Finishing The Hat - Stephen Sondheim -
poetry in america

Stephen Sondheim is widely hailed as the greatest modern American musical theater composer. Series creator Elisa New speaks with Broadway stage actors and writer Adam Gopnik to explore Sondheim's singular ability to blend lyrics and music - using as their case study "Finishing the Hat," from Sondheim's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George.

Episode Duration: 26 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 205

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About Poetry In America:

The series POETRY IN AMERICA draws students of all ages into conversations about poetry.

Hosted by Harvard University professor Elisa New, each half-hour episode highlights the work of one distinguished poet (Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks) with a reading by an individual well known for accomplishments outside the humanities (actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, Grammy-Award winner Herbie Hancock; former vice president Joe Biden, and rapper/poet Nas), as well as a chorus of others, including: a chorus of pick-up basketball players, young naturalists at the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and students at the Parsons School of Design.

The fast-moving, beautifully shot series offers viewers a fully immersive experience in hearing, reading, and interpreting a single American poem.

Scholar Elisa New opens a conversation about poetry and encourages viewers at home to extend the discussion past the episode's end.