Mielziner: Master of Modern Stage Design
Every once in a while a book comes along that is both beautiful  and informative, and this gorgeous book on the great stage  designer, Jo Mielziner, is one of them. Mielziner is considered  one of the greatest (perhaps the greatest) set designers of all  time. He designed the original sets for A Streetcar Named  Desire, Death of a Salesman, and Carousel and operas such as Don  Giovanni. This book covers his entire career, bringing the  reader into the golden world of Broadway at a time when it  really was a place of magic and divine inspiration. The 140  color photos are marvelous, though one wishes for more of the  larger pictures (economics, surely; the $45 price tag is a  bargain). Henderson, a journalist and theater historian of  international reputation, has written a fascinating text, with  background details that offer insights into this crazy world.  Highly recommended for all academic art and theater collections  and public libraries with patron interest. Susan L. Peters,  Univ. of Texas Medical Branch, GalvestonCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.