Book Recommendation: I’LL DRINK TO THAT! BROADWAY’S LEGENDARY STARS, CLASSIC SHOWS, AND THE COCKTAILS THEY INSPIRED (Laurence Maslon, Author; Joan Marcus, Photographer)

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by Tony Frankel on May 10, 2023

in Books,Theater-New York

CHEERS!

If there’s anything better than a cocktail before or after a Broadway show, it’s a cocktail in a Broadway show. So, I’d like to propose a toast … slide your coffee table book to the side (mine is of Broadway posters), and make room for that new cocktail table book: I’ll Drink to That!, a celebration of theatrical tradition, a souvenir of magic moments on stage, and a practical guide to make one-of-a-kind craft cocktail recipes inspired by the best of Broadway.

About the new book, author and one of the leading musical theater historians, Laurence Maslon said, “Ever since my parents took me, as a wee lad, to see Maggie Smith in Noël Coward’s Private Lives, it struck me that the glamour of Broadway and the elegance of a cocktail will always go hand in glove — or ‘hand and glass,’ I should say. This bookgives readers an effervescent overview of that bubbly relationship, as well as more than a few choice anecdotes to dazzle any after-show cocktail conversation.”

I’ll Drink to That! expertly mixes clever cocktails that pay homage to Broadway shows, such as the Rainbow High from Evita and the Bali Ha’i M’ai T’ai from South Pacific with authentic recipes for drinks that play supporting roles in beloved shows, like the infamous Vodka Stinger from Company, and shakes it up with a history of the cocktail on Broadway, detailed by Maslon.

Featured throughout are fantastic images, from vintage liquor ads featuring Broadway stars, to profiles of classic shows and the luminaries famed for their effervescence. The specialty cocktails get their own spotlight, glamorously photographed by Broadway legend Joan Marcus at the iconic Sardi’s restaurant, home to hundreds of opening nights for the past 100 years.

With thirty unique drink recipes ranging from Mame’s Mint Julep to Beetlejuice’s the Dead Thing, and illustrated with a wide range of rare drawings, posters, and advertisements, I’ll Drink to That! is for anyone who loves the theater, enjoys an elegant bend of the elbow, and wants to be part of long and bubbly theatrical history.

♠♣♥♦

I’ll Drink to That!
Broadway’s Legendary Stars, Classic Shows, and the Cocktails They Inspired
Laurence Maslon; photography by Joan Marcus
Weldon Owen | 7.5 x 0.47 x 9.5 in | 176 pages
Hardcover | $27.99
ISBN:978-1-68188-965-8 | May 23, 2023
pre-order here, or wherever books are sold

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