Review: Broadway Tails

 

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 Title:  Broadway Tails

Author: Bill Berloni

Grade:  A+

Summary from the Back of the Book

Bill Berloni was a young apprentice when he got his first big break: to find and train a dog for the original production of Annie. He rescued a down-on-his-luck dog from a local shelter and together they redefined what animal performers could do. Since then Berloni and his trainers have provided animals for hundreds of films, commercials, and television shows as well as live theater, including productions of Annie, The Wizard of Oz, and Because of Winn-Dixie. In this book, Berloni tells the stories of “throw-away” animals who starred with some of entertainment’s biggest names—including Bernadette Peters, Sarah Jessica Parker, Meryl Streep, and Natalie Portman—and his search for Broadway’s newest Sandy.

 

Review

I have been dancing since I was 5 and absolutely love stage performances. Musical soundtracks are one of my most played genres on music. So when I saw this book at the library I knew I had to read it. This book takes you through the career of Bill Berloni and the many musicals and plays he has worked on. He though, is not the one on stage. Bill  rescues dogs from shelters and gives them a second chance of life as stars of the stage. The book goes through the many different performances that his dogs have performed in. They range from the first production of Annie through the 2005 stage performance of Legally Blonde. He doesn't just use dogs. Some of the other animals he has trained are a pig and a rat. I love reading about the adventures that he goes through to get the different animals that are needed and of the antics of animals in live theater. It is a book I have read multiple times and one I still pull out to read from time to time. A local high school used one of Bill's dogs in their production of Annie and I had the opportunity to meet Bill and have him sign my book!

I would highly recommend this book to all! I think theater buffs would very much enjoy this book and seeing the behind the scenes of some of their favorite performances!

You can learn more about Bill Berloni's upcoming projects by visiting his website

Happy reading!

Bookaholic