This lively, intelligent narration by Christopher Grove and Keith Sellon-Wright offers a series of informal conversations that took place from 2016 to 2019 between author D.T. Max and musician Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim passed away in 2021 at the age of 91, and these were among his last interviews. Amusing anecdotes and witty comments reveal a side of him few have seen. While it can become confusing when more than two people are speaking, the audiobook's overall feeling and tone are exactly right. Discussions of some of Sondheim's works, including COMPANY and INTO THE WOODS, sound sincere and believable. From Sondheim's difficulties trying to create a musical based on a Luis Buñuel film to his emotional comments about going to Japan and the problems with PACIFIC OVERTURES, every nuance is captured by the narrators.
Pub Date: Nov. 22, 2022
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063279841
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An essential listen for Sondheim enthusiasts.
For those who know Sondheim best as the lyricist of Broadway giants such as Gypsy and West Side Story, this extremely well-researched, rather concise audiobook will enlighten and inform. Author Okrent’s boundless enthusiasm is clear in his performance as he discusses Sondheim’s personal and professional journey. Sondheim, who passed in 2021, was an intensely private man, but fans of Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, and more of Sondheim's work will appreciate that Okrent was able to mine previously unexamined archives and other resources.
An essential listen for Sondheim enthusiasts.Pub Date: May 16, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228745124
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
Listeners will get to know a charming woman, and to share her love for poetry.
Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn is not only a marvelous actor, she is also a lover of poetry and a graceful and engaging writer. At 93, her voice is not as strong as it was, but she still knows how to use it to tell a story and interpret a poem. In this anthology she uses a selection of her favorite poems—some familiar, some from skilled but little-known poets—to trace the growth of her poetic taste, her relationship with the art, and her spiritual development. Her readings of Mary Oliver, Rumi, Poe, and more are as good as her comments, meaningful and instructive.
Listeners will get to know a charming woman, and to share her love for poetry.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063387706
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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