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Sondheim at 91

Sondheim turns 91 tomorrow, and the Wall Street Journal has a wonderful piece that argues for Sondheim's overdue Nobel Prize:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-stephen-sondheim-is-americas-greatest-living-writer-11615565018

Some of the main points:

*Sondheim wrote "West Side Story" and "Gypsy" while he was still in his twenties--and, for most people, this would be more than enough for one career.
*Sondheim himself pokes fun at his "darkness": "There is a tonic in things men do not wish to hear. But not much money."

*The WSJ says that Sondheim is unusual because he is a serious artist working in a "popular" stream (the Broadway musical). It's puzzling if you try to compare "Company" to "Hello, Dolly!" or "Funny Girl." Better comparisons: John Updike and Joan Didion.
*The WSJ says Sondheim's specialness derives from his interest in what *isn't* said. In a musical, a character tends to tell you exactly who she is and what she wants. When Eponine is lonely, she gives you the bullet points: "On My Own." By contrast, Sondheim shows people *evading* the truth. We have to listen closely to the dignified "Send in the Clowns" before we notice Desiree's self-contempt.

*The piece also underlines Sondheim's playful approach to genre. A story unfolds backwards. A protagonist addresses the ghost of her younger self. Characters achieve happiness in a fairy tale--and then they ask, explicitly, "Now what?"

Well, it's a great piece. Much to think about.
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