Quote of the day: I know that there are people who do not love their fellow man, and I hate people like that!—Tom Lehrer In the second volume of Isaac Asimov’s autobiography, In Joy Still Felt, there is this passage: I maintained my friendship with Bill Boyd’s assistant, Bernie Pitt, even after he was fired, … Continue reading Isaac and Stephen and Tom
Sondheim
Gypsy Closing
Quote for the day: If wanna bump itBump it with a trumpet!—Stephen Sondheim The production of the musical Gypsy starring Audra McDonald as Rose (sometimes incorrectly referred to as “Mama” Rose, but if you’re gonna do that you should spell it like Arthur Laruents does it in the play and Stephen Sondheim does it in the … Continue reading Gypsy Closing
5,000 Items
Stephen Sondheim‘s vast catalogue of work has been acquired for preservation by the Library of Congress. This includes approximately 5,000 items such as manuscripts, notebooks, music and lyric drafts and scrapbooks from Company, Sweeney Todd, and Into the Woods among others. For example, there's a one-page inner monologue of subtext for Desirée for when she … Continue reading 5,000 Items
Charlie Gilbert
Stephen Sondheim fans, if they know the name Charles Gilbert, know it as the name of the fellow who wrote an unsuccessful play that gave Sondheim the germ of an idea that led to him and John Weidman developing the musical Assassins. And while that is correct as far as it goes, Charlie Gilbert has … Continue reading Charlie Gilbert
Saturday in the Gallery with…
I stopped in the nearby gallery to thank Chris for an idea he had given me the other week and to ask for a suggestion. “That was a great idea about getting that photo of Tug McGraw hugging my parents framed, but when I went to look, all I have is the little six by … Continue reading Saturday in the Gallery with…
Every Day a Little Death
Now comes word of a new anthology of crime fiction inspired by the songs of Stephen Sondheim entitled Every Day a Little Death. Sounds like it’s right up my alley as I like Sondheim and I like crime fiction. But I’m so swamped with other things right now and I’m backlogged with reading material that … Continue reading Every Day a Little Death
Hamlet Act III Scene ii line 254
I have been working on this post for several days and I just can’t get it into a form where I’m satisfied that I’ve said what I want to say. So I can either scrap it or just hurl it out into the ether and get it over with. I’ve decided to hurl it. Here … Continue reading Hamlet Act III Scene ii line 254
The X Words
I read the news today, oh boy, and it made me very angry. Rather than stewing about it, I wrote this blog post to sublimate my anger. A production of the Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman musical Assassins at Northwestern was cancelled when Black students protested its use of the N-word in one of its songs. They didn’t … Continue reading The X Words
“You’ll have none of mine”
Back in the 1970s I used to subscribe to two audio magazines, High Fidelity and Hi-Fi/Stereo Review (later renamed to just Stereo Review). They each had reviews of pop, jazz, and classical records, feature articles on music and musicians, and reviews of the latest audio equipment, most of which I couldn’t afford. I enjoyed both magazines and … Continue reading “You’ll have none of mine”
Paul Ford, Broadway Pianist and Arranger, Passes Away
News from broadwayworld.com: BroadwayWorld is saddened to report the passing of Broadway music director, conductor, and arranger, Paul Ford. According to friends on social media, Ford was found unresponsive in his home in New York City this afternoon. Ford began his professional career in the late 1970s and quickly became a sought-after rehearsal pianist and … Continue reading Paul Ford, Broadway Pianist and Arranger, Passes Away