ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - Titled
after perhaps Stephen Sondheim's most autobiographical song, from
Sunday in the Park with George--Finishing the Hat not only collects
his lyrics for the first time, it offers readers a rare personal look
into his life as well as his remarkable productions.
Stephen Sondheim's career spanned more than half a century; his lyrics
are synonymous with musical theater and popular culture. Sondheim--the
winner of seven Tonys, an Academy Award, seven Grammys, a Pulitzer Prize
and more--treats us to never-before-published songs from each show,
songs that were cut or discarded before seeing the light of day, along
with the lyrics for all of his musicals from 1954 to 1981, including
West Side Story, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music and Sweeney
Todd.
He discusses his relationship with his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II, and
his collaborations with extraordinary talents such as Leonard Bernstein,
Arthur Laurents, Ethel Merman, Richard Rodgers, Angela Lansbury, Harold
Prince and a panoply of others. The anecdotes--filled with history,
pointed observations and intimate details--transport us back to a time
when theater was a major pillar of American culture. Best of all,
Sondheim appraises his work and dissects his lyrics, as well as those of
others, offering unparalleled insights into songwriting that will be
studied by fans and aspiring songwriters for years to come.
Accompanying Sondheim's sparkling writing are behind-the-scenes
photographs from each production, along with handwritten music and
lyrics from the songwriter's personal collection.
Penetrating and surprising, poignant, funny and sometimes provocative,
Finishing the Hat is not only an informative look at the art and craft
of lyric writing, it is a history of the theater that belongs on the
same literary shelf as Moss Hart's Act One and Arthur Miller's
Timebends. It is also a book that will leave you humming the final
bars of Merrily We Roll Along, while eagerly anticipating the next
volume.
