Title
Foreword to "Frank Loesser" by Tomas L. Riis
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2008
Publication Title
Frank Loesser
Department
Music
Abstract
"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 more than seven hundred 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 an informed discussion of Loesser's life and musical career, presents a critical look at one of the most important - though often overshadowed - Broadway composers." "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 look at Loesser's life along with an examination of the totality of his works."--BOOK JACKET.
WorldCat Link
Citation
Block, Geoffrey. Foreword to Frank Loesser by Tomas L. Riis. Yale Broadway Masters, General Editor, Geoffrey Block (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008).