Sondheim at Ninety (Continued)

Sondheim’s Great Fixation. I think Sondheim’s main theme, over many years, has been innocence.

Again and again, we see this topic. A young man dreams of “something coming” around the corner, or whistling down the river. Young people gather on a rooftop to sing of “our time...breathe it in....” A little girl in “Night Music” fights to believe her mother is the paragon she dreams of. An ambitious would-be starlet swears: “I’m just a Broadway Baby....working off my tired feet....pounding Forty-Second Street...to be in a show...”

Sondheim has said his regret is not having had a child. But he certainly *wrote* about children, and about youth, over and over and over....

Sondheim’s Other Favorite. Beyond Harnick, there’s Fred Ebb--again, because Ebb thought about the words specific characters would actually use. In “Cabaret,” an old man brings a pineapple to an old lady. A great gift! “Would you like a slice?” asks the man. “That might be nice....but frankly....it would give me gas....”

A terrific line, because it’s honest and surprising, but also because it underlines the fact that these two people are really comfortable with each other. One of my favorite bits in musical theater.

And a Fun Rhyme. SS pairs “précis” with “lacy.” Obsessed!

Happy Birthday, Steve!

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