Harold Prince and the American Musical Theater (Directors in Perspective) [Paperback]

Foster Hirsch (Author), Harold Prince (Foreword), Stephen Sondheim (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 1990 | Series: Directors in Perspective

Harold Prince, the most celebrated and influential producer/director in the history of the postwar American musical theater, produced such shows as Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, Fiddler on the Roof, and West Side Story. As producer/director of a series of landmark collaborations (including Company, Follies, Pacific Overtures, and Sweeney Todd) with composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, Prince has helped significantly to alter the structure as well as the content of a popular entertainment form. In his two collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Evita and Phantom of the Opera, Prince has also had a substantial impact on the contemporary British musical. The elements of Prince's signature--his convention-challenging subject matter and use of music, the revitalizing theatricality of his production designs--are discussed in detail and enriched by extensive interviews with the artist and several of his colleagues, including Sondheim and Prince's mentor George Abbott. The book is enhanced by rare production photos that illustrate the originality of his concepts in decor and stage movement. This study provides a wealth of backstage material describing the development of a musical from initial concept to opening night.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a top-notch examination of Hal Prince's towering contribution to the Broadway musical of the last four decades." Theatre Studies

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1st Edition(PB) edition (June 29, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521336090
• ISBN-13: 978-0521336093
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,452,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Insights into the Process of Harold Prince, August 27, 2005

By 

J Scott Morrison (Middlebury VT, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Harold Prince and the American Musical Theatre: Expanded Edition (Paperback)

This is not a biography. It is, rather, a detailed exploration of Harold Prince's process, his methods, from his beginnings in the 1950s with 'The Pajama Game,' on through his string of musicals with Stephen Sondheim. the two revivals of Bernstein's 'Candide,' his work with Andrew Lloyd Webber and, in this newly expanded version of a book originally published in 1989, the latest work by Prince, another Sondheim musical, 'Bounce,' the story of the Mizner brothers who were responsible for the real estate boom in Florida.

What makes this such an interesting read is that Prince is amazingly candid about his work, and this includes telling us what he believes went wrong with various of his less-successful ventures, and how even the successes might have been made better. We get inside his mind and come to admire his utter honesty and his immense creativity. Author Foster Hirsch, a professor who is an expert on American musical theater, writes in a neatly crafted style which makes the book un-put-downable.

This is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the Broadway musical, particularly of the last fifty years.

Scott Morrison

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 'must' for discriminating audiences, August 8, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harold Prince and the American Musical Theatre: Expanded Edition (Paperback)

Fans of producer/director Harold Price, who was a giant in musical theatre circles, will relish an expanded edition of the classic coverage which even includes an updated foreword by Prince himself. Prince's works are wide-ranging, from his direction of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita" to his productions of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "West Side Story". Various chapters cover Prince's more recent work as well, adding insights and numerous rare photos which make Harold Pricne And The American Musical Theatre a 'must' for discriminating audiences.