Look, I Made a Hat
Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany
Published on 22. November 2011
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-0-307-59341-2 (ISBN)
Description
The second volume of Sondheim's collected lyrics is both a remarkable glimpse into the brilliant mind of a legend, and a continuation of the acclaimed and best-selling Finishing the Hat.
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—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.
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—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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Random House USA Inc
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paper over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
195 PHOTOS/ILL IN TEXT
Dimensions
Height: 293 mm
Width: 217 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
1478 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-307-59341-2 (9780307593412)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
STEPHEN SONDHEIM wrote award-winning music and lyrics for theater, film, and television. He is the author of Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) and Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011). He is also the coauthor of the film The Last of Sheila and the play Getting Away with Murder. Sondheim was on the council of the Dramatists Guild of America, having served as its president from 1973 to 1981. He lived in New York City. He died in 2021.
Content
Note to the Reader
Cast of Characters
Preface
Reintroduction
1. Sunday in the Park with George
2. Into the Woods
3. Assassins
4. Passion
5. Wise Guys/Bounce/Road Show: A Saga in Four Acts
6. Other Musicals
7. Movies
8. Television
9. Commissions, Occasions, Beginnings
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Appendix A: Oversights
Appendix B: Original Productions
Appendix C: Selected Discography
Index of Songs
Subject Index
Cast of Characters
Preface
Reintroduction
1. Sunday in the Park with George
2. Into the Woods
3. Assassins
4. Passion
5. Wise Guys/Bounce/Road Show: A Saga in Four Acts
6. Other Musicals
7. Movies
8. Television
9. Commissions, Occasions, Beginnings
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Appendix A: Oversights
Appendix B: Original Productions
Appendix C: Selected Discography
Index of Songs
Subject Index