A Sondheim Letter — Page 2

GavestonPS said: "* I don't know, John Adams. Sondheim has no trouble writing at length in FINISHING THE HAT (or its sequel) that SUNSET BOULEVARD should never be adapted except as grand opera. Without naming names, that pretty much dismisses several years of work by Andrew Lloyd Webber."

'Ya know, Gaviston - I don't know, either! I wish Sondheim and I were on a similar intellectual, amiable, and creative level, that I could say we were "besties"... (I wish!)

But you inspired me to dig a bit. I found this @ http://www.sondheim.com/works/sunset_blvd/:

"I never wrote anything for Sunset Boulevard... shortly after Forum, Burt Shevelove and I started to write a version of Sunset Boulevard. We got maybe an outline, I think, and just the beginnings of a first scene, and I happened to meet Billy Wilder at a cocktail party, and shyly said to him that a friend of mine and I were starting to make a musical of his movie, and he said, "Oh you can't do that," and I figured that he was going to say that we couldn't get the rights; but he went on to say, "It can't be a musical - it has to be an opera, because it's about a dethroned queen." And that seemed to me such a shrewd observation that I called Burt and said "Let's forget it, because I certainly don't want to do an opera."

I still feel that Sondheim has historically demonstrated artistic generosity in regards to his own works. I don't think I will ever be reconciled with the paring down of Sweeney Todd's score for the movie version, yet Sondheim appears to be OK with allowing another artist his interpretive freedom.

I feel like this is a good example of "actions speak louder than words". Although Sondheim has verbally expressed his opinions about Parker's verse, I find it hard to believe that his words were meant as directive, as opposed to respectful observation, and a form of praise for Parker. When a genius like Sondheim allows other artists such unfettered freedom with his own work, why would I think he would attempt to be restrictive of other artists' work?

Updated On: 2/2/19 at 02:41 AM

Norman M2 said: "I'm asking people to listen to my score and decide for themselves whether Sondheim was right about this."

What is the going rate on how many random people online it takes to overrule Sondheim on matters of musical composition for the theater?

Updated On: 2/2/19 at 11:31 PM

I'm glad we don't have to choose between Leigh and Fields, with or without Coleman.

But the use of slang in SWEET CHARITY delights my ear every time I hear it.

On the other hand, Leigh invents new language ("and the squeal of a real, live girl"--other than serial killers, who ever said that before and how did Leigh make it sound SWEET?) in LITTLE ME.

Both geniuses in their field, if you ask me.

Updated On: 2/3/19 at 04:03 AM

GavestonPS said: "Um, Jack, you are having some sort of conversation with yourself. Thank you, I guess, for quoting the very Sondheim remark I had referenced in my previous post."

Except that it wasn't Sondheim who said, "SUNSET BOULEVARD should never be adapted except as grand opera" (as you stated). It was Billy Wilder.

Sondheim accepted Wilder's statement as "a shrewd observation" and ceased his own pursuit of the project because "I certainly don't want to do an opera".

There's no indication from "the very Sondheim remark [you] had referenced in [your] previous post" that Sondheim was issuing an edict regarding Sunset Boulevard.