New York Theater: Stephen Sondheim was not a cynic; he was a romantic. That in a nutshell is the thesis Ben Francis puts forth in Careful the Spell You Cast: How Stephen Sondheim Extended the Range of the American Musical (Methuen Drama, 184 pages), a compact critical analysis of Sondheim’s musicals, organized in nine chapters, each one titled after a major mentor or collaborator, from Oscar Hammerstein to James Lapine.
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I could talk about Sondheim, specifically Into the Woods, for a very long time. He was a genius - that’s not a new thought, I know. I think some of the most vibrant elements of Sondheim’s pieces are their themes. They appear loud and clear, communicated beautifully and with nuance. Not all shows with big scores accomplish this. Furthermore, what I find so fascinating about Sondheim’s work is the intention, and the attention to detail. Not that this doesn’t appear in many other works, but Sondheim’s work is SO specific, so detailed, that every note matters, in both the vocal score and the orchestrations. I find Sondheim’s complete dismissal of Francis’ suggestion that his shows were about disillusionment very interesting, and actually unsurprising. I don’t really see that at all - I think a more accurate way of putting it would be characters enduring, but they’re not disillusioned - it’s more specific and poignant than that. We see Sweeney Todd explode with rage and vengeance, Little Red displays numbness and vulnerability, etc. etc.
Stephen Sondheim was so a romantic. That’s not even arguable. ¬But Sondheim definitely focused on the character’s journey in most of his writings. As well as that, in another point, Sondheim did take inspiration from Rodgers and Hammerstein. Sondheim was mentored by Hammerstein and that contributed to the musical genius that Sondheim is. On a related note to the title of the article, there are so many people who have taken influence from Sondheim. People like Jonathan Larson and Lin-Manuel Miranda have completely shaped what we know theatre to be now, and it’s all because of Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim focuses on family and love and we especially see that now in theatre. And, Sondheim’s characters always have BIG feelings. They go through such a journey, look deeply inwards into themselves, and focus on love and family. Sondheim, of course, is revolutionary, and now I’m very interested to read this thesis and book.
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