All tagged Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim’s score for Assassins has always impressed me for how the late composer-lyricist captured the flavors of Americana: Sousa-like marches, barber shop quartet, folk ballad, and soft pop music, in telling a story that is inherently American. Quibble if you must about the musical’s themes, but there is no other musical more relevant in the post-Trump era than Assassins. Some have called it anti-patriotic, and others have erroneously stamped it as glorifying the work of psychotic, would be (and sometimes successful) killers of Presidents of the United States. Assassins is, in fact, a lament of the American dream and how its false promises and failure to deliver have driven individuals and, metaphorically, society as a whole, to the edge. One of the song’s in the musical is titled “Something Just Broke,” a reaction to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In reality, Assassins digs deeper than mere mourning, challenging our blind patriotism and posits the theory that the United States of America has been breaking since its inception. What better way for Sondheim to convey the generations of unrealized American dreams than to say it with the music that made America?
With the recent celebration of composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s birthday and the glorious “Take Me to the World” concert on Broadway.com, it got me thinking of the myriad celebrations of his work over the years. It seems that many of the same songs are (rightfully) celebrated, over and over again at these events. However, there are many wonderful songs by Mr. Sondheim that are just as worthy of a concert or compilation recording. That put me in the mind of creating a playlist that spotlights these glorious, under-sung songs of Sondheim. Here it is, with many wonderful songs, for your listening pleasure.
This month marks Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday, and there is much to celebrate regarding his music, his lyrics, and his influence over the shaping of musical theatre for the last sixty-plus years. As Mr. Sondheim becomes a nonagenarian, Broadway Records provides us with a unique way to explore his music. The new album “Losing My Mind: A Sondheim Disco Fever Dream” offers an “off-the-beaten-path” assemblage of many of his well-known (and lesser-known) tunes dished up in a decidedly clever format that evokes mirror balls, Donna Summer, and Studio 54.
It has been a few days now since the news officially dropped about the cuts and revisions made for the Ivan Van Hove-helmed revival of West Side Story preparing to open on Broadway. Some of my readers have pointed out to me that I have been noticeably quiet about what some have deemed is a massacre of a classic and some feel is an innovative take. They are correct. I have been mostly silent on the topic, taking some time to process how I felt about the changes and synthesizing these changes to decide whether or not they will truly influence the integrity of the piece. In recent years I have also tended to write about history, steering away from personal opinions in the hope that what I share ignites enthusiasm about musical theatre classics instead of turning people away from them. Even if a show is dated or is not in line with the thinking of our contemporary views, I believe most older shows (even the flops) have merit and are worthy of remembering. However, enough people have reached out to me over this West Side Story debacle that I suppose I am being called upon to speak in its defense. I will share my thoughts, at risk of much criticism (and maybe not for the reasons you might think). I do not expect everyone to agree with me and hope that each of you will apply your own reason and thought to whether you want to an altered West Side Story, making (or not making) your ticket purchases accordingly.
