Stephen Sondheim likes NEXT TO NORMAL

[binau]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 8:20am

And Spring Awakening.

Well, at least, in this interview he said the two shows that have made the biggest splash recently on Broadway are SA and N2N, in the same conversation responding to the interview's question about "good" musicals on Broadway. It isn't much, but since he doesn't talk much about living writers/shows it's interesting to hear SOMETHING, even if vague.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQS2b8vHekw&feature=related

Updated On: 7/11/10 at 08:20 AM

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 8:34am

i honestly think he can do no wrong

[PauloFanClem]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 11:14am

He also said that he dislikes juke box musicals in the same interview.

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 11:32am

OMG! Thank you so much for posting this clip. I am now watching all installments, and I am in heaven!

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 11:32am

This title is completely misleading. He doesn't give any opinion on the work itself; it's merely a commentary on the public reception.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 3:02pm

Yeah, agreed. I think Mr. Sondheim might enjoy Next to Normal's imaginative storytelling devices though. It seems like something he'd enjoy. The lyrics though, who knows? I wrote down a great quote he said about disliking false rhymes and Next to Normal has several, and Spring Awakening has nearly all falsies.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 3:49pm

He didn't say he likes them, he just said that they each made bigger impressions than recent jukebox musicals. Maybe he likes them more than Million Dollar Quartet and Rock of Ages, but there aren't that many musical theater fans who would disagree. Of course, he wouldn't be saying that about the two shows if he hated them, but he talked about them to prove a point of his.

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 3:53pm

My guess is that Mr. Sondheim probably likes N2N. IMO, N2N is groundbreaking in its content, and I would wager a bet the Mr. Sondheim would admire it for that at the very least. It's an amazing show that takes risks. Something Mr. Sondheim knows something about.
Updated On: 7/11/10 at 03:53 PM

[Almira]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 4:00pm

"N2N is groundbreaking in its content" - sondheimfan2

NEXT TO NORMAL isn't the least bit groundbreaking in content. Perhaps in execution, but not content.

In another interview with Sondheim that I heard or read somewhere he said that SPRING AWAKENING and NEXT TO NORMAL where the only new shows that used songs in new,original ways; which, of course, has been his "thing" for decades.

Updated On: 7/11/10 at 04:00 PM

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 4:10pm

Almira - I beg to differ. A musical about a woman dealing with bipolar disorder and the dysfunctional effects it has on her family. I'd say that's groundbreaking. (the Pulitzer Prize Board seems to agree as well).

In addition to bipolar disorder, N2N also deals with such topics as "grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and suburban life" (Wikipedia).

I don't want to detract from the purpose of this thread.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 4:11pm

I'm pretty sure in a Theatre Talk interview, Sondheim expressed his admiration for the show (along with Spring Awakening).

[Almira]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 4:20pm

sondheimfan2, mental illness is hardly a new subject to theater. Family dynamics as a results of mental illness goes back to day one of theatre.

grieving loss - check, seen that before
suicide - check, seen that before
drug abuse - check, seen that before

Nothing new in "content." If the Pulitzer was awarded strictly on "content" or subject matter.. all an author would have do is come up with something that was never shown on stage before...which after thousands of years is kind of hard to do.

Your argument is like saying FOLLIES was groundbreaking because it dealt with reunions, when we all know FOLLIES is ground breaking because of "how" (execution) it dealt with reunions (content).

Also following your argument ONE NIGHT STAND, a musical about comic who announces he will kill himself by the of the end of the evening was deserving of a Pulitzer because nothing like that had ever been seen on stage before. It had a score by Jule Styne and book by Herb Gardner and closed after one performance.

There is a distinction.

Updated On: 7/11/10 at 04:20 PM

[secondarycharacter2]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 4:27pm

as well he should!

[alliez92092]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 4:35pm

I sat across the aisle from him when the show was at Second Stage and he seemed to be enjoying himself.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 5:28pm

Did he make grunt-y sounds of approval? That's what he did at Creditors at BAM.

ps. Hi Allie!

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 5:47pm

in the first part of this 7 part video thing, it shows Stephen going through the Opening of Sweeney Todd in detail, does anyone know where i can find, either...the video of the South Bank show that that was in? or a conductors score perhaps of Sweeney Todd? or are they illegal? (i genuinly do not know so by all means laugh at my stupidity if they are! haha)

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 5:49pm

I don't know where to find him discussing the opening, but here is the full video of him discussing "Epiphany":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozg_OrLmLU4

[Almira]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 5:52pm

That footage is from the South Bank show on the London production of SWEENEY TODD.

It not for sale (officially). I know there are shabby copies floating around.

I saw the full thing at the museum of TV and Broadcasting. I think it is posted on youtube too.

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 6:01pm

AwsomeDanny: thank you! watching now! =)

Almira: ahh, i see, thanks! can only hope i stumble on it by accident then! haha

[binau]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 6:04pm

"This title is completely misleading. He doesn't give any opinion on the work itself; it's merely a commentary on the public reception."

The title is intentionally misleading, with a disclaimer in the actual post.

Though to add, he also mentions the musicals in the same conversation as a response to "good" musicals on Broadway. So I think it is more than just the 'public perception'.

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 6:14pm

Almira - I see your point, and I agree with you that content in itself is not necessarily groundbreaking. As a Sondheim fan for 30+ years, I have never found other musicals as exhilarating --- except for the day I saw N2N (for the first time).

[jv92]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 6:20pm

adamgreer, Perhaps you're right, but I don't recall him ever being on Theater Talk since he (openly) dislikes Michael Riedel very strongly after he pounced on Bounce in 2003.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 8:29pm

It was reported on ATC that he stood and cheered at the end of Adding Machine. In an interview with Frank Rich, he said this, "There was a show called The Adding Machine that was done Off-Broadway. That — whether one likes it or not — that's serious stuff. It was an attempt to use the complexities of music in different ways — and lyrics and the stage, too. And I think anybody who would think for two seconds of putting that on in a commercial theater should have his head examined."

Anyway, it sounds like he may liked Adding Machine. He certainly seems, at minimum, to have admired its ambitions and its approach.

But as we know, he rarely comments positively or negatively on the work of living writers. And the list of musicals that he really likes is a small one.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 8:32pm

I believe Arthur Laurents was on Theater Talk discussing how he enjoyed Spring Awakening.

[binau]

Posted: 7/11/10 at 8:33pm

IIRC, Arthur Laurents praises Spring Awakening in his new book Mainly on Directing too.