Sondheim's Favorite Musical (thats not his own)

So, I found this very interesting... I went to his interview/forum tonight in Richmond and the moderator asked what his favorite musical that wasn't one he worked on was.
He responded with "The Wiz" and said he saw it 6 times on Broadway and would see it anytime he could! I don't know.. it was surprising to me

Sounds like a fascinating night! I'm jealous

He said the same in his recent talk in NEw York but it sounded more vague--more like not a big answer but instead he said "One show that I did love myself at and it might surprise peopel was The Wiz--everything just worked so well even if it's not my kind of music" (I am SO paraphrasing and that could be completely wrong so...) I admit the awful, ugly movie of the Wiz put me off it so much as a kid that I've never had a desire to investigate the stage version though I know it was meant to be much smaller and charming.

So I don't think (unless he changed his answer to a definite) it means it's his all time fave show, but a show he loved more like it. At various times he's also mentioned how much he liked Taboo (yes the Broadway version) again pointing out it's not his kind of music but he got so into it. Some years back I picked up the cast album of Tesori's first major New York score, the Off-Broadway Violet, based on his recommendation in an interview for how much he loved it.

As for favorite show music, he has repeatedly said he thinsk the score for Porgy and Bess is as close to perfection as one can get--particularly the songs DuBose Heyward did lyrics for (he doesn't seem to be a huge Ira Gershwin supporter...)

Years ago there was an article in the New York Times magazine where Sondheim picked out songs he wished he had written. For the life of me the only one I can remember is Home from 70, Girls, 70.

I would love to see a good production of The Wiz. I saw an attempt to recreate the original staging once. It was an embarrassing mess.

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Here is a link to an article that contains a (partial) list of the songs Sondheim wishes he had written.
Conversations with Sondheim

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He's said that he likes Carousel, Porgy and Bess, Show Boat, Allegro, The Wiz, She Loves Me, Floyd Collins, Chicago and Cabaret.

No, you may be right. It's mentioned in How Sondheim Found His Sound. I'll have to look it up.

I'm intrigued that he chose "Glitter and Be Gay" instead of "Make Our Garden Grow"

Really? I think Make Our Garden Grow is the kinda song that Sondheim felt Hammerstein coulda written because he really felt lyrics like that--they came from an honest place, but didn't so much for Candide (it's a glorious song but I might agree with that--it feels a bit arbitrary even when I saw the best Candide production--RNT's).


All I've heard him say about Chicago is that he didn't think the movie was a great movie musical adaptation but it was "entertaining". And I've never heard what he thought abotu Cabaret--I always assumed he was mixed on the 60s Prince original but maybe I made that up. He was (is?) good friends with John Kander back then (Kander also doing the dance music for Gypsy of course).

As for Allgero, he has a lot of affection becuase of his experiences working the show but I believe he's always called it flawed.

"All I've heard him say about Chicago is that he didn't think the movie was a great movie musical adaptation but it was "entertaining". And I've never heard what he thought abotu Cabaret--I always assumed he was mixed on the 60s Prince original but maybe I made that up. He was (is?) good friends with John Kander back then (Kander also doing the dance music for Gypsy of course)."

He said in the Steve Swayne book that he loved both the scores of Cabaret and Chicago, but not so much the shows.
And he still is good friends with "Johnny Kander", as he so affectionately called him at the New York evening, lavishing praise on both Kander and Fred Ebb.

"And I was shocked to hear his "desert island" score of his own is Forum."

No way! I thought it'd be Sunday in the Park or Assassins.

Yeah, that truly floored me. Not what I was expecting to hear AT ALL!

If I had to be stuck with only one Sondheim score on my deserted island it would either be A Little Night Music or Sunday. Forum wouldn't probably even come to mind.