Secure A Copy Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied With String By Michael Crawford Made Available In Text

brought this home from the library for us, I'll read the first few chapters and then the Barnum amp Phantom stuff,
The section on Barnum several chapters was longer then anticipated, and very interesting, The section on Phantom seemed shorter by comparison, but I enjoyed it all a lot, Many of the stories I'd heard before in interviews, It brought back a lot of fond memories, I remember when this book was published in, because apart from the rounds of daytime TV that Michael Crawford did it must have been my gap year.
. . I remember reading the review in the Telegraph then my parents' choice of paper which portrayed Crawford as a masochist, citing his enthusiasm for his first film job that involved diving into filthy Thames water and subsequently getting his stomach pumped.
Not wanting to tarnish my opinion of a childhood hero, I decided to cross it off my Christmas list,

My admiration for Michael Crawford has actually increased in recent years, both through several visits to see his extraordinary performance in The GoBetween and also my growing vinyl collection his recordings communicate something of the sensitivity and warmth that make him such a mesmerising stage performer.
So I finally picked this up in a second hand bookshop, and would you believe it, he has been more than a little misrepresented by the aforementioned Telegraph reviewer.
But perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that a Telegraph journalist would treat hard work and commitment with suspicion, As Crawford himself writes, 'many's the time when my name has appeared in print coupled with 'perfectionist' as if that were some dirty word'.


In fact it's his determination to conquer some astonishingly difficult jobs, in the face of what seems to have at times been crippling insecurity, which makes this such an endearing read.
Crawford's career is pretty astonishing by any measure, but the variety and the continuing urge to cover new ground is what makes his journey so unique.
You would have to be, I don't know, a Telegraph journalist not to admire somebody so eager to take on new challenges, not just for

the sake of doing them but to do them well, and presumably it is also way beyond the purview of a Telegraph journalist to identify with the enthusiasm that spurs on such activity, from the childish glee at getting paid to dive into the Thames to pretend to rescue somebody, to performing in The Phantom of the Opera over a thousand times.
The endless mountains climbed in between might become insufferable, except that they are described with humility and selfdeprecating humour even up to the final sentence.


It's also worth noting that he writes really well, In fact the highlights are perhaps the more personal sections his descriptions of childhood or of his relationship with his Grandmother are beautifully evocative, whilst he skirts over some of the details of his professional career the experience of making three series of 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em', which would make for a fascinating book in its own right, are boiled down to just a few pages.
But this is much more a book about a person than it is a series of showbiz anecdotes, which again rather flies in the face of the 'obsessed with work' accusation.


There are certainly some painful episodes physical and emotional though no more than those experienced by many an artist, and his eagerness to succeed is infectious.
Or ought to be apparently, if your own experience is limited to peddling snarky little writeups for the Barclay Brothers, this might take you outside your comfort zone in which case, perhaps stick to something safer like a biography of the Prime Minister very good, light hearted in places, serious in others.
a good mix. recommended The Phantom's mask is removed for antecdotes about life and the entertainment industry, I'm not usually inclined to read memoirs, but as a theatre geek I wanted a peek into Crawford's experiences in theatre, movies, TV, music studios, and radio.
It's written in Crawford's natural tone, meaning more humorous circumstance than pomp, which makes it an enjoyable read,
Do you love Some Mothers Do have them well this the book for you here he goes into great detail on the history of how Norman Wisdom was the original choose amp after the show came out you can see why.
But also takes you step mad step through the stunts which no actor today would be able to do because of insurance but then it was so different amp that's why we have brilliant TV show that will never again be related.

We have his Phantom of the Opera amp his other musicals but over all this very much 'Oh Bettie the cats done a woopsy' I loved Michael in Some mothers do 'ave em and he was amazing as the Phantom so I was keen to read this book.
Undeniably talented, Crawford comes across as an emotional argumentative diva who cheated on his wife, I sort of wish I hadn't read this : I wasn't that excited about reading this, I'd only ever seen him in 'Some mothers do have them' when it used to be on at my nans while we'd wait for my dad to pick us up.
But I didn't know anything else about him, I've readautobiographys these past few months and I'm starting to feel abit meh about starting them, However when I got into this one I really liked it, Michael tell's his story well and I love hearing about the stage shows getting put together, I really wish I could see Barnum, sounds amazing! Every autobiography I've read so far has mentioned somebody else that I've already read about.
Planet Celebrity is very small it seems, Recommened for fans of Michael and fans of stage and screen, I love Michael Crawford and have for years, And I love him even more now after reading his book, Funny, sad, touching, and above all selfdeprecating, Under the Phantom's mask lies a lovely human being with a sweet heart, And who knew he was such a great writer I laughed out loud at some of his stories, and still do at a reread which I do frequently.
He takes his craft seriously, but not himself, You won't find ego trips here,and with his multilayered talent, he deserves a few,

Michael's book is a most entertaining journey for us, yet for him, not an easy one, He deserves his multidecade success because he works hard for it and keeps his audience as his primary concern as a performer.


I've seen him in Phantom at the lovely Majestic Theater back in, and fell in love with a voice that could melt iron.
Since then, I've seen him many times in concert, He is a true gift to the musical theater, and I wish him many more years of fun on the boards, I also hope he writes another book! He was quite ill last year, so it's good to see him back in action.

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