An old-fashioned Broadway biography of Richard Rodgers's first
lyricist. Nolan (The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers and
Hammerstein, 1978) presents a "this-is-your-life" account of Lorenz
Hart's rise and fall. Born in 1895 to Jewish immigrant parents in
New York City's Harlem, Hart was raised in a boisterous household
by a loving mother and a ne'er-do-well father who specialized in
elaborate business scams. After directing amateur theatricals at
summer camp, Hart began working on student revues at Columbia,
where he met a young piano player named Richard Rodgers. Through
classmate Herb Fields, then an aspiring writer, they were
introduced to Fields's father, Lew, a theatrical impresario, who
gave them their first break. After several abortive stabs at
writing for Broadway, the partners were so unsure of their eventual
success that Rodgers was tempted by an offer to sell babies'
underwear just before their first big hit, a score for the Theater
Guild's Garrick Gaieties of 1935. Rodgers and Hart went on to
create many well-known musicals, including Babes in Arms, I Married
an Angel, The Boys from Syracuse, and the great Pal Joey. Along the
way, Hart pushed for lyrics - witty, cosmopolitan, full of current
slang and topical allusions - whose quality was a notch above the
"moon-June-spoon" fare of previous popular songs; he also insisted
that songs be an integral part of the play, not just interpolations
to suit a particular singing star. The writer was dogged by low
self-esteem and a homosexual bent that Nolan seems most
uncomfortable discussing; Hart eventually became so addicted to
late-night carousing that he aggravated his more prudish partner.
Rodgers finally paired up with Oscar Hammerstein shortly before
Hart's death in 1943 to compose the immortal Oklahoma!, which
launched the modern musical era. A sympathetic account for fans of
the musical theater of the '30s and '40s. (Kirkus Reviews)
Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers's first songwriting partner, was the most famous and talented lyricist of the Golden Age of American song.
This fascinating biography examines Hart's sensitive genius, his relationship with Rodgers, and his spell in Hollywood. In addition, it explores the disorganization and sexual tensions that not only marred his private life, but also rendered him an unreliable partner and an incurable alcoholic.
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