A Theatrical Feast in New York

Though English colonialism ended in 1776, British actors and theatrical productions have continued to play huge roles in New York's theater scene. In Sharland's British-oriented guide to Broadway--a sequel to her London version, Theatrical Feast: Sugar and Spice in British Theater--the author proposes to reveal that link and the importance of New York's vast food horizons for the denizens of the theater world. The result is uneven, not least because of the book's disconcertingly scattered structure. It begins with chapters on famous restaurants, hotels and clubs, focusing on the usual big names (the Plaza, the Waldorf Astoria, Sardi's) and on gossipy historical anecdotes about British stars, mostly from the first half of the 1900s. An out-of-place chapter on Dorothy Parker is followed by unenlightening descriptions of Ivor Novello and Noel Coward's New York lives, and tenuously related ""theatrical nibbles and nuggets"" continue Sharland's preoccupation with famous people and their affairs. Despite the promised focus on food, she mentions it only haphazardly outside short dedicated sections, offering little insight beyond a star's favorite dish or eatery. The prose is that of an enthusiastic tour guide. ""On weekends there is always a queue to get in,"" she writes of Carnegie Deli; ""in-house guests may view film versions of popular Broadway musicals,"" she says of the Oak Room Cabaret. This approach is appropriate since the historical sights of Broadway described are the most tame and tourist-oriented, and the three suggested walks through today's New York follow well-trodden paths. A wealthy, traditional British tourist who hasn't yet been to Broadway might find this ""feast"" filling, but anyone desiring a modern view will be disappointed. Photos.