Disco Stu 15,495 Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 Man, what a loss. The last truly great American theater composer. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/theater/stephen-sondheim-dead.html Two of my favorite performances of two of my favorite Sondheim songs Edmilson, MikeH, Once and 7 others 1 5 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 Oh, my goodness! I am deeply shocked, and saddened. His death is an incalculable loss both to musical theatre, and to music itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 Long life, well lived. Rip SS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted November 26, 2021 Author Share Posted November 26, 2021 The last of the giants are beginning to leave us The original 1973 Broadway cast album of A Little Night Music is what made me fall in love with Sondheim and will always be his musical that's closest to my heart. But my God, "Ladies Who Lunch" (and Company generally) is amazing. Quote So here's to the girls on the go Everybody tries Look into their eyes And you'll see what they know Everybody dies *weeps uncontrollably* Bespin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,482 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Rip to a great artist. Disco Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Composer AND lyricist. Rare combination! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondheim 1,157 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 "There's a lot I'll have missed... but I'll not have been dead when I die" -A Little Night Music Disco Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Last of the titans indeed… RIP maestro. A loss to all music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,504 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Sorry to hear it. I'm not terribly familiar with his work other than SWEENEY TODD (and only through Burton's excellent film), but I should check out more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Score 770 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 A great loss, indeed. I also think he was the greatest composer (and lyricist!) in musical theater. This is my favourite performance of "Sweeney Todd". The cast absolutely nailed it: Chen G. and Disco Stu 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted November 27, 2021 Author Share Posted November 27, 2021 This morning’s reading over coffee blondheim and MikeH 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheUlyssesian 2,478 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 I am not immensely familiar with his work either. I don't listen to watch a lot of musical theater but I read about it and just on the basis of that it has to be said this man was a monument, a titan of the musical theater industry. Surely one of the top 5 or top 10 most important people in the entire history of the medium. His contribution is legitimately immense. MikeH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallguy 3,389 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Sweeney Todd (preferably with a cast who can sing), Into the Woods, and Sunday in the Park with George are still my favorites. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,482 Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Listening to highlights from this great album which won a Grammy in 2015. Tom Guernsey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mrbellamy 6,287 Posted November 27, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted November 27, 2021 2007 was my big year of Sondheim. We did Into the Woods for my high school's spring musical, then the Sweeney Todd movie came out that Christmas. I've loved him ever since. Assassins is another favorite. Once, MikeH and Bespin 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeH 768 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 Huge musical theatre fan. Even though I always gravitated to the more pop-oriented composers, nevertheless I loved and respected the hell out of Stephen Sondheim. Musical theatre has benefited enormously from his existence and contributions. But more than anything, it’s another sad reminder that eventually all of our heroes will pass. The older I get, the more I have to realize that eventually it’ll happen to them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 There was a whole generation of Jewish composers, librettists, choreographers, responsible for almost all the successful post-war musicicals ( most, but not all, Gay men)* I'm not sure exactly why this happened but It's a unique aspect of our cultural history that will never happen again. Truly and end of an era. * Richard Rogers is the most prominent Gentile composer 😞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 The Sun sets low, as low as it's going to go Although I like all Sondheim that I've heard, A LITTLE LIGHT MUSIC will always be my favourite. If you're going to steal, you might as well steal from the very best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,333 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 On 27/11/2021 at 10:44 AM, Thor said: SWEENEY TODD ( Burton's excellent film) Amazing indeed! A movie that is almost all about expression and should be viewed like that in order to be fully immersed. A big budget art film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 The line "My arm is complete, again", is chilling. MikeH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,235 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 This from West Side Story is a perfect illustration of Sondheim’s lyrical genius. Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,482 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 As a french canadian, even If I can really understand all the subtility of Sondheim language, I feel this is a tremendous loss for american culture... and well, I live in America. "Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos. ..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallguy 3,389 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 17 hours ago, Bespin said: As a french canadian, even If I can really understand all the subtility of Sondheim language, I feel this is a tremendous loss for american culture... and well, I live in America. "Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos. ..." More red... And a little more red.. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,482 Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 For me it's like if Michel Tremblay would have passed away. I bet you don't know him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 6 hours ago, Bespin said: For me it's like if Michel Tremblay would have passed away. I bet you don't know him. I certainly don't. Enlighten us, please, Bes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,482 Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 I will at the right time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallguy 3,389 Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Sunday is my Sgt. Pepper's of Sondheim. Watching everyone take a breath and get ready to sing "bum bum bum bum bum bum bumbum bum..." Beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,333 Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 Btw If you haven't heard Frank Sinatra sing " Send in.the Clowns", you haven't heard it. It blows the lame Judy Collins version out of the water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Positivatee 327 Posted December 1, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted December 1, 2021 Neither version holds a kandle to Krusty the Clown's version. bruce marshall, Once, Edmilson and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 Don't forget he was a film COMPOSER also. STAVISKY et.al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,333 Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 To be honest, while it definitely was the first Sondheim song that I liked as a kid, 'Send In The Clowns' is the only one I don't need to hear anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallguy 3,389 Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 5 hours ago, AC1 said: To be honest, while it definitely was the first Sondheim song that I liked as a kid, 'Send In The Clowns' is the only one I don't need to hear anymore. For years I've been complaining when a radio station says "We play ALLLLL the hits of the 70's!" that if you don't play Send in the Clowns, King Tut, and Star Wars that you're not playing all the hits. It was a weird decade. Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 No-one sings Send In The Clowns like Glynis Johns. She completely nails the "lost it" quality, that Desiree has. Anyone who sings it like it's some great rollicking ballad, has got it all arse-over-tit. It's a lament to lost talent, a lost time, and to lost love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted December 1, 2021 Author Share Posted December 1, 2021 Glynis Johns (Sister Suffragette!) is of course the original and the best, but damn, Judi Dench was a great Desiree as well. (heh, "damn, Judi Dench", Dame Judi Dench ) Tallguy and Naïve Old Fart 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 As Robin Williams said: "There is nothing like a dame. Dame Judi Dench!". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Guernsey 2,284 Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 The version of A Little Night Music that we saw earlier in the year in Leeds was absolutely sensational. It had a proper orchestra (about 25/30 players, certainly far bigger than your usual musical pit band). I can’t remember who was in the role to sing Send in the Clowns, but their performance nailed it, with a “lost the plot” type reading (but not over the top) compared to the more wistful performances You tend to get from mainstream artists who aren’t actually singing in character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted December 4, 2021 Author Share Posted December 4, 2021 Understandably (because it’s much easier to write about) most of the tributes written to Sondheim have focused on his lyrics. Here is a wonderful tribute to his music by the composer Nico Muhly https://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2021/december/twinkle-and-shimmer-and-buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Guernsey 2,284 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 I don't know if anyone here was at the one off "Old Friends" concert at the Sondheim Theatre in London on Tuesday night? As a one off, tickets were hard to come by but my very persistent (and huge Sondheim fan) boyfriend managed to bag us third row seats. Sensational cast including Bernadette Peters, Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton, Judi Dench, Petula Clark, Rob Brydon, Julia McKenzie etc., not to mention the various celebrity fans in the audience. It was filmed and broadcast at a theatre down the road but here's hoping it gets a proper release for everyone else to enjoy. Happy to post a bit more if anyone is interested. Bespin and ChrisAfonso 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 I'm certainly interested. Who sang Send In The Clowns? Dench? Actually, what was the set list? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Guernsey 2,284 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 55 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said: I'm certainly interested. Who sang Send In The Clowns? Dench? Actually, what was the set list? Yup it was Judi Dench! I’ll take a pic of the set list when I get the chance. Here’s a short clip from the finale. There’s someone in the audience who looks awfully familiar… Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 I couldn't see who you meant, Tom, but...was that Maria Friedman, on stage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Guernsey 2,284 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 8 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said: I couldn't see who you meant, Tom, but...was that Maria Friedman, on stage? lol, it was me... although you may have spotted Dawn French a couple of rows back. And yeah, Maria Friedman was in it. She was great doing Mrs Lovett with Michael Ball as Todd. Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,528 Posted May 4, 2022 Share Posted May 4, 2022 Nice. At what time are you, in the clip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Guernsey 2,284 Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 10 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said: Nice. At what time are you, in the clip? About 2.17, under where it says Imelda... clapping. Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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