Word: sondheimer
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Frank H. Rich ’71, currently a New York Times columnist and formerly their chief theater critic, first met Sondheim after writing a Harvard Crimson review of “Follies,” a Boston production for which Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics...
Upon reading the review, Sondheim contacted him requesting a meeting. Sondheim was impressed by the article, not because of its positive assessment, but because of how adeptly Rich had understood the play. During Saturday night’s onstage conversation, Sondheim stressed that in theater it is supremely important that the audience understand and connect with the material...
...Oscar Hammerstein II, believed that the first musical number is the most important of a production, as it sets up the plot and informs the audience of what to expect from the rest of the show; the major flaw with “Forum,” according to Sondheim, was the mood set by the opening number, a song called “Love...
...musical. “When Robbins came in, he said ‘You’re not telling the audience that this is a low comedy; you’re telling them that it’s a charming show,’” Sondheim recalled. When Sondheim replaced “Love is in the Air” with a new song, “Comedy Tonight,” there was an almost instant change in the show’s reception. “Comedy Tonight” is a farcical number that prepares...
What sets the mood for a theater audience, however, does not necessarily translate to film. A self-professed “film buff,” Sondheim said that the only onscreen version of a musical he has ever enjoyed as a film in its own right is Tim Burton’s 2007 “Sweeney Todd,” for which he wrote the music. Although some Sondheim fans were disappointed that Burton cut the recurring chorus, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” the composer said he approved of the choice...