B IS FOR BROADWAY

Twenty-six letters of the alphabet barely contain the excitement and glamour that is Broadway.

The lights are bright as Aopens with an audition, as featured in A Chorus Line. Choreographers create dances, which ensembles perform with kick lines. Smash hits such as Hamilton, Rent, and Wickedplay to sold-out houses. Leading men and ladies sing, excite, and emote, sometimes with artfully designed makeup, as in Cats, and with an ably led orchestra in musicals. Great shows return with fresh takes: In a recent revival of Oklahoma, Ali Stroker performed Ado Annie in a wheelchair and won a Tony. Songwriters and composers provide lyrics and scores for soaring vocalists and at-home singalongs. Finally, the curtain comes down on Flo Ziegfeld and other producers. Well, not quite. Ethel Merman, too big for mere ABCs, belts out the closing number in her inimitable style. Bright, colorful illustrations showcase the razzle-dazzle of Broadway while notes on the bottoms of the pages provide a who’s who (these are supplemented by thumbnail bios in the backmatter). Young readers smitten with the stage will love the many views onstage and backstage. Seasoned ticket holders will enjoy putting a name to each face—before reading the notes, please. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Take your seats. No tickets needed for this entertaining performance.