Maury Yeston was one of the most successful composer/lyricists for the musical theater of his generation. Classically trained and with an extensive academic background, he tended to involve himself with projects that had close associations with other works, which in turn diminished the recognition his versions received, however successful they may have been. This odd juxtaposition extended beyond the usual circumstance that musicals are often based on earlier works in other media, as was Yeston's adaptation of the 1963 Federico Fellini film 8½ into the Broadway show Nine as we...