Overture and Finale: Rodgers and Hammerstein and the Creation of Their Two Greatest Hits [Paperback]

Max Wilk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

A good read awaits theater lovers in this you-are-there account of the most phenomenal collaboration in Broadway history.





“The book benefits greatly from firsthand comments from the creators and performers of both original casts and the very successful film versions.”—Billboard Magazine



“Wilk's lively book tells of the creation of both Rodgers and Hammerstein shows....Better than that, Wilk makes the musicals live and breathe as well, telling their stories in a breezy—although never cavalier— manner.”—Show Music



“The definitive "biography" of two of the most successful musicals ever written: Oklahoma and The Sound of Music. This is a book that belongs in the library of every serious student of the American Musical. Not only is this book a work of great historical benfit, but it also provides the reader a chance to relive a bygone era through an account that makes it seem like only yesterday.”—Sheet Music Magazine

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Back Stage Books; 1St Edition edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823088200
• ISBN-13: 978-0823088201
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,130,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a nice recap, but not much new, January 24, 2000

By 

Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Overture and Finale: Rodgers and Hammerstein and the Creation of Their Two Greatest Hits (Paperback)

if you are an avid rodgers & hammerstein fan, you'll probably know 90% of the anecdotal information in this book, but if you're a casual fan who is desirous of learning more about the most influential writers of mid-20th century american musical theater, this book could serve as a perfect introduction.

wilk's writing, as usual, is crisp, and he is always a good reporter. would that he were a bit more into analysis of the overwhelming success of these 2 fine shows, and why they touch so many people and remain more popular than the (imho) artistically superior CAROUSEL, SOUTH PACIFIC, or KING & I...

one caveat to theater buffs: if you already own wilk's earlier volume on the making of OKLAHOMA, those chapters are a virtual rehash.

this is a worthy -- if not essential -- volume for the library of a fan of musicals.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific read for young and old theater lovers, August 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Overture and Finale: Rodgers and Hammerstein and the Creation of Their Two Greatest Hits (Paperback)

Max Wilk is a superb storyteller, and this book is one of the most entertaining accounts of two theater immortals in the act of creation you will find in print currently. Alas, books on the theater are getting rarer--which brings me to an important point: The person who calls this a "rehash" of Wilk's former "Oklahoma!" book has it wrong. We can be grateful that the author has preserved that text in a slightly more concise form in this new book, because his "Oklahoma!" book went prematurely out of print. Essentially, it's still available here, and you now get it in the same volume with his enjoyable narrative of "The Sound of Music" as well. Bravo, Mr. Wilk!