Stuff I'm Reading

 Sondheim's musicals are such treasures, there exists a special set of consumer material, the "making of" library.

So far, we have a book about the origins of "Follies," a book about the origins of "Sunday in the Park with George," and a lengthy (lengthy) podcast about "Into the Woods."

If you're truly obsessive, you can spend forty minutes listening to Patti LuPone--who really has nothing to do with "Into the Woods"--sharing her thoughts on "Into the Woods." (Who would miss this opportunity?)

My special devotion is reserved for "Everything Was Possible," an account of the birth of "Follies." Just one year after "Company," Sondheim was back with "Follies." Initially, the show was to be a murder mystery, entitled, "The Girls Upstairs." (Hal Prince thought the rough-draft title evoked visions of a whorehouse.)

A well-connected undergrad--perhaps oblivious to how privileged he was--talked his way into a "gofer" role during the mounting of "Follies," and he took wonderfully meticulous notes. It's interesting to see Michael Bennett drifting through these notes ("Don't be surprised if I die before I'm 45.") Elaine Stritch also makes a guest appearance ("Don't care who the fuck you are, show me to my seat.")

But the weirdly spellbinding story concerns the song "Ah, Paris!" No one would name this as a highlight of "Follies." No one cares about this song. And yet the person drafted to sing it suffered from intense neurotic thinking, such that she constantly made herself the center of rehearsal-room drama. Her tough colleague, the focus of "Broadway Baby," knew exactly who she was and what she was doing, and she grew irritated. "Why can't you just sing the damn song?"

Another story I love concerns the actor playing Buddy. Right before Opening Night, his young son, in California, wandered into the street, and made contact with a speeding truck. He fell into a coma. The actor waited by the phone--when free from his performance schedule--to see if conditions would worsen, if an emergency flight to California would have to happen. It's startling to see this tale of chaotic "real life" among the "Time" Magazine photos and the "Newsweek" interviews.

Finally, it's breathtaking to watch Hal Prince, digesting the news that the reviews aren't great. Prince has to appear before his troops at an "opening night" party--and he has to avoid the temptation to lie, but he also has to be sure that morale doesn't meet with a fatal blow.

I enjoyed reading about all these people. I'd recommend this book to any fan of theater.