James Lapine

Our process ended up being not unlike Seurat's. We had to wait until all the dots filled the canvas... before we could step back and look at what we made.

What a treat this book was to read. Written in essentially an oral history format, this has got to be one of the most thorough behind-the-scenes books I've ever read personally. Here James Lapine takes the reader through the entire process of developing the 1980s musical Sunday in the Park with George from soup to nuts - starting with his show more personal entrance into the New York theatre industry, to beginning to write and workshop the show with musical veteran Stephen Sondheim at his side, all the way through opening night and the critical response the show received afterwards. Lapine goes deep into the weeds here, speaking to basically as many living members of the cast, creative and production teams as he could get his hands on. As a fan of theatre in general, it was interesting. As a huge fan of this show in particular, it was unputdownable! I'd recommend this for anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of show business, because this book allows you to experience it all, for better or worse. I have heard some complaints about the quality of the photos included in this book. This wasn't really an issue for me, but I would have enjoyed seeing even more photos. The production of this show seems like it was very well documented, so any other behind-the-scenes bits and bobs would be much appreciated! show less

This is a wonderful, quiet story that took me totally by surprise. There is lots of humor, like Lucas and his father sending each other the craziest books imaginable, and the insights into the mindset of Lucas, a slightly arrogant and definitely sarcastic chess player, are great and totally believable. The whole tone of the book, the way the story is told, fits the way Lucas thinks perfectly. I also loved all the details about New York and the house Kevin turns out to live in. And the show more secondary characters brought lots of life to the proceedings - especially Coco, an adorable little dog.

Lucas is a planner who has a strategy mapped out for his professional life. He finds it hard to deal with the fact that his personal life is at loose ends, but after the last breakup, he has resigned himself to the fact that chess will be the only thing he focuses on. Imagine his surprise when he sees former movie star Kevin in the crowd, a man who inexplicably vanished from public life. But what shocks Lucas more is his sudden need to go after him, find out what happened and help? Lucas doesn’t do impulsive – or so he thinks until he learns that life is full of surprises – and that not everything should follow a predetermined plan.

In a nutshell - this book is a wonderful adventure. There are new little details to discover at every turn, and the emotions Lucas goes through as he unravels the secret Kevin presents are what kept me fascinated as much as the humor and the mystery. A lovely, relaxing, and fun read that made me laugh out loud several times.


NOTE: This book was provided by Amber Allure for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

I read this today while listening to the recent British revival recording. It's such a beautiful masterpiece of a musical, and reading it as a play is another way to experience it, apart from just listening to the songs, or watching it live or recorded.

It may seem odd to think that this strange, surreal little musical about a fictionalized Georges Seurat could have anything important to say to us sophisticated modern citizens, but surprise! it is simple, profound, and moving. While most of show more what it has to say relates directly to Art and the challenges of the creative process, it is also more generally applicable to all humans.

'Move On' is one of my favorite pieces in all of musical theatre, and while I always appreciated the wry wisdom in this line:

Stop worrying if your vision
Is new.
Let others make that decision--
They usually do.
You keep moving on.

it wasn't until a wise teacher pointed it out to me that I fully grasped the depth of this line:

I chose, and my world was shaken--
So what?
The choice may have been mistaken,
The choosing was not.
You have to move on.

Highly recommended in all media: book, CD, DVD, live theatre. show less

This is a wonderful, quiet story that took me totally by surprise. There is lots of humor, like Lucas and his father sending each other the craziest books imaginable, and the insights into the mindset of Lucas, a slightly arrogant and definitely sarcastic chess player, are great and totally believable. The whole tone of the book, the way the story is told, fits the way he thinks perfectly. I also loved all the details about New York and the house Kevin turns out to live in. And the secondary show more characters brought lots of life to the proceedings - especially Coco, an adorable little dog.

All in all this book is a wonderful adventure. There are new little details to discover at every turn, and the emotions Lucas goes through as he unravels the secret that Kevin presents are what kept me fascinated as much as the humor and the mystery. A lovely, relaxing and fun read that made me laugh out loud several times. show less