The Letters of Frank Loesser

The first collected correspondence of one of America’s greatest songwriters--revealing a fascinating life and lasting influence

Frank Loesser was one of the most versatile and influential figures of the Golden Age of Broadway, most famous for Guys and Dolls. A Pulitzer Prize- and Academy Award-winning composer and lyricist, he was also a successful producer and businessman who maintained a wide and rich correspondence. From Richard Rodgers and Ira Gershwin to Sammy Davis Jr. and Marlon Brando, his milieu included the great creatives of the day.

Dominic Broomfield-McHugh and Cliff Eisen draw together the best of Loesser’s letters to reveal the mind behind numerous hit musicals and a wealth of perennially popular songs. Clever, funny, and original, the letters shed light on Loesser’s creative process, his cultural Jewishness, and his keen business sense and relationship with the musical profession.

This correspondence allows us dazzling new access to the world of Broadway at its height--and reveals the scale of Loesser’s influence to this day.

Dominic Broomfield-McHugh is professor of musicology at the University of Sheffield and a leading authority on Broadway. Cliff Eisen is professor emeritus of music history at King’s College London and one of the major Mozart scholars of his generation.