Paul Ford’s book (Working with Sondheim) — Page 2

BJR said: "I wish it was better written.

I don't mind the strong opinions, and love gossip, but I mind the constant repetition of opinions across multiple chapters and zipping through key life moments with barely a detail. Just poorly written and edited.

What a contrast to Harvey Fierstein's exceptionally written, heartfelt and hilarious book. That's how you weave a tale, frame a life, and humor the reader along the way.

I'm having trouble getting through this one."



Exactly. Ford's book comes across as such a bitter, vengeful tirade and as an F.U. to the industry and people he's worked with -- most of whom he clearly views as his "inferiors" -- whereas Fierstein's beautifully written memoir is his love letter to an industry that he adores (mostly) and has devoted his lifetime to. Ford is the lonely, angry man left sitting alone at the bar at last call.

JFC, I just listened to the chapter on the Porgy and Bess revival where Ford refers to the creative team as “its” and “things” and “dreadlocked things”.

Was there no editor to say “Actually, y’know what…”

He spends a lot of time complaining about changes to shows due to “political correctness” and I do tend to agree with him to a point. I think art should be looked at in the context of the time it was created. I’m not one for rewriting shows to fit what’s “acceptable” (not the word I’m searching for but the only one I can think of) at any given time. It’s like when HBO now puts warnings before old films that says it was made in a different time and things were different then. DUH.

The idea of editing and cutting from books would be cause for outrage and demonstrations so it does confuse me why it’s so acceptable for theater. People aren’t given enough credit for understanding context. But I’ll stop now before I start start sounding like Ford lol

Jordan Catalano said: "The idea of editing and cutting from books would be cause for outrage and demonstrations so it does confuse me why it’s so acceptable for theater. People aren’t given enough credit for understanding context. But I’ll stop now before I start start sounding like Ford lol"

I am of two, conflicting minds about this. On one hand I get really upset about (and for) the original book writer's words being dismissed. The show is a show you would want to revive partially BECAUSE of the book writer. It doesn't help that the new books to "Flower Drum Song", "Damn Yankees" and "Annie Get Your Gun" (among others) are neither as efficient or funny (or good) as the original.

However, I also realize that "context" and " intent" mean little to people when words or phrases or characters or incidents in shows trigger a hurtful response due to years, decades, millennia of oppressive real world situations. Situations we mostly white privileged theatre goers know little about about first hand. They would not hit us emotionally in the same way. People who shell out the money, who just want to see the next big revival deserve not to be triggered during said revival.

But as an example we can all agree on, the original lyrics for the opening of "Show Boat" contained "N-words all work on the Mississippi..." This was historically correct as African Americans DID refer to themselves in that way. But in today's (or even not that recent yesterday's) societies, no one wants to hear that word, no matter if it IS authentic and was the original author's lyric, rewritten by someone else (I actually have no idea of the etymology of the lyric change, if Hammerstein was alive still and approved when it was changed for public performance, again I'm just using this as an extreme example).

Updated On: 7/25/22 at 11:41 AM

Owen22 said: "But as an example we can all agree on, the original lyrics for the opening of "Show Boat" contained "N-words all work on the Mississippi..." This was historically correct as African Americans DID refer to themselves in that way. But in today's (or even not that recent yesterday's) societies, no one wants to hear that word, no matter if it IS authentic and was the original author's lyric, rewritten by someone else (I actually have no idea of the entomology of the lyric change, if Hammerstein was alive still and approved when it was changed for public performance, again I'm just using this as an extreme example)."

This is a digression, but just in case it's of interest, Miles Kreuger comments briefly on this in his essay in the liner notes for the 1988 McGlinn recording of 'Show Boat'

(I've put this quote under a spoiler tag; while I've censored the n-word, there are several other not-great terms mentioned, so.)