Favorite Sondheim

I like Assassins, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along is brilliant!, and Passion, but pretty much everything is fabulous, oh yeah, Sweeney Todd is really good too. Hope that helps!


~*~Katie~*~

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Into the Woods...without a doubt! I also like SITPWG, ASSASINS, COMPANY...SWEENEY TODD is probably my second favorite!!

I've heard all this great stuff about 'Into The Woods' from the people on this board, but I've heard nothing from any Broadway site or on TV or anything...I may not be looking hard enough, but to make my life easier, would somebody mind explaining the show to me? I'm interested.

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Do you want to know what it's about? or like its history and stuff?

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And I'm finally a Broadway Legend! hehe

I really don't know THAT many of Sondheim's shows- but I DO know Into The Woods quite well- It's one of my favorites. I'd say either of the cast recordings is worth getting. I also am vaguely familiar with Sweeney Todd- I hear it's amazing. But what I've heard is okay.

FOLLIES is the best score Sondheim has written, in my opinion. In fact, I think it's the best score anyone has written. Following close behind are COMPANY, SWEENEY TOOD, PACIFIC OVERTURES, INTO THE WOODS, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE and PASSION. But anything by the great man is outstanding.

The Avery Fisher Hall concert recording is a good one to start with, perhaps, if you don't have anything by Sondheim - a collection of great songs from various shows by a great cast. What that does not give you, of course, is the overall dramatic context of songs that you will get from the complete score of a single musical. And Sondheim's work is appreciated at its best when you listen to it in its dramatic context. That is what he is the master at - writing songs that merge drama and or/comedy with song to advance the plot of a musical scene. Still, the concert CD has 3 absolute gems amongst its many great performances - Bernadette Peters' "Not A Day Goes By", Jerry Hadley & Carolann Page's beautiful rendering of "With So Little To Be Sure Of" and the awesome combination of "Our Time" and "Children Will Listen" by Betty Buckley and the Harlem Boys Choir.

(Shame it does not have "The Ladies Who Lunch" (from COMPANY) or "Somone In A Tree" (from PACIFIC OVERTURES), though - they are totally contrasting knockout numbers that really demonstrate Sondheim's genius.)

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If you ever go for an INTO THE WOODS recording, the OBC is by far the best. Apart from Laura Benanti's Cinderalla, the vocal performances of the revival cast do not even come close to matching the originals. (The only plus for the revival cast CD is that it has the extra song that Sondheim wrote for the original London production, "Our Little World". But you can get that also on the Original London Cast album, which I also prefer to the Broadway Revival Cast.)

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I feel compelled to share the comment I overheard yesterday at Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: "Side by Side by Sondheim. Was that a musical?"

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Follies followed by Company

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Hey mcphan19, has "A Collector's Sondheim" actually got a disco version of the Ballad of Sweeney Todd? Or are you merely trying to get me all excited for no good reason? Boy oh boy, I've gotta hear this. I get shivers down my spine whenever I even think of Sweeney Todd!!!
Other than that, my favorite Sondheim work is Into the Woods. My sister is completely obsessed with Into the Woods. She romps around the house singing Agony like her life depends on it.
I've heard a lot of good things about Follies too, though I haven't listened to it myself yet.

"Into the Woods" is my favorite show. Period.

I really enjoy Company, the revival recording.