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Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution, by Todd S. Purdum
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Review
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Christian Science Monitor and PlaybillSarasota Herald-Tribune Holiday Book Guide“Affectionate and richly researched. . . . Something Wonderful offers a fresh look at the milieu and circumstances that contributed to the creation of some of the musical theater’s greatest and most enduring treasures. . . . In giving us access to the world that gave birth to them, Purdum’s authoritative and ultimately moving book brings these masterpieces to life with bracing clarity.â€â€•The New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice)"A veteran political reporter, Purdum goes moonlighting to delightful effect in Something Wonderful. His journalistic skills are evident in this affectionate tribute to the team that rewrote the rules for American musical theater. Something Wonderful is thoroughly researched and briskly written, seamlessly blending a chronological narrative of the productions with cogent analyses of their effect on American culture."―The Washington Post"Todd Purdum’s skillful dual biography…strips away the accretions of time and reputation to retrieve the craft and dynamism with which his subjects created a new kind of musical."―The Economist"[A] brisk, thoroughly reported, very readable new account of the Rodgers-Hammerstein partnership. . . . Purdum gives the pair far more complexity and feeling than they are generally credited for."―Corby Kummer, The Atlantic"A revelatory portrait. . . detailed and sharp."―Time“Todd Purdum’s timely examination of the life and works of Rodgers and Hammerstein is a beautifully balanced accounting of two complicated men, the theater artists who surrounded them, and the quite astounding works they created. Purdum writes with grace and care about the creation of their best and their least achievements, and he subtly points to their differences and difficulties as human beings without ever stooping to gossip or nastiness. Like the R&H catalog itself, he takes on his subject with taste, relish, fairness, and a clear sense of the importance of the subject matter. A wonderful read.â€â€•Jack Viertel, author of The Secret Life of the American Musical“Fresh. . . . A neatly proportioned study . . . perhaps most helpful [in] reminding us of the bold breadth of the business―in the broadest sense―of the Rodgers and Hammerstein partnership†[whose] “melodies . . . ventured sprawlingly across the planet, all day and deep into the night." ―The Wall Street Journal, lead review"Something Wonderful is above all a marvelous book about the arts and the artistic process. Todd S. Purdum provides a more than satisfying biography of Rodgers and Hammerstein, their successes and failures, their marriages, their money. But he’s just as comfortable, and very acute, writing about their craft. . . . On top of everything else, Something Wonderful has soul. . . . I'm happy to have read this book, and I was also extremely happy while I was reading it. It's a very happy book, and you can’t say that about everything we read." ―Nick Hornby, The Believer"Purdum is a lifelong fan of musical theater, and that passion shows in 400 pages that fly by in double-time. . . . [He] has a gift for scene painting, making us feel like we’re in the room when some of the most memorable moments in musical theater history take place. . . . Such a pleasure to read."―DC Metro Theater Arts"[A] delightful new book. . . . Broadway magic if anything is, and Todd Purdum has given readers the most elaborate and entertaining exploration of that magic they're ever likely to read."―The Christian Science Monitor"Purdum’s excellent book continues an argument that is well worth having. . . . Bloom and grow forever, indeed."―America Magazine"A fresh and revelatory look at the personalities of these legendary figures, their relationship with each other, their creative process, and their groundbreaking innovations....Full of illuminating anecdotes about the biggest stars of the day....A celebration of the lives and legacy of one of the most iconic partnerships in artistic history, sure to please anyone who loves musical theater." ―Broadway World"This brisk and lively biography of the greatest team in musical-theater history remains happily focused on what matters most: the shows. . . . A solid, affectionate description of artists who look more important today than at any time since, oh, 1945."―BroadwayDirect.com“Purdum keeps his well-researched book zipping along in concise, crystalline prose. . . . [Something Wonderful] serves as an excellent reminder of the startling ways in which these classic musicals were boundary-pushing.â€â€•American Theatre"Unapologetic in its appreciation of the team's talents but inclusive enough to consider their darker moments as well."―Dallas News"Readers will learn the stories behind the music and how this most successful of writing duos crafted some of the finest musicals to grace the American stage...Something wonderful, indeed." ―Booklist (starred review)"Joyous, brisk, and gossipy...An exuberant celebration of musical genius." ―Kirkus Reviews"Purdum’s anecdote-filled account is a sterling primer on the influential duo, both for newcomers to their work and to those looking to rekindle an old flame." ―Publishers Weekly“A scrupulously researched and infinitely fascinating history of the collaboration of Rodgers & Hammerstein―two giants who propelled the musical theater to uncharted heights. Todd Purdum acknowledges the contribution of directors, orchestrators, composers of incidental music, designers, and performers who helped produce the seamless integration that influenced those of us who were their disciples. His book is a fair-minded appreciation of these gods but acknowledges that they had feet of clay. It is an impressive addition to the literature celebrating the American musical theater.†―Harold Prince“Rodgers and Hammerstein drew pictures, made lists. They understood and rewrote the longings of the heart. My favorite of their songs happens to be the book’s title: ‘Something Wonderful.’ I have sung it live, on stage, on recordings, and with the man I felt the same way about. I love the intimacy of the stories Todd Purdum tells―he shows himself to be especially sensitive to Oscar Hammerstein’s special connection with Richard Rodgers.†―Carly Simon“Before there was Netflix and Hulu, some of the most gifted writers on the cultural landscape wrote beautiful and clever songs. And of the composers who bundled those songs together to accompany a story and thus gave us the Broadway musical, none have had more of an impact on the genre, or the business, than Rodgers and Hammerstein. Todd Purdum’s book is a piece of American history you should devour, as nothing tells us about our times and ourselves quite like our songs.†―Alec Baldwin"Engaging. . . . A lively, sometimes gossipy narrative."―Forward“A reminder in these tribalized times that musical theater, once so central to our culture, is still vividly alive – and that the art’s twin titans, Rodgers and Hammerstein, still matter deeply. Clear, precise, and passionate, this is a necessary book, and even better, one that is a joy to read.†―James Kaplan, author of Frank: The Voice and Sinatra: The Chairman“Come backstage...It's all here in Purdum's book. From describing the real-life moment that inspired 'Some Enchanted Evening' to detailing the drafts for 'Edelweiss,' Purdum has produced Something Wonderful indeed.â€â€•BookPage
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About the Author
Todd S. Purdum is the author of An Idea Whose Time Has Come and A Time of Our Choosing. He is a staff writer for The Atlantic, having previously worked for more than twenty years at The New York Times, where he covered beats from City Hall to the White House and served as Los Angeles bureau chief. He has also been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and a senior writer at Politico. A native of Macomb, Illinois, and a graduate of Princeton University, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Dee Dee Myers, and their two children.
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Product details
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; Second Printing edition (April 3, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 162779834X
ISBN-13: 978-1627798341
Product Dimensions:
6.6 x 1.4 x 9.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.6 out of 5 stars
123 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#6,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
"You ask too much of people who have been successful, and they are human too," Richard Rodgers once remarked. In "Something Wonderful," Todd S. Purdum' s absorbing account of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway revolution, he restores humanity to R and H. He also celebrates their sincerity, the very quality that later made Rodgers And Hammerstein musicals unfashionable to the critical elite. Elliott Norton observed, "When you mention Rodgers and Hammerstein to almost any normal American with a sound heart and good hearing, he thinks at once of songs and scenes and shows which they have written--and which have given him great and abiding pleasure." So it was and so it may always be. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals have become such a part of pop culture fabric, they are almost taken for granted. They never should be. Purdum doesn't knock Rodgers and Hammerstein off their musical theatre pedestals. He does not want to. Ethan Mordden effectively did that in his scholarly, heavily illustrated, coffee table book. Purdue's book is much more fair and much more fun to read. And it's because Purdum writes from a human perspective. It turns out, these Masters Of Musical Theatre were mere mortals after all. They were astonishingly talented, creative, driven, ambitious men, complete with flaws and all. It really doesn't matter that they were geniuses of their craft. Without their humanity, their flaws, and their simple, honest sincerity, the public never would have responded to their shows at all. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II met each other long before their partnership, and each began to sew the seeds of their Broadway revolution with other partners. Hammerstein was literally born into the theatre. Rodgers was a musical prodigy from a cold, emotionally distant and abusive home. That coldness became part of Rodgers' nature. Hammerstein wrote Broadway's first really serious musical "Show Boat" with Jerome Kern in 1927. After "Rose Marie", Hammerstein had nothing but flops, spent several unproductive years in Hollywood, and suffered a nervous breakdown due to his turbulent personal life. Rodgers had nothing but hit after hit with his other Big "H" partner Lorenz Hart from the mid 1920's throughout the 1930's. Their 1940 musical "Pal Joey" was more worldly and sophisticated than anything Broadway had seen before. But Hart was a genius who was hell-bent on self-destruction, and he did exactly that. Rodgers couldn't take it anymore and Hammerstein needed a hit. The success of "Oklahoma!" was never predestined or a safe bet. But Purdum brings into sharp focus how Rodgers and Hammerstein came together at exactly the right time and, combining their years of theatrical experience, created "Oklahoma!", a musical that America not only needed by 1943, but also wholeheartedly embraced. Their next musical "Carousel" was even more risky. "Oklahoma!" was essentially about a picnic-party. "Carousel" was about life, death, spousal abuse, poverty, suicide, and a few other things in between. "Carousel", their darkest musical with their richest, most operatic score, remains their most problematic-- but somehow they pulled it off. Purdum celebrates their deserved successes and is fair minded about their Broadway flops ("Allegro", "Me And Juliet" and "Pipe Dream") and their personal flaws and failings. At some point, they stopped being Richard Rodgers, composer, and Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist and librettist, and became trapped victims of their own success. This is, after all, a story of show business, and R & H became a business-- an entertainment empire, really. R & H were business men. Rather stingy business men who had prickly relationships with talented people in the R & H business. Purdum finally gives orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, music arranger Trude Rittmann and scenic designer Jo Milzner their long overdue credits. Playwright and director Josh Logan was treated worst of all. Logan wrote the book to the masterpiece "South Pacific" with Hammerstein in bursts of inspired and manic creativity. Logan received co-author and director credit , but was cheated out of royalties. Hammerstein attempted to correct things by asking Logan to direct "The King And I." Wounded by his "South Pacific" experience, Logan refused. But Logan remained, by choice, a close friend in Hammerstein's circle. Hammerstein poured out his frustrations about Rodgers to Logan, and asked him for advice on shows. Hammerstein ignored Logan's advice on how to improve "Allegro", and it flopped. He took Logan's advice on how to make "The King And I" more warm and entertaining, and it was a huge hit. As far as knowing what stories to musicalize and how, Rodgers And Hammerstein were indeed ONE with a great track record of success and a few flops. As men and "friends", they hardly knew each other at all. Interestingly, R & H were both married to women named Dorothy. Both Dorothy R and Dorothy H were interior designers. And they didn't like each other, either. They kept up a cool if distant facade, however. By the mid-1950's, a coolness came into the R & H relationship that lasted until the end. After writing a bubbly and unpretentious score for "Cinderella" for CBS TV in 1957, Rodgers suffered a severe depression (nervous breakdown) and his first battle with cancer. R & H had one more "lucky hit" in them, "Flower Drum Song", which is seldom staged today. Mary Martin, the star of "South Pacific", brought "The Sound Of Music" to R & H. When rehearsals began, Hammerstein was diagnosed with cancer. If cancer had not killed him, critical response to "The Sound Of Music" might have. One critic said the show was too sweet for words and music. Hammerstein died in 1960, and "The Sound Of Music" became R & H's most popular "popular success." After great success and an entertainment empire, it became fashionable to knock the R & H empire and everything in it down. After Hammerstein's death, the critical elite dismissed R & H shows as conventional, pandering, condescending, and worst of all, childish. Purdum ponders how and why R & H fell into critical disfavor. It actually happened a few years before Hammerstein's death, and Purdum says the middlebrow movie versions of "Oklahoma!", "Carousel, and "South Pacific", which muted the innovations in the shows and maximized the schmaltz, do not help at all. "The King And I", with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, is the best R & H movie adaptation, and "The Sound Of Music" starring Julie Andrews is the biggest R & H movie mega-hit. The modest Julie Andrews seems to be at a loss to explain to Purdum why "The Sound Of" Movie remains such a wildly popular success. Purdum feels that the major R & H hit shows are not bad at all, but for many years, productions and the packaging of them, were terrible. Recent productions of "Carousel" and "South Pacific" sparked a major R & H re-evaluation. I am sure readers will agree with Purdum that the R & H revolution was something wonderful indeed, and their shows are still relevant and worthy of serious discussion and artistic appreciation.
Just as Oklahoma! was to war-weary audiences in its day...THIS book is the tonic I needed in a time when the world around me has ceased to make sense. I'm not even into Broadway musicals all that much, and found it enchanting. Now I find myself downloading original cast albums, just to try to relive some of the magic myself. Mr. Purdom did a fine job. Thanks to NPR's "Fresh Air" to alerting me to this release.
I've read extensively about Broadway history since I was in my teens and I'm an "honored citizen" now (aka "old"), so I wondered when I first saw this book whether it would add anything to what I already know. I was ultimately persuaded to buy it by some of the rave reviews I read. I'm glad I did. There were details about the lives of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein I had not come across before, plus some real insight into how they worked together and what their work gained from their synergy. For those who loved their shows, you'll never find such detailed stories of the step-by-step creation of the hits and the flops as well. Broadway music has been the soundtrack of my life and it all started with a friend back in grade school who invited me over to hear the Original Cast recording of "Oklahoma." Reading about the creation of that landmark show took me right back to that wonderful moment in my life. It really was the first time I fell in love with a form of art. The affair continues to this day.
I bought this rather expensive book after reading the review in The Economist. Nevertheless I feared I had another of those dry, fact filled books (to show the author worked very hard and knew everything) but no, I was fascinated from beginning to end and am very glad to learn so much about the music and the movies I always enjoyed so much. I never saw one o the musicals because I always lived to far away; now I feel I have seen them all! Highly recommended, which I don't do very often. Thank you Mr. Purdum!
What a wonderful and engaging book. It takes me back too. The first live play I ever saw as a little girl was Oklahoma at the Oriental theater in Chicago. So interesting and easy to read.Judy Myers
Do you remember a time, roughly 1943 to 1963, when the composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein practically owned American musical culture? When I was a small boy, “Cinderella†played on CBS, “The Sound of Music†was headed from Broadway to Hollywood, and songs from shows like “Oklahoma,†“The King and I†and “Carousel†played on the radio and were sung everywhere from schools to taverns and elite performance halls. The record clubs of the era even had a separate membership category called “Broadway Sounds,†“Tin Pan Alley†or something like that.Even if you don’t recall those days, author Todd Purdum takes us there for all of that, and also gives credit to the composers who influenced them ("Larry" Hart and Jerome Kern, among others) and those whom they influenced (particularly "Stevie," later Stephen Sondheim, who was a frequent house guest of the Hammersteins from his childhood on). Well researched and written, admiring but not fawning, SOMETHING WONDERFUL would make a fine present for the budding Broadway fan or performance wannabe. It shows how the "RH Factor" was formed, clicked, and serves almost as a “you-are-there†for each show’s inception, creation, performance and afterlife.If, after reading this biography, the reader's appetite for more Broadway is whetted, here's a good follow-up book: Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre.
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