First published 2010
Stephen Sondheim opens his creative vault to share the craft behind his legendary musicals. Named after his most personal song from Sunday in the Park with George, this collection presents complete lyrics from his shows between 1954 and 1981, including West Side Story, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, and Sweeney Todd. Sondheim reveals songs that never made it to opening night, cut numbers and discarded drafts that illuminate his creative process. He examines his own work with surgical precision, breaking down word choices and rhythmic patterns while analyzing other songwriters' techniques. The book chronicles his mentorship under Oscar Hammerstein II and his partnerships with Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Ethel Merman, Richard Rodgers, Angela Lansbury, and Harold Prince. Through personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes photographs, Sondheim reconstructs an era when Broadway stood at the center of American culture. He dissects the art of lyric writing with unmatched authority, offering aspiring songwriters and theater fans unprecedented access to his methods and insights.
Genres: drama, art, 20th-century, non-fiction, biography-memoir, music
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, creative-genius, mentor-mentee
Period: 1954-1981
421 pages · Hardcover · Knopf