The Street Where I Live

Camelot. Gigi. My Fair Lady.

Really, that list right there should tell ya everything you need to know about the author, lyricist of these three epoch-defining musicals. He wrote "The Night They Invented Champagne" and "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "If Ever I Would Leave You." Egads! Gadzooks! Forsooth! So what the heck else is there for a man whose resume has those little bagatelles depending from it to say for 254pp of text?

Not a helluva lot.

No nasty, salacious gossip?! Nuh-uh. No cruel-to-be-kind character assassinations of his friends?!? pffft So is this book a complete yawn-fest? Almost.

I found Mr. Lerner's explication of the writing, adapting, and collaborative processes illuminating and useful. I thought his stories of life show more behind the scenes as a Broadway neophyte were funny. But I would never suggest to you, o budget-conscious book consumer, that you seek this book out and pay good coin for it. If you run across it at the charity shop or a yard sale, snap it up! Search AbeBooks? Oh hell no. Best of all, those of you in roughly my age bracket, go rooting in Mom's books and see if she got one back in 1978, thinking she'd wile away a few hours with a martini and a gossipy tell-all.

Betcha you'll know immediately where she gave up and moved on to dirtier fields...the spine'll crackle as you turn that page. show less

Rumour has it that Lerner's anecdotes aren't all 100% accurate as history but they are highly entertaining and enjoyable. He was involved in some of the all time greatest Broadway musicals.