Least Favorite Sondheim? — Page 3

I don't think anyone can HATE Sondheim. I think more people can not find appealing one or two shows. But if you dislike any more than that, eeek! Really, SWEENY was the one that I didn't like so much. Not that it was bad, just not my cup of tea.

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I stilll think Assasins is my least favorite.
My favorite is Little Night Music
and
Sunday in the Park with George

Ha, I must be hopeless. I even like the "dog song." (Which I believe is called "The Day Off")

"And some ants, if you would. I love fresh ants."

My least faovite is ANYONE CAN WHISTLE - a few good songs, but mostly a mess.

Anyone notice one fragment of song - I think the lyric is "Take a look and see what it gets you, see what it gets you..." - sounds an awful lot like "All your life and what does it get you, what does it get you..." from "Rose's Turn"?

Leo - I'll be here!

As for "that dog song" in Sunday in the Park - when I did the show on the road, our second to last performance was in Ft. Myers florida (where my family is) and the day after we did the show there (we had a couple days off before closing the show)I was getting a haircut and while waiting, I overheard the manicurist going on and on about this HORRIBLE show she had seen the night before - Sunday in the Park - she just couldn't make heads or tails of it and wondered why there was this "cardboard dog"...She was SUCH white trash...I laughed to myself and mentioned that I'd been IN that show and she turned all red and got very quiet, but not before saying that the reason her family goes to see "Broadway-style" shows is that they expect big dance numbers and showgirls in feathery costumes.....LOL...stupid Hussy....

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I usually find something to like in every Sondheim musical, but there have been some shows with very few standout songs for me. Passion is one example. I remember being very impressed with the opening song between Georgio and Clara, but that was really the highlight of the entire musical to me, which is IMO his most pretentious show. I also think the music for Into the Woods is overrated. Critics like to accuse other composers of repetition, but the overuse of its title song really irked me.

What I find quite amusing with Sondheim are those desperate fans who are determined to like his music, and after listening to the cast recording for the fifth time, proclaim they now love it and the show is now great. Funny, the same thing happens to me with many other composers, not just Sondheim, but that doesn't mean the show, or even the music is particularly good. To me, a good musical should have an of-the-moment quality; otherwise, the magic is lost and the entire evening risks becoming an exercise in pretension.

Updated On: 5/25/04 at 12:17 PM

I dunno- does anyone really call the score of Into the Woods a masterpiece? It's a good score, and much more accessible than a lot of other Sondheims, but it doesn't even come close to his best stuff.

And to be honest, Company, my first Sondheim, was the only one that I kind of "forced" myself to like, or at least appreciate. I loved Sweeney instantly, for instance, but all the listenings in the world aren't making me love Follies.

Sondheim, for me, requires repeated listenings not so much for adjustment to the sound as to appreciate all the layers and subtexts in the music and lyrics. I can love it the first time through, but I also love finding all the little clues, connections, and fun touches he puts in by listening several times.

I guess I understand why people would prefer their musicals to require no previous preparation, but what about a play like Jumpers? From what I've heard, you need to have a solid background in philosophy, or at least read through the Playbill, to begin to have an idea of what's going on there.

Alright, the Sondheim musical I hate most (but I like Sondheim so don't worry) is....West Side Story! Just kidding. I actually don't like 'Bounce' very much. It recieved bad reviews for a reason.

A Little Night Music is my least favorite, followed by Sunday in the Park With George (but I LOVE Bernadette so....)

I can't believe that some people picked Follies as their least favorite. I think it's amazing! But then again, I also like Merrily We Roll Along so go figure.

I just saw Assasins and I thought the music was pretty good. My favorite (even though that's not the topic here) is Into the Woods.

No dancing girls.

LOVE the score for "Merrily We Roll Along" but oh, that dull, uninteresting book! Favorite still has to be "Sweeney Todd"

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