"i always found it interesting to learn that sondheim originally had the rights but then gave them up to lloyd webber ....."
Ok, lets nip this one in the bud.
Sondheim never had the rights to this property. At one point early on it was considered but when Bily Wilder told him not to think of it as a musical but as an opera, Sondheim decided he did not want to write an opera and dropped the idea. Years later, after SWEENEY TODD opened the New York times printed an item that Sondheim would write the musical for Angela Lansbury and that Hal Prince would direct it. When it never happend I wrote to Sondheim and he replied that the show "never really existed." Hal Prince, Hugh Wheeler and Angela Lansbury had expressed interest on doing it "...and on my refusal, Miss Lansbury's press agent wishing it into existence."
As for the travesty written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, well here's the story. By 1992 Lloyd Webber's company,Really useful group was in serious financial trouble and the road to recovery seemed to be a new musical. The rights to SUNSET were available and the composer had a trunk full of old and unused songs which he turned over to the lyricists and had them fit new words to the existing melodies. No real adaptation was done, the composer set mostly the film dialogue to music the stopped the action dead to insert these big arias that just re-stated what had already been established.
Patti LuPone had the voice to sing the score Glenn Close acted it better (what little subtext there is for acting.)
The set was the big star, a huge mansion that alwasy drew applause. You know your're in trouble when the set gets bigger applause than the stars or the songs.
It won the 1995 Tony award simply because it was the ONLY new book musical that season. That was the real disgrace.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com