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Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim Quotes

Composer

Stephen Sondheim, an American composer, was born on March 22, 1930. Renowned for his exceptional contributions to the musical theater genre, Sondheim's works are characterized by complex melodies, profound lyrics, and innovative narrative structures. His musicals, including 'West Side Story,' 'Company,' 'Follies,' and 'Sweeney Todd,' have had a profound impact not only in the United States but also globally.

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Famous Stephen Sondheim Quotes

“Let the moment go. Don’t forget it for a moment, though. Just remembering you had an ‘and’ when you’re back to ‘or’ makes the ‘or’ mean more than it did before. Now I understand—and it’s time to leave the woods.”

Musical Into The Woods Bakers Wife

Author:Stephen Sondheim

“He came from a rock band and even though he was not a lead singer, I knew he was musical just from that. I also knew that he was intelligent enough from talking to him, that he would not play this part unless he could handle it vocally. I knew he was not about to get up there and have to have his voice dubbed or come off croaking. So Johnny Depp casted Johnny Depp. I trusted him entirely. I knew that he was no fool and he would only do it if he felt he could handle it. I told him to listen to the score carefully and if you can handle it, fine by me, and I was right.”

Ifs Enough Play Felt Voice Talking Rocks Fine Fool Band Intelligent Musical Singers Handle Get Up Score Trusted Rock Bands Talking To Him

Author:Stephen Sondheim

“Hit songs did not come out of musicals. Pop-rock was creating the hits. There were very few songs that made the charts out of any Broadway musical.”

Made Song Rocks Creating Musical Pops Broadway Broadway Musical

Author:Stephen Sondheim

“Lemuel Ayers had had a huge success producing and designing Kiss Me, Kate. He wanted to produce this as a musical. I got the job. It was a professional score.”

Wanted Jobs Design Produce Huge Kissing Musical Score Kate Kiss Me

Author:Stephen Sondheim

“Take a play that you like but you think is flawed, and see if you can improve it and turn it into a musical. [...] Then make up your own story.”

Ifs Thinking Play Stories Turns Musical Flawed

Author:Stephen Sondheim

“Deciding what is to be sung and what is not to be sung is really what writing a musical is about.”

Writing Musical

Author:Stephen Sondheim

“If you're dealing with a musical in which you're trying to tell a story, it's got to sound like speech. At the same time it's got to be a song.”

Ifs Trying Stories Song Sound Speech Musical

Author:Stephen Sondheim

“Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.”

Comedy Written Musical Brainstorming Lateral Thinking

Author:Stephen Sondheim

“You have two kinds of shows on Broadway - revivals and the same kind of musicals over and over again, all spectacles. You get your tickets for 'The Lion King' a year in advance, and essentially a family comes as if to a picnic, and they pass on to their children the idea that that's what the theater is - a spectacular musical you see once a year, a stage version of a movie. It has nothing to do with theater at all. It has to do with seeing what is familiar. We live in a recycled culture.”

Ifs Years Kind Children Two Ideas Shows Culture Seeing Stage Kings Theater Musical Theatre Familiar Versions Lions Tickets Broadway Revival Spectacular Picnics Spectacles Recycled Lion King

Author:Stephen Sondheim