To be immortalized by Al Hirschfeld’s crow quill pen and black India ink was nearly as coveted as a Tony Award. The artist’s formidable presence on Broadway and beyond dominated much of the 20th century, including the majority of composer Stephen Sondheim’s works.
A new poster book, Hirschfeld’s Sondheim, assembles 25 art prints reflecting the artists’ decades-long connection. Were they besties? Perhaps not. But Broadway bound them together, with the Al Hirschfeld Foundation referencing Sondheim on its page that pays homage to the composer:
“Content Dictates Form; Less is More; God Is in the Details — all in the service of Clarity, without which nothing else matters.”
“It’s hard to imagine twentieth-century Broadway without either Hirschfeld or Sondheim,” says author David Leopold. “Both men admired each other’s work, and both loved the theater, their legacies strengthened by remaining a presence on the Great White Way with two Broadway houses named in their honor.
“Sondheim was also a Hirschfeld collector, acquiring show drawings either directly from the artist or through his friends and collaborators, such as Hal Prince. Sondheim’s last interview, just five days before his death, included a photo of Sondheim at home with Hirschfeld’s Putting it Together on the wall in the background.”
Bernadette Peters, who has appeared on Broadway in six Sondheim productions, has written the book’s foreword, recommending that the poster collection serve as inspiration for more than just page-flipping. “I suggest that when you open this wonderful book and look at Al’s caricatures, you also listen to the music from Steve’s shows,” she writes. “You will get an idea of what Al was feeling while he was in the audience experiencing the show as he was sketching.”
Hirschfeld’s Sondheim (September 9, 2025, Abrams ComicArts) is available for pre-order.
From Tony snub to worldwide phenomenon: The ressurection of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’
RELATED BOOK NEWS
