{"product_id":"oscar-hammerstein-ii-and-the-invention-of-the-musical-9780300223798","title":"Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical","description":"\u003cb\u003eA new look at artist Oscar Hammerstein II as a pivotal and underestimated force in the creation of modern American culture \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Smart and insightful. . . . [Winer] has an intuitive grasp of Hammerstein's aesthetic and character. She gets him.\"--\u003ci\u003eNew York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e You know his work--\u003ci\u003eShow Boat\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOklahoma!\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCarousel\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe King and I\u003c\/i\u003e. But you don't really know Oscar Hammerstein II, the man who, more than anyone else, invented the American musical. Among the most commercially successful artists of his time, he was a fighter for social justice who constantly prodded his audiences to be better than they were. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Diving deep into Hammerstein's life, examining his papers and his lyrics, critic Laurie Winer shows how he orchestrated a collective reimagining of America, urging it forward with a subtly progressive vision of the relationship between country and city, rich and poor, America and the rest of the world. His rejection of bitterness, his openness to strangers, and his optimistic humor shaped not only the musical but the American dream itself. His vision can continue to be a touchstone to this day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA founding editor at the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003cb\u003eLaurie Winer\u003c\/b\u003e has been a theater critic for the \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Yale University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50568177352978,"sku":"9780300223798","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_346e89b9-1c08-48a8-bc7f-a938c545139b.jpg?v=1737240594","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/oscar-hammerstein-ii-and-the-invention-of-the-musical-9780300223798","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}