook to Beautiful. Not your typical reference book, Show and Tell is structured as a tour through the life of a show, with stories about conception and writing followed by tales of casting, out-of-town runs, previews, and critical and audience reception. At times witty, at others poignant, but always entertaining ,the book reads like a smart conversation with New York gossip vavens through the ages revealing the unbelievable escapades of some of Broadway's most colorful personalities, be they gut-bustingly hilarious or bittersweet. This is a true celebration of Broadway's biggest smashes and most regrettabletrain wrecks, an anthology of the onstage and offstage drama that makes live theatre the liveliest of the performing arts. | Show and Tell by Ken Bloom, Paperback | Indigo Chapters