New York: Random House, 1965. First edition of this classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Warmly Inscribed by both Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim on the half-title page. Fine in a near fine bright jacket without the fading usually encountered with the spine. Anyone can whistle is a play written by the same author of the West Side Story, and it was performed on Broadway in 1964, Carnegie Hall concert in 1995, and the New York City Center Encores in 2010. The New York Times wrote that Laurents' "book lacks the fantasy that would make the idea work, and his staging has not improved matters. Mr. Sondheim has written several pleasing songs but not enough of them to give the musical wings. The performers yell rather than talk and run rather than walk. The dancing is the cream." And Steven Suskin wrote, the "fascinating extended musical scenes, with extended choral work, ... immediately marked Sondheim as the most distinctive theatre composer of his time. The first act sanity sequence ... and the third act chase ... are unlike anything that came before.

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Bookseller: Raptis Rare Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 762
Title: Anyone Can Whistle: A Musical Fable.
Author: Laurents, Arthur & Stephen Sondheim
Book Condition: Used
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House
Place of Publication: New York
Date Published: 1965
Keywords: Anyone can Whistle Broadway Play Stephen Sondheim, Anyone Can Whistle First Edition, Anyone Can Whistle Laurents First Edition, Stephen Sondheim Signed First Edition

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About Raptis Rare Books

Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.

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Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Cloth: "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Inscribed: When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
Spine: The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Jacket: Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Fine: A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
First Edition: In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Octavo: Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...