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Sondheim: "Gypsy"

 One lesson Sondheim discussed was this: "Not everything needs to be the National Anthem." In other words, not every song needs to be enormous. There is room for a small song. A little variety makes the evening more fun.


My favorite example is "Mr. Goldstone" from "Gypsy." This is a song that doesn't really need to exist. Certainly, it doesn't need to be dazzling. But there is just as much care here as in "Rose's Turn." 

The song has a message: "I'm so happy." But--as in actual life--the happiness pops up in the white space between giddy declarations.

Have an egg roll, Mr. Goldstone!
Have a napkin, have a chopstick, have a chair.
Have a spare rib, Mr. Goldstone!
Any spare that I can spare I'll be glad to share!

Other writers might stop here, but Sondheim now takes off. He understands that Rose actually feels nothing for Mr. Goldstone--it's just her monomania that is triggering her happiness. So he lets the monomania *also* rear its head:

Have a Goldstone, Mr. Eggroll!
Tell me any little thing that I can do...
Have some fried rice, Mr. Soy Sauce...
Have a cookie! Have a few!

This is genuine psychological insight within a throwaway number. I can't help but think of Howard Ashman--lovingly adding details to his portrait of the villain Gaston. ("I'm especially good at expectorating....")

Sondheim's number ends with a nonsensical listing of various other "stones" in the world...."Good stones and bad stones, curbstones and gladstones...touchstones and such stones as them...."

Everyone begins bouncing off the walls and shouting--and this song is a tour de force.
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