Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution Audiobook

Quotes

• “A revelatory portrait…detailed and sharp.”

  — Time

• “The milieu and circumstances that contributed to the creation of some of the musical theater’s greatest and most enduring treasures.”

  — New York Times Book Review

• “A neatly proportioned study…of the Rodgers and Hammerstein partnership…[whose music] ventured sprawlingly across the planet, all day and deep into the night.”

  — Wall Street Journal (lead review)

• “Strips away the accretions of time and reputation to retrieve the craft and dynamism with which his subjects created a new kind of musical.”

  — Economist (London)

• “[A] lively, evocative joint biography…Rodgers and Hammerstein’s personal relationship was not especially close, but each man’s individual history had more than enough color.”

  — New York Times

• “[An] affectionate tribute to the team that rewrote the rules for American musical theater…thoroughly researched and briskly written.”

  — Washington Post

• “Purdum gives the pair far more complexity and feeling than they are generally credited for.”

  — The Atlantic

• “Delightful…The most elaborate and entertaining exploration of that magic they’re ever likely to read.”

  — Christian Science Monitor

• “With warm enthusiasm, Purdum reads his engaging…fast-paced account..[and] hooks the listener with lively anecdotes…This look at how Rodgers and Hammerstein’s shows endure despite changing times deserves sustained applause at the curtain call.”

  — Booklist (audio review)

• “Something Wonderful is a scrupulously researched and infinitely fascinating history of the collaboration of Rodgers and Hammerstein—two giants who propelled the musical theater to uncharted heights.”

  — Hal Prince, Tony Award–winning theatrical producer

• “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)

• “This lively book will appeal to anyone who loves theater, songwriting, or biography.”

  — Library Journal

• “Come backstage in Todd S. Purdum’s Something Wonderful as he introduces the musical stars and up-and-comers of the day…Live the drama of opening nights, when anything could happen—and often did…Purdum has produced something wonderful indeed.”

  — BookPage

• “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

• “Joyous, brisk, and gossipy…An exuberant celebration of musical genius.”

  — Kirkus Reviews

• “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, singer–songwriter and New York Times bestselling author

• “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, award–winning actor and New York Times bestselling author