{"product_id":"on-sondheim-an-opinionated-guide-9780199394814","title":"On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide","description":"In \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\u003cbr\u003ea 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\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTodd\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\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ethe Woods\u003c\/em\u003e (1987). \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\u003cbr\u003ediscographical 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\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press, USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/17\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780199394814\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 216\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.15lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.40h x 6.10w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2016 pg. 108\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ethan Mordden","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41574216695989,"sku":"9780199394814","price":27.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_4e0c86c6-aa16-40b6-ba2d-3a97d3a8752a.jpg?v=1643691114","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/on-sondheim-an-opinionated-guide-9780199394814","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}