Clive Hirschhorn's Copy of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Something familiar: the 1963 book version of the Broadway musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." 

Something peculiar: that book signed by composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim and by Larry Gelbart, who wrote the book with Burt Shevelove. Gelbart inscribed the book to London theater critic Clive Hirschhorn on behalf of Shevelove and himself. Sondheim signed his autograph. It's quite a rarity, but maybe peculiar isn't the right word.

The cover illustration is not by Al Hirschfeld, who has one interior illustration, but by Rudy Nappi, best know for his Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew book covers. Here Zero Mostel looks nothing like a boy detective but he seems to have found what he was looking for.

This very desirable book was priced at $975 back on May 24.

Since then, the booksellers, Lakin & Marley, have reconsidered the price. It now goes for an even $1,200.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
AbeBooks listing accessed July 1, 2024

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/FUNNY-THING-HAPPENED-WAY-FORUN-Inscribed/31879062410/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
AbeBooks item description

"Comedy Tonight"

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Eight Caricatures of Stephen Sondheim

There's another lot in Doyle's recent Stephen Sondheim sale that caught my attention. It contained eight caricatures from the composer's estate. The songwriter kept many framed likenesses of himself. Some are original art and some are reproductions.

Martin Kreloff

 

Naturally one of the original works caught my eye right away, an original mock-New Yorker cover. The unsigned caricature here is, alas, not a good likeness. The rhyming dictionary may well have been one of Sondheim's tools, but he could hardly have relied on it enough to merit its inclusion front and center. This seems to detract from his accomplishment, which countless other musical composers with countless other rhyming dictionaries could hardly approach. The chess board on which the master writes music has gotten the dark and light squares all wrong, the graphic equivalent of a lyric that doesn't quite scan. I suppose this was something made as a personal gift and never actually submitted to the magazine, but anything's possible. The presence of the frame, at least, suggests That Sondheim himself was pleased with it, as he must have been pleased with all these pieces.

Trog (Wally Fawkes)

John Minnion

The lyrics in the Squigs picture are from "Anyone Can Whistle," "A Little Night Music," "Company," "Sweeney Todd," "Marry Me a Little", "Into the Woods," and "Sunday in the Park with George." There  may be other shows represented as well.

Justin "Squigs" Robertson

Stephen Sondheim
Doyle sale of June 18, 2024

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/eight-caricatures-of-stephen-sondheim-237-c-14c4435b61?objectID=189111447&algIndex=upcoming_lots_prod&queryID=892c36dd40f196a000e9db97625bc6e7

Stephen Sondheim
Doyle item description

Note:  I have yet to identify half these artists. Any help would be appreciated.

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Saul Steinberg, et al.: From the Library of Stephen Sondheim

Earlier this month, Doyle New York sold off some select items from the estate of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021). For those of us who were never invited into Sondheim's living room, this was a rare chance to view, among other things, some of the songwriter's library.

A shelf full of some twenty-five art monographs included three essential books by Saul Steinberg (1914-1999): The Passport (1949), The Labyrinth (1960), and The Inspector (1973). 

It's no surprise that the composer of "Sunday in the Park with George" (1984) should have several books about Georges Seurat on the shelf, but what about Georges de La Tour? Based on the number of books, Sondheim seems to have really appreciated his work. Christopher Finch's The Art of Walt Disney is the source of much of what I know on the subject. Sondheim also kept many of Dover's excellent Gustave Doré editions.

Looking further down to the next lot, there's The Best of H. T. Webster (on the bottom shelf in blue). On the fine arts side, there's a fair helping on Botero and Van Gogh, among many others.

I do love to sneak the occasional peak into people's libraries. I can't be the only one.

Stephen Sondheim books
Sale of June 18, 2024
It's great that the cataloguer chooses to single out different art subjects than I did.

https://attemptedbloggery.blogspot.com/2012/12/new-yorker-cartoons-at-auction.html

Stephen Sondheim books
Sale of June 18, 2024

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-group-of-art-monographs-177-c-0a341edafc?objectID=189111387&algIndex=archive_lotNumber_asc_prod&queryID=2566416d8973bd6e5738f988024ea071

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"Pretty Little Picture" with Added Harmonies

When "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" was revived in 1996, composer Stephen Sondheim restored some complex harmonies to the third verse of "Pretty Little Picture" that had been dropped from the original 1962 Broadway production. The result is fresh and interesting although perhaps a little distracting. (These revisions can be heard starting at 1:39 on the video.) The 1996 production ended up dropping the number altogether—inexcusably, I know—but it was included in the cast recording.

"Pretty Little Picture"

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"

1996 Broadway Revival

Nathan Lane as Pseudolus
Jim Stanek as Hero
Jessica Boevers as Philia

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Peter de Sève, Original 1996 Broadway Cast Recording

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Funny_Thing_Happened_on_the_Way_to_the_Forum

Note:  As you probably know by now, I have more blog posts about Broadway and also about Stephen Sondheim.

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"Pretty Little Picture"

Frank Cotham's drawing for the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #457

The drawing for last week's New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest by Frank Cotham got me to thinking about a Broadway score I've been familiar with for as long as I can remember. While galley slaves show up from time to time as a cartoon trope, they also make a darkly humorous appearance in a song by Stephen Sondheim. Early in the musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," the Roman slave Pseudolus paints a romantic "Pretty Little Picture" for an eager young couple in the hopes of being able to win his own freedom.

"Pretty Little Picture"

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"

Original Broadway Cast Recording (1962)

Zero Mostel as Pseudolus

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Note:  Be sure to explore this blog's archives for posts about Broadway in general and about Stephen Sondheim in particular.

Posts about Frank Cotham's Cartoon Caption Contests are also worth a look, especially if you like to see my captions go down in flames.

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Elaine Stritch Sings "I'm Still Here"

Here's another of the late Elaine Stritch's signature numbers, this one originally from "Follies" (1971).

Elaine Stritch sings "I'm Still Here" from "Follies" (1971)

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by James Goldman

Excerpt from "Elaine Stritch At Liberty" (2002)

Note:  The ink is barely dry on my recent post about Elaine Stritch. Somehow that metaphor doesn't work on the internet.

Did you know I'm just a Broadway blogger?

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A Toast to Elaine Stritch (1925-2014)

Elaine Stritch, who passed away yesterday, was a Broadway actress who played many roles but is perhaps best known for playing Joanne in Stephen Sondheim's landmark musical "Company" (1970). Her performance of "The Ladies Who Lunch," is still legendary and must certainly be the most scathing toast in the history of Broadway.

Elaine Stritch

"The Ladies Who Lunch" (concert version)

"Company" (1970)

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth

Note:  Before today, this is the closest I've come to writing a post about Stephen Sondheim.

There are also a few posts about the Broadway stage if you like that sort of thing.

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My Entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #429

Here is my entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #429 from May 26, 2014. The drawing is by Harry Bliss. The caption was composed by me, with a little help from Stephen Sondheim.

"No, not that 'A Little Night Music.'"

June 2, 2014 Update:  The Finalists

June 23, 2014 Update:  Winning Caption

Note:  Last week's New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #428 featured an invisible man visiting as a houseguest. I just couldn't see that. Actually, judging from the captions of the finalists, it seems doubtful he was an invisible man at all, but I certainly didn't know that.

I had better luck with the Moment Cartoon Caption Contest for January/February 2014, garnering my first winning caption ever! I have a long list of reasons why my caption shouldn't have won, but win it did and I'm not going to fight it.

You certainly won't want to miss my older posts about cartoonist Harry Bliss.

I just realized I've never written any posts about Stephen Sondheim. I hope someone out there is filling the void.

If you like gags like this one based on distortions of scale, you might try these on for size.

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