{"product_id":"on-sondheim-an-opinionated-guide-hardcover","title":"On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eEthan Mordden\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eOn Sondheim\u003c\/em\u003e, renowned author Ethan Mordden takes the reader on a tour of Stephen Sondheim's work, arguing for the importance and appeal of the composer-lyricist in American theater and, even more, in American culture. Over the course of eighteen shows, Mordden demonstrates that Sondheim is a classical composer who happens to write musicals. Sondheim has intellectualized the musical by tackling serious content usually reserved for the spoken stage: nonconformism (in \u003cem\u003eAnyone Can Whistle\u003c\/em\u003e, 1964), history (in \u003cem\u003ePacific Overtures\u003c\/em\u003e, 1976), and cannibalism as a metaphor for class warfare (\u003cem\u003eSweeney Todd\u003c\/em\u003e, 1979). Yet his work combines complex music and intellectual plots with a masterly skill for the fabric of theatre. His shows are all intensely theatrical, produced with flair and brilliance, whether in the lush operetta of \u003cem\u003eA Little Night Music \u003c\/em\u003e(1973) or the quixotic fairy-tale magic of \u003cem\u003eInto the Woods\u003c\/em\u003e (1987). \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMordden provides fresh insights and analyses of every Sondheim show, from his first hit (\u003cem\u003eWest Side Story\u003c\/em\u003e, 1957) to his most recent title (\u003cem\u003eRoad Show\u003c\/em\u003e, 2008). Each musical has a dedicated chapter, including articles on Sondheim's life and his major influences, and comprehensive bibliographical and discographical essays place the Sondheim literature and recordings in perspective. Writing with his usual blend of the scholarly and the popular - with a wicked sense of humor - Ethan Mordden reveals why Stephen Sondheim has become Broadway's most significant voice in the last fifty years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthan Mordden\u003c\/strong\u003e has long been recognized as an authority on the American musical, and is the author of such books as \u003cem\u003eAnything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMake Believe: The Broadway Musical in the 1920s\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBeautiful Mornin': The Broadway Musical in the 1940s\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eComing Up Roses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s\u003c\/em\u003e. He lives in Manhattan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 216\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 9.4 x 6.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 17, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51762716541216,"sku":"9780199394814","price":31.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/0a90dd54e5530efe24f4fc6e9e65f169.webp?v=1780224226","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/on-sondheim-an-opinionated-guide-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}