Kirjahaku

The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia is the first reference volume devoted to the works of this prolific composer and lyricist. The encyclopedia’s entries provide readers with detailed information about Sondheim’s work and key figures in his career, including his apprenticeship with Oscar Hammerstein II, his early work with Leonard Bernstein, and his work on television. Entries include all of his major works and key songs from such musicals as Assassins, Company, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Gypsy, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, and West Side Story. Additional entries focus on his key collaborators, from lyricists to directors.

The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia is a wonderfully detailed and comprehensive reference devoted to musical theater’s most prolific and admired composer and lyricist. Entries cover Sondheim’s numerous collaborators, from composers and directors to designers and orchestras; key songs, such as his Academy Award winner “Sooner or Later” (Dick Tracy); and major works, including Assassins, Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, and West Side Story. The encyclopedia also profiles the actors who originated roles and sang Sondheim’s songs for the first time, including Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Mandy Patinkin, and Bernadette Peters.Featuring a detailed biographical entry for Sondheim, a chronology of his career, a listing of his many awards, and discussions of his opinions on movies, opera, and more, this wide-ranging resource will attract musical theater enthusiasts again and again.

An award-winning Sondheim expert dives into all facets of this unique, murder-filled masterpiece—its slimy roots, original production, characters from killers to lovers to bakers, soaring score, gripping storytelling, and lasting power.This bloody tale is often considered one of the greatest musicals of all time. Rick Pender provides a kaleidoscopic view and interweaves a wealth of archival materials and insights, starting with the show’s 19th-century gruesome literary origins and Christopher Bond’s 1970 stage adaptation that inspired Sondheim to transform it into a Broadway musical. Pender extensively explores the show’s development and its Tony Award-winning original 1979 production, focusing on Sondheim’s majestic score and the show’s masterfully written and intricately plotted book by Hugh Wheeler. Also profiled are members of the all-star creative team led by producer/director Harold Prince as well as legendary orchestrator Jonathan Tunick, renowned musical director Paul Gemignani, and the original cast, including Len Cariou, Angela Lansbury, Victor Garber, Sarah Rice, Edmund Lyndeck, Ken Jennings, and Merle Louise. The book surveys major, subsequent productions by theater and opera companies, as well as Tim Burton’s dark cinematic adaptation featuring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter. Critical assessments of the original production and numerous adaptations are shared, including John Doyle’s 2005 Tony Award-winning actor/musician production and the 2023 revival starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford. The book ends with a look at the musical’s cultural impacts and legacy. Rick Pender provides riveting exploration of Sweeney Todd will please fans of musical theatre, Sondheim enthusiasts, and those who gravitate to horror stories.