Sondheim and Lady Gaga — Page 2

"It's quite ridiculous and unnecessary for him to have made this comment, especially over a month later. What's the point? "

I'm sure he was asked by the reviewer. In the full article it's pretty clear he's not commenting on her talent, just on how disconnected she was from the songs, and her approach tothem and that much of the positive reaction was due to people being "amazed" by her versatility. I think that's all more than fair.

I dunno, I enjoy that he's getting slightly more outspoken. He's still not become the grumpy old man "get off my lawn" cliche that faves of mine, like Gore Vidal became in their twilight years.

As for the younger bf--so was Peter Jones (was that his previous BF?) It's not too uncommon among people who really seem to come to terms with their sexuality in their later years. And it's not like he makes a big point of it--the way some other celebs with much younger partners constantly do--he keeps it mostly, as it should be, as their business. He doesn't hide it but it's never been a bragging point or a big deal the way it has even with some celebs like Stephen Frears (who doesn't exactly make a point of it either.)

"However, he DID like the movie of SWEENEY TODD, and did see THE WIZ six times in the 1970s. But nobody's perfect. "

Let's just clarify that was the STAGE version of The Wiz, which makes it slightly more understandable.

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I don't think so. Look at the popularity of 50 Shades of Gray. Some people might actually like that he has a dungeon."

Well he didn't deny having a thing for S&M, at least in the past. Which is pretty common knowledge. The details of the sex dungeon did get beyond ridiculous.

But Steeeeeeeve, BWW posters were ready to cast her immediately in ANY MUSICAL AT ALL.

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Is anyone really surprised he's curmudgeonly? He pretty much admits in every interview and biography that he's been "bitter" since he first realized that his mother hated him--and then subsequently realized that he hated her more than she did him.

But if you read the Gaga quote in context, the putdown is more of people who sing Richard Rodgers as if it were opera. He has always disliked that. He is grudgingly admiring of her versatility--he just disliked her choice of singing style.

As for the dungeon and the S&M, I'm glad he scotched those rumours once and for all. Those who know him know that he's far too self-conscious and neurotic to have the patience for S&M. (Like Woody Allen trying to dress up in leather.) His cruelty is more the mental variety, taking form in game-playing and being smarter than everyone else in the room. But whips and chains?--he would be analyzing everything and finding rhymes for the safe word.

The dungeon stories were made up by the kinds of fans who now write fan-fiction and slash-fiction. Same goes for the stories of chorus boys (and Puerto Rican delivery boys) tied up in the upstairs bedroom. Those stories were made up by chorus boys who WISHED they would be tied up in a composer's bedroom.

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I've never taken him as bitter, just unfailingly honest. And not honest in that bitchy, jealous Arthur Laurents way. Honest as in, he makes sense. Most of his criticism of artists and their work are not unfounded blabber. They're well thought out, never truly malicious, and at the end of the day, make absolute logical sense.

I never really cared about the S&M rumors-- true, false, it didn't make a difference. Whatever goes on in anyone's bedroom other than my own is none of my business, as long as it isn't involving children. I'm glad that he's shot down those rumors, too, but if he came out and said, "Yes! I love S&M!", I wouldn't have cared. It's a YP, not an MP, to quote BOOGIE NIGHTS.

The whole Gaga performance was reminiscent to me of Andy Kaufman doing "The Great Gatsby," or how Martin Short used to close his specials with a Noel Coward ballad- when a performance artist turns down the dial for a little while, and hits you with (if not realness) some normalcy, it makes an effect whether or not they do it especially well.

"when a performance artist turns down the dial for a little while, and hits you with (if not realness) some normalcy, it makes an effect whether or not they do it especially well."

Fascinating how different people view this performance.

She didn't strike me as normal at all. And before she has always struck me as committed, genuine and real no matter what style she was working in.

Her Oscar performance struck me as by far the most affected thing I've ever seen her do and utterly lacking in taste.

Says the king of graciousness, himself.

So wait. Mothballs is defending Lady Gaga?

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Well, look what the cat dragged in!

Does anyone on this board remember that Oscar Hammerstein, who wrote the lyrics to TSOM, basically raised Steve and was a godfather to him? Of course he would have an opinion about Gaga's attempt to sing these songs, and imo, he's totally right. Her voice was adequate, but she had no sense of what she was singing, and we kept waiting for her to break into some kind of joke. Never happened...