Closer Than Ever: The Unique Six-Decade Songwriting Partnership of Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire
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AlbakiReads Editorial A working history of the Maltby–Shire collaboration
A working history of the Maltby–Shire collaboration
Joshua Rosenblum traces Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire’s songwriting partnership across more than six decades, using their stage work as a lens on how musical-theater collaborations develop and endure. The book moves between career history and close examinations of selected songs, covering the off-Broadway revues Starting Here, Starting Now and Closer Than Ever alongside the Broadway musicals Baby and Big. Interviews with Maltby and Shire give their creative process a central place in the account, while appearances by figures including Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, and Susan Stroman situate the partnership within a wider theater world. It is both a record of a professional alliance and a study of the craft behind individual musical numbers.
Good fit for readers who enjoy
- Musical-theater enthusiasts interested in Broadway and off-Broadway history
- Songwriters and theater makers curious about composer–lyricist collaboration
- Readers seeking detailed context on Maltby and Shire’s shows and songs
Themes
Musical-theater songwritingCreative partnershipBroadway and off-Broadway historySong analysisTheater production
Based on publisher information and book metadata.
Book Overview How do musical theater songs actually get written? What enables some composer and lyricist partnerships to last for decades? Composer Dav...
How do musical theater songs actually get written? What enables some composer and lyricist partnerships to last for decades?
Composer David Shire and lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr., two of the most gifted songwriters of our time, are revered among musical theater lovers for their ground-breaking off-Broadway revues Starting Here, Starting Now and Closer Than Ever, as well as for the Broadway musicals Baby and Big. Rosenblum sets out to increase appreciation for Maltby and Shire's large and impressive body of work and establish their place in musical theater history. This book chronicles their sixty-six-year (and counting) partnership, giving full behind-the-scenes accounts of their musicals, interspersed with deep-dive analyses of standout individual numbers. Other well-known artistic figures who feature prominently in the Maltby/Shire story include Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Michael Stewart, Francis Ford Coppola, Craig Lucas, Mike Ockrent, Susan Stroman, John Weidman, Charles Strouse, Garth Drabinsky, Adam Gopnik, Jason Robert Brown, and Jonathan Tunick.
Using his experiences as a Broadway conductor, music journalist, and professor of musical theater composition, as well as his long-term personal and professional acquaintance with both Maltby and Shire, Joshua Rosenblum is uniquely suited to chronicle their lives, careers, and creative output. The songwriters, both of whom are engaging and articulate in describing what they do, are quoted liberally throughout the book in exclusive interviews, creating the impression that one is spending time with two inspiring creative artists who happen to be great company.
Composer David Shire and lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr., two of the most gifted songwriters of our time, are revered among musical theater lovers for their ground-breaking off-Broadway revues Starting Here, Starting Now and Closer Than Ever, as well as for the Broadway musicals Baby and Big. Rosenblum sets out to increase appreciation for Maltby and Shire's large and impressive body of work and establish their place in musical theater history. This book chronicles their sixty-six-year (and counting) partnership, giving full behind-the-scenes accounts of their musicals, interspersed with deep-dive analyses of standout individual numbers. Other well-known artistic figures who feature prominently in the Maltby/Shire story include Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Michael Stewart, Francis Ford Coppola, Craig Lucas, Mike Ockrent, Susan Stroman, John Weidman, Charles Strouse, Garth Drabinsky, Adam Gopnik, Jason Robert Brown, and Jonathan Tunick.
Using his experiences as a Broadway conductor, music journalist, and professor of musical theater composition, as well as his long-term personal and professional acquaintance with both Maltby and Shire, Joshua Rosenblum is uniquely suited to chronicle their lives, careers, and creative output. The songwriters, both of whom are engaging and articulate in describing what they do, are quoted liberally throughout the book in exclusive interviews, creating the impression that one is spending time with two inspiring creative artists who happen to be great company.
Book Details Format: Hardcover | Pages: 328 | Language: English | Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PR USA | ISBN: 0197758231
FormatHardcover
Pages328
LanguageEnglish
ISBN0197758231
EAN9780197758236
PublisherOXFORD UNIV PR USA
Publication Date2024-06-07
Edition1
AccessoriesNo Accessory
ConditionNew
Product TypeHARD COVER BOOKS
Weight1.35 Pounds
Length8.9 Inches
Width6.1 Inches
Height1.1 Inches
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