Newcity Stage: Like so many, I have had Stephen Sondheim on the brain since his passing in late November.
Much of what has been said about Sondheim seems to only scratch the surface or even miss the boat.
The analogies to Shakespeare don’t work because Sondheim never wrote his own books.
What does make Sondheim stand apart as a Broadway lyricist is that Sondheim lyrics can be read standalone as great poetry.
2 comments:
It feels fairly long since Sondheim's passing, but I guess it's only been a few months. I remember watching "Tick, Tick... Boom!" and hearing about Sondheim's passing shortly after - either the next day, or the day after that. It was nice to have that be my final view of him, as a mentor fostering young artists on top of being a renowned artist himself. It's interesting to me, though, that Polkow claims that no one else is doing what Sondheim did. I wonder if that's simply because styles or changing, or if those artists haven't been discovered yet. I'm sure there must be at least one person out there who takes greatly after him.
The article also reminded me of something that people were saying on Twitter shortly after Sondheim's passing. They were encouraging people to honor Sondheim's memory not by peppering their next season with Sondheim revivals, but rather elevating new artists and giving them a chance (like Sondheim used to do). It'll be interesting to see this coming year, which theaters go which routes in how they choose to mark Sondheim's passing (if at all).
I am slightly embarrassed to say, as a BFA student, that I never truly did my research on those who wrote and composed some of my favorite musicals. I find myself more touched by the reactions that Sondheim’s absence has inspired than anything I have seen in theater in a long time. This article is also deeply touching, and frankly surprising. Hearing that he was rather odd, for a lack of better words, is comforting as someone who one day dreams to touch the world like he did. There is a stigma that those who change the world are perfect and ideal, which simply is impossible, but easy to forget. The humility and respect that is held in his memory by his students, fans, and those in the community is so beautiful. I look forward to seeing what else his work inspires and how the work in the community is changed by his passing.
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