Words with Music: Creating the Broadway Musical Libretto - Paperback

by Lehman Engel (Author)

The dean of Broadway musical directors examines the dynamics of how the book, music and lyrics work together to create such hits as My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Hair, Pal Joey, West Side Story, Company, South Pacific, Threepenny Opera and Porgy and Bess. Howard Kissel, chief theater critic for the New York Daily News, extends the reach of Engel's subjects by bringing them up to date with commentary on such shows as A Chorus Line, Nine, Sunday in the Park with George, Rent, Working and Falsettos. Kissel offers a thoughtful history on how musical theater has evolved in the three decades since Engel wrote Words with Music (1972) and how Engel's classic work remains vital and illuminating today.

Author Biography

Lehman Engel (1910-1982) played an integral role in the Broadway theater during its golden years, as the conductor of such works as Wonderful Town, Take Me Along, Fanny and L'il Abner. In the 1960s he founded the now legendary BMI Musical Workshop where he imparted his passionate ideas about the musical to a younger generation. Among those who graduated from his tutelage are Ed Kleban, the lyricist for A Chorus Line and Maury Yeston, who wrote the music and lyrics for Nine.