I just received this message from Dick Lee, Singapore's pre-eminent musical writer:
"Congratulations on your new book, which I just read, and thoroughly enjoyed. The passion and dedication you tirelessly put into it has resulted in an engaging and informative account on the state of musicals in the world. I am proud to have been included!"
http://www.lulu.com/shop/mel-atkey/a-million-miles-from-broadway-musical-theatre-beyond-new-york-and-london/paperback/product-20419142.html;jsessionid=616AF3A28A1E7B3CFE1F233160226099

Peter Filichia's Review

Here is the full text of Peter Filichia's review of A Million Miles from Broadway as it appeared on Kritzerland.com on 16 November 2012:


Peter Filichia Review

Kritzerland.com

On page 143 of Mel Atkey’s A Million Miles from Broadway, there’s the sentence that encapsulates the thrust of the book: “The Drowsy Chaperone was a love letter to the American musical, but as one Japanese director observed, that letter was definitely postmarked Toronto.” By lumping the United States, Japan and Canada in a comment about one musical, Atkey’s premise is well-substantiated: there is much musical theater beyond Broadway and London.

The author points out that once – but not now -- many countries had inferiority complexes about their musicals; if shows weren’t American, they couldn’t be worthy. “But we just weren’t good at it,” admits Australian Tony (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) Sheldon, when speaking of decades ago. He cites a ‘50s musical of Lola Montez that suffered because the creators were much too much influenced by Paint Your Wagon.

Times change. All right, Manning Clark’s History of Australia: The Musical doesn’t sound like a hit – and it wasn’t – but Atkey points out the merits of The Hatpin and laments its just-missed status. He points out why the Australian The Boy from Oz was a much darker and better show than what we got here. On the other hand, there was that Kookaburra production of Company in which the actress playing June (sorry – April) fell ill and had no understudy. As a result, the director dropped “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” and “Barcelona.” Learn what happened when Sondheim heard about it.

See what Michael Kunze, co-author of Dance of the Vampires, really thought of the Broadway version. Why Mame inspired Anne of Green Gables to change two songs before its London premiere. How a Baker Street writer’s knowledge trickled down to help The Drowsy Chaperone.

If you thought that Evita was forbidden in Argentina, Atkey clarifies the real reason why B.A. has yet to see it. He does tell why Sarafina! was heavily criticized in South Africa and why the The King and I is banned in Thailand. (Did you know that Anna’s original surname was actually Owens, but she added the Leon to the front of it because it was husband Tom’s middle name? Atkey does.)

Who’d expect that former rocker Cat Stevens was a groupie for the 1961 British musical King Kong? Or that the first American musical produced in Buenos Aires was retitled Simple y Maravilloso. (Can you translate or at least infer the title that it had had on Broadway?) As for that all-female Japanese Takarazuka troupe that does American musicals as unlikely as Kean and Ernest in Love, Atkey points out that no two women ever kiss for real on stage. In short, there’s never been a better book for the armchair-traveler-theatergoer.

 

Now vailable on Amazon

My book A Million Miles from Broadway – Musical Theatre Beyond New York and London has been available in both print and e-book formats from lulu.com for about three weeks now.  It recently also became available through Amazon.  Within the next month or so it will also be available through other outlets, both online and “bricks and mortar”.  Dress Circle in London is already accepting orders for it.

Advance copies have been sent to various media who specialise in musical theatre.  This book is unique in that it is of local interest in several countries, including Canada, Australia, Singapore, South Africa and Argentina.  There is very little promotional budget for this, but I have sent posters to all the West End and Broadway musical houses, as well as to theatres in Toronto and Melbourne.  There will be an ad in the academic journal Studies in Musical Theatre beginning next month.  I’m on the lookout for opportunities to appear on radio (both internet and over-the-air) to feature songs from other-worldly musicals.  I’m particularly anxious to get the book into libraries and schools.  I know of a university in Philadelphia that has already ordered it for their library – let’s hope there are many more.

I haven’t read any reviews yet, but will be in touch when they’re out.

Finally available -- A Million Miles from Broadway

My exciting news is that my book A Million Miles from Broadway: Musical Theatre Beyond New York and London is finally available from http://www.lulu.com/shop/mel-atkey/a-million-miles-from-broadway-musical-theatre-beyond-new-york-and-london/paperback/product-20411410.html.

To self-publish or not to self-publish?

Further to my recent email update, this is to let you know the options I’m considering for A Million Miles from Broadway.

Last month, shortly before I completed the manuscript, I sent out proposal packages to a number of trade publishers.  This package included an audio CD with musical excerpts from some of the shows covered by the book, as well as clips of my appearances on two radio programmes.  I have not received any responses.

A number of people have made various suggestions to me, including that I publish the book myself, either as an e-book or as print on demand.  I am holding both of those options as a fall-back in case I am unable to secure a trade publisher (or in any case one who will publish the book as I have intended it, with its international focus intact.)  I have received a lot of support, and it is clear that interest in this book is quite high within the musical theatre community.

There are a couple of ideas that may help see this project through – whichever option I end up taking.  One would be testimonials that I could quote in my approaches to publishers.  (I have already received ones from Tony Castro, John Sparks and David Overton).  The other thing is that it would be very valuable to me if some of the schools with musical theatre studies programmes could give me a written expression of their intent to use the book – either by purchasing it or placing it on reading lists.  If anybody is willing to consider this, I can send them a perusal copy of the manuscript.

I still have great reservations about self-publishing, as in the past I have always found the support that a recognised trade publisher provides – both in editorial and marketing – to be invaluable.  However, I must accept that this book may be a little too “specialised” or “niche market” for that – although I am still convinced that there is a large enough market for a publisher who knows how to reach it.

I appreciate all of the support that this project has enjoyed from many corners, and hope to be able to announce some progress soon.

Mel Atkey

To join a facebook group for A Million Miles from Broadway, click here

An update on my last update

I’m afraid that the news since I finally completed the manuscript for A Million Miles from Broadway just a few days ago is not encouraging.  Having already been turned down by the Canada Council, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation informed me today of their decision not to support me.  Further to this, the only publisher that was actively considering the book has now decided to pass, saying: “A hearty congratulations on bringing this large project to completion.  Seeing the full manuscript gives me a much better sense of the book this will become than earlier exchanges we’ve had.  I wish you all the best with it, but I can say with confidence now that it’s not a project that would be well-served by our Press – it’s simply too far outside of our core mandate for scholarly books.  It will, however, be a book that will be read enthusiastically by fans of musical theatre, so I suggest finding a trade press that is adept at reaching that audience.”  Would that he were right.  Information packs on the book were sent out last month to about twenty trade publishers.  Not a single one has responded. (Three years ago, one trade publisher responded saying, “we probably couldn’t publish a book about fringe theatre or where too much space was devoted to one country (e.g. Canada) and that your book would need thoroughly to address the influence of Broadway on the musical theatre of other nations to make it a truly international overview of the subject.”  I’m not interested in writing a book about how Broadway has conquered the world – and I’m certainly not going to leave my own country out of it.) For the first time I am beginning to doubt that this book will ever be released.

On the other hand, there has been lots of support in both the theatrical and educational communities.  Some have urged me to consider self publishing. I have already gone several thousand pounds into debt over this and have absolutely no money left.  Also, I don’t believe a self-published book would be accepted as authoritative. If one of those trade publishers doesn’t come forward, I’m afraid I may have to abandon this project.

I hope I’ll have better news next time.

The Moment of Truth

Now is the moment of truth.  I have completed the manuscript for A Million Miles from Broadway – Musical Theatre Beyond New York and London and have submitted it to a couple of prospective publishers.  I have also sent out information packs – including an audio CD of two radio programs I was on – to a few others.

I admit that it’s a difficult sell.  Although it has a greater potential appeal than Broadway North, its readership are also more widely dispersed.  Also, it’s not an academic text, but neither is it mass-market.  I need to target a specific niche, which is the professional musical theatre community, the die-hard aficionados, and educational institutions.

I’ll let you know what happens.