# On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide - Hardcover

by **Ethan Mordden** (Author)

In _On Sondheim_, 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 _Anyone Can Whistle_, 1964), history (in _Pacific Overtures_, 1976), and cannibalism as a metaphor for class warfare (_Sweeney Todd_, 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 _A Little Night Music_ (1973) or the quixotic fairy-tale magic of _Into the Woods_ (1987).

Mordden provides fresh insights and analyses of every Sondheim show, from his first hit (_West Side Story_, 1957) to his most recent title (_Road Show_, 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.  

### Author Biography

  
**Ethan Mordden** has long been recognized as an authority on the American musical, and is the author of such books as _Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theater_, _Make Believe: The Broadway Musical in the 1920s_, _Beautiful Mornin': The Broadway Musical in the 1940s_, and _Coming Up Roses: The Broadway Musical in the 1950s_. He lives in Manhattan.  

**Number of Pages:** 216

**Dimensions:** 0.8 x 9.4 x 6.1 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** December 17, 2015

## Details

- **Price:** 33.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 33.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide - Hardcover

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