Words with Music

The dean of Broadway musical directors examines the dynamics of how the book, music and lyrics work together to create such hits as My Fair Lady , Fiddler on the Roof , Guys and Dolls , Hair , Pal Joey , West Side Story , Company , South Pacific , Threepenny Opera and Porgy and Bess . Howard Kissel, chief theater critic for the New York Daily News , extends the reach of Engel's subjects by bringing them up to date with commentary on such shows as A Chorus Line , Nine , Sunday in the Park with George , Rent , Working and Falsettos . Kissel offers a thoughtful history on how musical theater has evolved in the three decades since Engel wrote Words with Music (1972) and how Engel's classic work remains vital and illuminating today.