Description
If You Can Play Scranton is a theatrical history of America as
seen through the famous performers who came to Scranton, Pennsylvania.
It discusses performances by the best known actors and actresses of the
tragic and comic stage, ethnic performers, vaudevillians, musical
comedy, concert, orchestra and band performers from 1871-2010. At the
turn of the 20th century, Scranton was one of the most famous try-out
towns for legitimate stage productions. The sophisticated taste of its
audience, created by extensive exposure to world renown talent,
continues to this day.
$12.95
298 pgs., 5.5" x 8.5"
paperback
ISBN 9780983741824
$2.99-$4.99
ebook
http://www.IfYouCanPlayScranton.com
Praise and Reviews
"From mining's glory days to That Championship Season, who
would have known that Scranton was such a national hot-bed for
performance and that its stages hosted so many giants? Thanks to
Nancy McDonald, we all will! Packed with information, yet always an
enjoyable and fascinating read."
- Alan Baker, The Choral Society of Northeast Pennsylvania
"Jack Benny and Mae West, vaudeville and big bands, stage plays and
movie stars – to open this treasure of a book is to relive
Scranton's entertainment scene from its heyday right up to modern
times. With juicy details and magnificent photographs, Nancy
McDonald captures a beloved aspect of the city's history."
- Cheryl A. Kashuba, local historian & Scranton
Times-Tribune columnist
"With incredible detail and occasional whimsy, Nancy McDonald
brilliantly chronicles the range and high caliber of artists
subjected to the unyielding scrutiny of the unique culture that was
– and is – Scranton. Nancy demonstrates, with great pride, how
Scranton is a footnote in the history of America’s performing arts."
- Dr. Paulette Merchel, retired theater program director, Marywood
University
"If You Can Play Scranton is a work that anyone who is
interested in Scranton's entertainment history MUST read. Nancy
McDonald has dedicated a lifetime to researching the topic and her
work provides an excellent document of the amazing talent that has
appeared here."
- Mary Ann Moran Savakinus, director, Lackawanna Historical Society
"I found If You Can Play Scranton to be very informative and
interesting. It's a great read for anyone with Pennsylvania roots."
- Karl Wegforth, president, Dunmore Historical Society