Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics, 1981-2011, With Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes, and Miscellany
After his acclaimed and best-selling Finishing the Hat (named one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2010), Stephen Sondheim returns with the second volume of his collected lyrics, Look, I Made a Hat, giving us another remarkable glimpse into the brilliant mind of this living legend, and his...
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After his acclaimed and best-selling Finishing the Hat (named one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2010), Stephen Sondheim returns with the second volume of his collected lyrics, Look, I Made a Hat, giving us another remarkable glimpse into the brilliant mind of this living legend, and his life’s work. Picking up where he left off in Finishing the Hat, Sondheim gives us all the lyrics, along with excluded songs and early drafts, of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Assassins and Passion. Here, too, is an in-depth look at the evolution of Wise Guys, which subsequently was transformed into Bounce and eventually became Road Show. Sondheim takes us through his contributions to both television and film, some of which may surprise you, and covers plenty of never-before-seen material from unproduced projects as well. There are abundant anecdotes about his many collaborations, and readers are treated to rare personal material in this volume, as Sondheim includes songs culled from commissions, parodies and personal special occasions over the years—such as a hilarious song for Leonard Bernstein’s seventieth birthday. As he did in the previous volume, Sondheim richly annotates his lyrics with invaluable advice on songwriting, discussions of theater history and the state of the industry today, and exacting dissections of his work, both the successes and the failures. Filled with even more behind-the-scenes photographs and illustrations from Sondheim’s original manuscripts, Look, I Made a Hat is fascinating, devourable and essential reading for any fan of the theater or this great man’s work.
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Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9780307593412 (030759341X)
ASIN: 030759341X
Publish date: November 22nd 2011
Publisher: Knopf
Pages no: 453
Edition language: English
Category:
Non Fiction,
Autobiography,
Memoir,
Biography,
Writing,
Essays,
Literature,
American,
Art,
Plays,
Drama,
Theatre,
Poetry,
Music
Series: The Hat Box (#2)
I didn't read this as thoroughly as the first volume, because I'm only familiar with two shows in it ("Into the Woods" and "Candide.") But everything I did read was interesting, though I got a bit more of a grumpy old man vibe rrom this one. Still, a must-read for anyone interested in lyric writing...
Worth it just for Into the Woods & Assassins. I didn't read the whole thing, I haven't seen Passions and skipped most of the movie section except for Dick Tracy. In some ways this volume feels lighter, but since Sunday, Woods, and Assassins are my favorite Sondheim shows I still liked it more. Inter...