Alan Jay Lerner

A Lyricist's Letters

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Music Styles, Musicals, Biography & Memoir, Composers & Musicians
Cover of the book Alan Jay Lerner by , Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9780199394883
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: August 1, 2014
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9780199394883
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: August 1, 2014
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

The man behind "I Could Have Danced all Night" and "Almost Like Being in Love", lyricist Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986) is widely regarded as one of the most important figures of the American musical stage. In penning the lyrics to some of the most well-known and beloved Broadway shows, including Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady, and Camelot, Lerner worked and corresponded with some of the greatest luminaries of popular entertainment over a career which spanned four decades, from performers like Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews to composers like André Previn, Leonard Bernstein, Charles Strouse, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and especially Frederick Loewe. In this rich collection of correspondence, most of it published for the first time, author Dominic McHugh sheds new light on Lerner's working relationships with these legendary figures. McHugh's extensive commentary reveals Lerner's turbulent partnerships with Loewe and Lane, his affection for Harrison, and his reverence for Burton. Particular emphasis is placed on Lerner's aborted projects with composers like Richard Rodgers and Arthur Schwartz. Especially valuable is the correspondence from his final years, in which he worked on a movie version of The Merry Widow, a BBC TV series about musicals, and a musical version of My Man Godfrey, none of which came to fruition. The collection ends with a poignant final exchange between Lerner and Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he was to have written The Phantom of the Opera. Overall, this important and lively book reveals the highs and lows of the career of one of America's wittiest and most romantic lyricists.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The man behind "I Could Have Danced all Night" and "Almost Like Being in Love", lyricist Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986) is widely regarded as one of the most important figures of the American musical stage. In penning the lyrics to some of the most well-known and beloved Broadway shows, including Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady, and Camelot, Lerner worked and corresponded with some of the greatest luminaries of popular entertainment over a career which spanned four decades, from performers like Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews to composers like André Previn, Leonard Bernstein, Charles Strouse, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and especially Frederick Loewe. In this rich collection of correspondence, most of it published for the first time, author Dominic McHugh sheds new light on Lerner's working relationships with these legendary figures. McHugh's extensive commentary reveals Lerner's turbulent partnerships with Loewe and Lane, his affection for Harrison, and his reverence for Burton. Particular emphasis is placed on Lerner's aborted projects with composers like Richard Rodgers and Arthur Schwartz. Especially valuable is the correspondence from his final years, in which he worked on a movie version of The Merry Widow, a BBC TV series about musicals, and a musical version of My Man Godfrey, none of which came to fruition. The collection ends with a poignant final exchange between Lerner and Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he was to have written The Phantom of the Opera. Overall, this important and lively book reveals the highs and lows of the career of one of America's wittiest and most romantic lyricists.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book The Sovereignty of Human Rights by
Cover of the book Southern Baptist Seminary 1859-2009 by
Cover of the book In Other Shoes by
Cover of the book Human Rights and World Public Order by
Cover of the book The American People in the Great Depression by
Cover of the book Music, Song, Dance, and Theater by
Cover of the book Cerebral Cortex by
Cover of the book Adaptive Strategies for Small-Handed Pianists by
Cover of the book In Search of the Black Fantastic by
Cover of the book Universal Life by
Cover of the book Haunting the Buddha by
Cover of the book Applied Economic Forecasting using Time Series Methods by
Cover of the book Cybersecurity and Cyberwar by
Cover of the book Japanese Language, Gender, and Ideology by
Cover of the book The Incredible Canadian by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy