Finishing the Hat: The Collected Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim (volume 1) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes

2010 | Music & Dance

The winner of seven Tonys, seven Grammys, an Oscar, and a Pulitzer Prize, Stephen Sondheim has become synonymous with the best in musical theatre. Now, in Finishing the Hat, he has not only collected his song lyrics for the first time, he's giving readers a rare, personal look into his extraordinary shows and life. Along with the lyrics, both published and unpublished, for all of his productions from 1954 to 1981 - including West Side Story, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, and Sweeney Todd, which have starred some of the most famous and talented actors in the world from Johnny Depp and Catherine Zeta Jones, to Judi Dench and Alan Rickman, Finishing the Hat is a celebration of the act of creation. Sondheim discusses his relationship with his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II, and his collaborations with legends Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, Angela Lansbury, and countless others. His anecdotes - rich with history, personal insights, and intimate details - transport us back to a time when theatre was a major pillar of American culture.

And throughout the book, Sondheim analyses his work and dissects his own songs as well as those of others, offering unparalleled insight into songwriting that will be studied for years to come. Brilliant, poignant, scathing, and funny, Finishing the Hat is the newest production Sondheim can add to his list of classic works.

Stephen Sondheim (Author)