Overview

Perhaps best remembered as the writer and composer of the ever-popular Guys and Dolls and the Pulitzer Prize--winning How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Frank Loesser was one of the great songwriters of the twentieth century. Lyricist of over 700 songs--among them such cherished favorites as ""Baby, It's Cold Outside,"" ""Once in Love with Amy,"" and ""I Believe in You""--his work has received both Tony and Academy Awards. Here Thomas L. Riis, in a deeply informed and lively discussion of Loesser's life and musical career, presents a critical look at one of the most important--though often overshadowed--Broadway composers. Immensely prolific and a personally magnetic man, Loesser was a major figure during the Broadway golden age that included Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and Bernstein. Riis traces Loesser's early career as a Hollywood songwriter and a noted contributor to the war effort. He discusses in depth each of Loesser's musicals and provides a look at the legacy of a man admired as a mentor who inspired dozens of assistants, proteges, young songwriters, novice singer-actors, and aspiring producers. This book offers a concise look at Loesser's life along with an engaging examination of the totality of his works.

Full Product Details

9780300110517

Table of Contents

Reviews

Frank Loesser was that rare bird: a skillful stage composer and brilliant writer of song lyrics. Riis's deeply researched and musically astute study shows us what makes a great show such as Guys and Dolls tick. -Ralph P. Locke, Professor of Musicology, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester -- Ralph P. Locke This superb, imaginative songwriter has finally received the biography he deserves. -Gerald Bordman, author of American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle -- Gerald Bordman Any musical theater fan or scholar can enjoy this delightful read, just as lighthearted and cheerful as a Loesser song. -Alexandre Badue, Music Research Forum -- Alexandre B due Music Research Forum

Frank Loesser was that rare bird: a skillful stage composer and brilliant writer of song lyrics. Riis's deeply researched and musically astute study shows us what makes a great show such as Guys and Dolls tick. -Ralph P. Locke, Professor of Musicology, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester -- Ralph P. Locke

Frank Loesser was that rare bird: a skillful stage composer and brilliant writer of song lyrics. Riis's deeply researched and musically astute study shows us what makes a great show such as Guys and Dolls tick. --Ralph P. Locke, Professor of Musicology, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester--Ralph P. Locke

Author Information

Thomas L. Riis is the Joseph Negler Professor of Music and director of the American Music Research Center, University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a specialist in musical theater, and he lectures and writes frequently on many topics in nineteenth- and twentieth-century African American music.

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