My Favourite Sondheim Pieces
A couple days ago I had a meeting with Canadian Playwright Dave Carley, he’s also the writer in residence for the London Public Library. He answered a great deal of questions I had concerning the process of getting Dysfunction put up at a theatre. As a result of his encouraging and thoroughly helpful advice, I have renewed vigor with finishing up these last couple songs. I feel like I could fucking climb Olympus. Drunk with inspiration. It’s awesome.
I’m currently waist deep in the closest thing Dysfunction has to love song, called So Much. I’m very happy with the direction this song is taking. The opening/transition from Charlotte’s Inner Monologue is going to take some work, but the rest of it is coming along beautifully. I’m pulled to the edge of tears as I’m working on it, though I must be careful; it’s all too easy to let the music over-power the lyrics, and that’s an amateur mistake that as an amateur I’m likely to make. BUT as a self-aware amateur I think I’ve nipped it in the bud.
So since I don’t have anything of my own to readily put on display, I’m making a post about my favourite Sondheim songs, categorized by musical.
A Little Night Music
Favourite song: The Glamorous Life
The lyrics are absolutely brilliant. Flawless and creative rhymes. The music is a thing of beauty, and the song has a deep sub-textual element. If you listen you’ll pick up on her jealousy of the children with ordinary mothers. It’s a nearly perfect piece.
Second favourite song: Now/Soon/Later
Now is definitely my favourite song out of the three here, it has some intense rhymes that are boggling in complexity (the song starts 2:30 into the video). I’m not overly fond of Soon, but Later is right up there again in awesomeness. It was a close call between this song and Weekend in the Country, but I just couldn’t not put this song up here.
Sweeney Todd
Favourite song: God That’s Good
It’s catchy as hell and I love the rhyme scheme used (eat pies/meat pies/treat pies, also one for the gentleman/none for the gentleman/run for the gentleman). I also love the chorus of customers, you just don’t get stuff like this very often, so when you do you should cherish it and grip it so hard they have to pry it out of your cold dead hands. Lastly, THROW THE OLD WOMAN OUT!
(Also, mmmm Neil Patrick Harris)
Second favourite song: Kiss Me
This song make good use of counterpoint. I hope to be able to write like this someday. For those who don’t know, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm, and interdependent in harmony (Johanna’s frantic worried melody, and Anthony’s calmer melody). Also, Johanna’s lyric “I’m a silly little ninnydoodle.” and Anthony’s lyric “It’s not a gate, there’s no gate, you don’t have a gate!” are amazing in every sense of the word.
Into the Woods
Favourite song: Children Will Listen
This is my second favourite finale out of any show I’ve ever seen. Frankly, most finales aren’t very good. A show has to leave a good final impression, if it leaves audiences feeling robbed of proper closure, they’re not going to spread a good word. What I like about Children Will Listen is that it covers the lessons learned throughout the show, it has a warm opening, a hasty middle and an excited ending. The staging is a little messy but admittedly it’s a difficult song to stage.
Second favourite song: Ever After
Ever After has an undescribeable quality to it. It has great lyrics, a swift melody, but it’s so much more. I couldn’t find a good version of just it on youtube, so the link is the preview from the 2002 Tony Awards. Ever After is the song 1:50 in.
Company
Favourite song: Being Alive
Ugh. Perrrrrrrfeection. Sweet perfection. Ugh. This is by far the most brilliant closing to any show I’ve ever seen. This song has it all. And when sung by someone as powerful as Raul Esparza it’s simply uncompareable in it’s brilliance.
Second favourite song: (Not) Getting Married Today
The song starts of dry for the first couple lines, but once Amy opens her mouth it’s pure gold. Finally when she loses it and goes on her big long rant, it’s awesome. So awesome. Company is just awesome. Are you starting to see why I like Sondheim so much?
Sunday in the Park with George
Favourite song: Colour and Light
Sunday in the Park with George is so often over-looked. Sure it’s not the most conventional of musicals, but that’s why we love Sondheim. Colour and Light (well, Color and Light I guess technically, but that just looks so wrong), won my heart instantly. The catchy background refrain that seems never ending simulating George’s painting process, it’s perfect, especially if you’ve ever actually done pointillism. The other part of this song that really speaks to me (sings to me?) is George’s dedication to his art, it’s something I admire and wish I could emulate.
Second favourite song: Putting it Together
For starters, Mandy Patinkin is one crazy mofo. I admire his quirkiness as an actor. He really outdid himself in this role and really does this song justice. Sondheim’s longer rhymes in this one (configuration, foundation) roll off the tongue crisply. It made a nice theme for the song to have those fuller rhymes.
-Travis Conrad