The Al Hirschfeld Foundation is proud to announce a new book, Hirschfeld’s Sondheim will be published by Harry Abrams Comic Arts on September 9, 2025. This first volume in a series of deluxe oversized 11 x 14-inch Hirschfeld poster books, Hirschfeld’s Sondheim, with an introduction by Bernadette Peters, and a foreword by Ben Brantley, contains more than 50 drawings of Sondheim and his musicals, plays and films, including 25 full page images that can be easily removed and put right on a wall. On the reverse side—rare, ancillary images from the Hirschfeld archives that are accompanied by revealing text by David Leopold, Hirschfeld’s archivist and now Creative Director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation on how the shows and the drawings reflect the development of both artists.
All of Sondheim’s best–known works are included— West Side Story, Follies, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, and Sunday in the Park with George—in 25 ready–to–frame, removable art prints. There are also previously unpublished works including a triple portrait of Sondheim, George Gershwin and Jerome Kern.
“Hirschfeld drew his first Sondheim show in 1957 when Sondheim wrote the lyrics to West Side Story,” says David Leopold. “He captured almost all of Sondheim’s stage productions and films. Sondheim was also a Hirschfeld collector, acquiring show drawings either directly from the artist or through his friends and collaborators like 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.”
“This keepsake treasure book is graced with 50 remarkable drawings spanning Steve’s most acclaimed works,” writes the legendary Sondheim performer Bernadette Peters in her Introduction. “I can hardly think of a better way to memorialize Steve and his art other than actually watching his shows or listening to his songs. Al in a single image captures a memorable emotion indelibly etching our hearts and memories with Steve’s artistic contributions.”
As longtime New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley points out in his foreword, Hirschfeld’s images capture the essence of the performances even better than the photographs of the shows. Hirschfeld’s drawings and Sondheim’s works are almost inextricably linked in the minds of theater lovers everywhere. Ever since Sondheim’s death in November 2021, his work and legacy have been enjoying a resurgence of appreciation, with productions like the recent Broadway revivals of Merrily We Roll Along, Company, and Into the Woods, and this season’s Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends.
The innovative format of Hirschfeld’s Sondheim allows readers to see the works as never before. The twenty-five 11” x 14” removable “posters” in this book also includes extensive commentary that serves as an informative and well–presented coffee table book, making it a purchase with both collector’s appeal and practical use. Now for the first time, these artworks are presented at an accessible price point, making Hirschfeld’s works widely available to his and Sondheim’s fans.
“It’s hard to imagine twentieth century Broadway without either Hirschfeld or Sondheim,” says 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.” Bring art, music and the legacy into your home with Hirschfeld’s Sondheim. Available at bookstores everywhere on September 9, 2025. Preorder today with special merchandise available only for a limited time at AlHirschfeldFoundationShop.org.
Look for events across the country this fall to celebrate the publication of Hirschfeld's Sondheim.
