What Would Barbra Do?

What Would Barbra Do is a type of memoir by Emma Brockes which details her relationship with musical theatre, and the people she knows' relationship with the musical. Reading this book was like meeting a new friend; Brockes' writing style is wonderful and it felt like I was reading about myself.

Starting with her Mum 'singing her across the street' when she would go to babysit in her early teens, taking in watching film musicals like Yentl (which I've never seen), Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, and, inevitably, The Sound of Music, Brockes' book details her life through these musicals. Her ability to describe the plots of the shows, and being fully aware of the silliness that is rife throughout them, is wonderfully funny and in addition, her ability to drop little aspects of trivia about early Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals and the power of Barbra Streisand is very interesting. Brockes ability to portray the trivia-loving Broadway fans, the bitchy theatre chat-rooms (such as this one and this one) and the hatred of musicals from people who have very rarely seen any is again humorous.

In reading this memoir I almost felt like I was finding a great friend in Brockes; her confession to an old-time rock star that she listens to 'mostly showtunes' and her worry about Ethel Merman blaring out from her iPod if it goes quiet on the train are things that I worry about, especially considering in between the more 'normal' music on my iPod I currently have Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Parade, Rent, Sondheim on Sondheim and Sunday in the Park with George on there, and I'm always terrified that suddenly the overture will blare out of my headphones and people around me will look at me like I have five heads.

I would admit that this book probably isn't great for someone who does think that musical theatre is a genre that is not worthy of attention, anyone who has a passing interest in musical theatre should find this book interesting; I came out of it knowing an awful lot more about early musical theatre than I had before (Brockes isn't keen on any of the more modern [post 1971] musicals), including about things like the acquamusical (literally a musical that takes place in a swimming pool). Emma Brockes is a fine writer, and I rattled through this in two days. Pick it up if you can.