The wordsmiths

Drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished manuscripts, lyrics, letters, and interviews, Stephen Citron's generous dual biography brilliantly brings to life the strikingly different worlds of Hammerstein and Lerner - two remarkable artists who revolutionized the musical theater. Citron's narrative brims with fascinating stories and telling anecdotes about these two master wordsmiths. We learn how Hammerstein and composer Richard Rodgers first wrote musicals together as undergraduates at Columbia, then parted company for twenty years before reuniting to produce one smash hit after another.…