Sondheim's Best Musical?? — Page 2

Follies is probably his best, though I know others might choose Sweeney Todd. Besides Follies I personally love Merrily We Roll Along despite its clumsy book.

I used to think A Little Night Music was perfection but having seen not great productions over the past few years, I'm beginning to wonder if this show was only great in its original Broadway production which I saw when I was very young, and less critical of what I was watching. I enjoyed the recent revival but found it deeply flawed in execution.

I wasn't that familiar with Assassins but I thought the Roundabout production was brilliant. Same goes for Sunday in the Park with George which I'm beginning to love more and more with time.

I find Sunday in the Park with George to be Sondheim's most literate work. It may sound odd, but the way he builds anticipation and tension in "Sunday" (the finale for both acts) by writing in quasi-second inversion without resolving to root position until the very last chord before curtain is like edging, and is kind of sensual and erotic ... er, at least it can be for theory nerds! *nervous laugh; tugs at collar*

It depends on the weather. However I really am loving Gypsy at the moment.

I think his best score is Sweeney Todd, but I find A Little Night Music to be the strongest musical overall. If the current revival showed me anything, it's that ALNM joins the ranks of Guys and Dolls and Gypsy as being director-proof. You can still have a pleasant evening at a bad production because the material is SO good.

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This is like asking me to pick Coen Brother's movie.

I mean, I think I would go with Sweeney Todd... but it might be for sentimental reasons: the recorded Hearn/Lansbury production was my first taste to musical theatre six or seven years ago. It's kind of what made me love musicals. But, that doesn't mean it's not musical theatre story telling at its very finest. Song after song after song just so perfectly driving the characters and plot... never a dull moment in that book or score.

But I digress, I could easily make a case for Sunday in the Park (my #2 of all time), Company (#6 all time) and Follies (#11).

But I'm going with the standard answer (which I guess is a standard for a reason), Sweeney Todd.

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Follies, because of the original production.

But no other production can ever hope to be be as powerful as that original was, which is not the case with his other shows, so others shows may come to eclipse Follies in seeming to be his "best musical."

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Sunday in the Park with George.

Followed by either Merrily We Roll Along or Anyone Can Whistle.

It excites me to no end that this question produces such varied responses.

My favorite score was Sweeney. I would have to say that Sweeney and merrily are tied for my favorites now and as far as an all around show, it has to be Sweeney.

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SWEENEY TODD

An outstanding score and a book that is effecetive no matter how it is performed. Community groups can make it work but so can opera companies. I saw SWEENEY in new York several times... once was the "Teeny Todd" done at Circle-in-the-Square in 1989 and a few years earlier a full production by New York City Opera. Whether doen small and intimate or large and grand it always works.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGHE is my favourtite based on seeing the original production. It is hard to do well without the original set design.

FORUM seems the most indestructable show, although reports on teh current PMP production seem to contradict that.

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I actually had no idea that Pacific Overtures' book had been revised the way Follies, Company, and Merrily had... What were the changes?

I've always greatly admired "Passion" wonderful rhapsody of music. I've just acquired the italian recording.

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For me:

Follies
Company
A Light Night Music
Sweeney Todd
Sunday In The Park With George
Into The Woods

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to EricMontreal.... The "Pacific Overtures" book changes were most clear in the second act... the "Reciter" character as Mako played him in the original had a very long sequence where he traversed the later historical points... with a particularly wonderful movement where he was a Texan who invented the rikshaw and sent it to Japan, seein' as how's they'd understan' people as horses... I knew a few guys in the original, and in talking with them, they'd always indicated the production-talent's frustration that their vision didn't "land" because there was "no main character", and so many of the tweaks were trying to decide which of the lead men should become so. MY reaction to the show was that the situation was the villain against which all the characters fought. It worked for me... But a lotta lotta "stuff" was altered in its integrity, and the now-available published version (which I've actually seen performed) isn't as compelling. This show was altered far more than "Follies" or "Merrily", in truth. But the SCORE stands, to me, as the most intricate, delicate-vs-bombastic, and psychologically driven work Mr.S has done. (And I'm NOT "downing" the others... well...maybe some of 'em.) LOVE "Company" "Follies" and "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"....but this is the score I go back to [also cuz of the phenomenal orchestrations] just to sink into the music and soar from it.