Brigadoon

by Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Plays

50 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1947

About the author

Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist whose work helped define the golden age of musical theatre, on stage and on screen. Born in New York City to a cultured and well connected family, he was educated in England and the United States, studying at Bedales School, Choate, and Harvard, where his lifelong love for musical theatre took shape through the Hasty Pudding productions. Like several of his contemporaries, Lerner began his professional path while still a student, combining literary wit with an instinctive feel for character and song. An accident during his Harvard years left him blind in one eye, preventing military service during World War II and redirecting him toward writing for radio before he entered the theatre world full time. His career changed decisively after meeting composer Frederick Loewe in the early 1940s, a partnership that would become one of the most celebrated in musical theatre history. Together they created works that blended romance, intelligence, and emotional clarity, beginning with early efforts and achieving major success with Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, and later the landmark My Fair Lady. Their adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion became a cultural phenomenon, breaking box office records and later winning multiple Academy Awards in its film version. The Lerner and Loewe collaboration continued with the film musical Gigi and the Arthurian epic Camelot, whose themes of idealism and loss came to resonate far beyond the stage. Outside this partnership, Lerner worked with composers such as Kurt Weill, Burton Lane, André Previn, Leonard Bernstein, and Charles Strouse, experiencing both triumphs and notable disappointments. His career was marked by ambition, perfectionism, and frequent personal turmoil, including health struggles and financial instability. Lerner also played an important role as an advocate for writers’ rights, serving as president of the Dramatists Guild of America in the early 1960s. He received numerous honors, including multiple Tony Awards, Academy Awards, and induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In his later years he reflected on his career in books that combined memoir, criticism, and affectionate insight into the art of musical theatre. Despite professional decline and personal difficulties, his influence endured. Alan Jay Lerner died in 1986, leaving behind songs and stories that remain central to the musical theatre repertoire, admired for their elegance, emotional honesty, and enduring humanity.

Reviews

[Avi🪷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After my shower, I sat outside in the sun in the afternoon with my husky napping on the grass near me, and I listened to the musical book with different renditions such as plays, the movie, a ballet, the original soundtrack and to say, it was a magical experience is an understatement.

I have never heard of brigadoon before but while listening and reading it, I still couldn't help but feel nostalgic. It feels like being in an old animated Disney movie, the songs were just amazing, and I especially liked Patrick Wilson's version of the soundtrack (if this ever gets a remake, pls cast him omgg).

With the book, I'm hoping to learn a few bits and pieces on the piano, especially "almost like being in love". It really did feel like being in a scottish mythical fairytale so this book is a little treasure.

[Jennifer Pletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the musical - yes. It is on the Rory Gilmore reading challenge, so I grabbed it to "read". It is mostly the songs, but the story is in there too. It is one of my favorite musicals, so it was fun.

[Goose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the musical and its cool

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

excited to do props for a high school production this spring 😊