A revelatory look at the complex inner world of one of the twentieth century's most beloved theatrical composers

Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021) was a towering figure in American musical theater. Celebrated for his iconic Broadway shows such as Company, Sweeney Todd, and Into the Woods, his accolades include eight Tony Awards, multiple Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Pulitzer Prize. In this intimate biography, Daniel Okrent follows Sondheim through the tumult of his upbringing and his parents' divorce, his acquaintance with Oscar Hammerstein II and subsequent discovery of musical theater, and his rise to fame as both a lyricist and composer.

Okrent shines new light on Sondheim's tormented emotional life, wavering self-confidence, and alcoholism, drawing on the artist's intimate correspondence with such notable figures as Hal Prince, Leonard Bernstein, and Arthur Laurents; exclusive interviews with his close friends and collaborators, including James Lapine and John Weidman; and Sondheim's own oral history, which remained closed until his death. As Okrent explores the ways Sondheim's music and lyrics express the inner man, he reveals a life that was defined by two parallel arcs: the movement from alienation to connection, and from ambivalence to resolution.

Details

ISBN13: 9780300270211
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 320
Edition:
Publication Date:
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication City, Country: United States
Dimensions (cm): 21(H)x14.6(L)
Weight (gm):

Author Biography

Daniel Okrent had careers as a book and magazine editor and was the first public editor of the New York Times. He is the prize-winning author of six books, including The Guarded Gate: Bigotry, Eugenics, and the Law That Kept Two Generations of Jews, Italians, and Other European Immigrants Out of America, and Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. He lives in New York City and on Cape Cod.

Reviews

“Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn’t Easy is a terrific book, the best that has been written about Steve. It captures him from every angle, and I learned things about him I never knew.”—James Lapine, librettist, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Passion

“Packed between the covers of this slim volume is the Stephen Sondheim I knew, evoked with insight, empathy, and elegance. A powerful and compelling read.”—John Weidman, librettist, Pacific Overtures, Assassins, and Road Show

“A marvelous feast of new insights.”—John McWhorter, New York Times

“[An] illuminating consideration of Sondheim’s long career. Without grandstanding in a game of biographical gotcha, Okrent takes up key themes of Sondheim’s life and links them persuasively to songs in his shows.”—David Hajdu, The Atlantic

“The entire book is sheer delight and Okrent... does a terrific job of telling Sondheim’s life story alongside shrewd analysis of his body of work.”—Emma Brockes, Guardian

“One of the best biographies I have ever read.”—Bill Goldstein, NBC New York

“A book perfectly weighted between the gossipy and erudite. . . You come for the biography and stay for the world of mid-20th-century New York.”—Emma Brockes, Guardian

“Excellent. . . . Sondheim, whose work I adore, emerges as a monstre sacre—French for a super-talented diva—under the pen of biographer Daniel Okrent.”—Alex Beam, Boston Globe

“Drawing on rich research, Okrent vividly captures a clever, sensitive, complicated, and sometimes abrasive artist, and sheds fresh light on even Sondheim’s most well-known productions. It’s a stellar portrait of an American theater great.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A brisk, engaging read that avoids hagiography. Okrent highlights the emotional frailties that coexisted with the brilliance and generosity.”—Julia Klein, Los Angeles Times

“[A] short, shrewd biography of the legendary composer/lyricist. . . . An indispensable supplement to our understanding of a musical theater giant.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Daniel Okrent’s superb new biography is a tightly written, emotionally perceptive, and often exhilarating study of a Broadway giant.”—Chip Brown, Air Mail

"Daniel Okrent follows Sondheim through the tumult of his upbringing … and his rise to fame as both a lyricist and composer"—The Paris Insider

“Thorough and well-researched . . . Okrent is very strong on the musical elements of the musicals, while never neglecting the excellence of the lyrics or the social context.”—Philip Fisher, British Theatre Guide

“In this compact, densely pleasurable life of Stephen Sondheim, Daniel Okrent has achieved the remarkable feat of bringing to fresh life an endlessly chronicled subject in a compellingly readable and authoritative way.”—James Kaplan, author of Irving Berlin

“An intricate, elegant tour through the life and psyche of an uneasy genius. Okrent’s book is stuffed with new matter and fascinating insights even for specialists like me who’ve been immersed in Sondheim’s biography and art for decades.”—Laurie Winer, author of Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical