Sondheim

My friend Leah & I went to see Steven Sondheim & Frank Rich last night. It was part of the Portland Arts & Lectures series. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was really interesting. Frank Rich basically interviewed Steven Sondheim about his career as a lyricist and songwriter. Steven told stories and anecdotes about his musicals, song writing, Katherine Hepburn, his relationship with Oscar Hammerstein, other writers, directors, how musical theater has changed over the years and a variety of famous people. It was like when I was a kid and got to sit in the living room and listen to the adults talk…very casual atmosphere despite a very full theater of people avidly absorbing every word. Frank mostly guided Steven along with some questions and let him ramble on with his answers. I don’t know much about Frank Rich aside from the fact that he is a writer and theater critic for the New York Times, and apparently a friend of Steven’s, but he did a nice job moderating the interview.

They took a few questions from the audience. The one I really wanted to hear an answer to was what writers of current musical theater he admires. He said he preferred not to answer the question on the grounds that to mention one author and not to mention another might imply that he didn’t like the one he didn’t mention. A very PC answer, but I still wish he would have said. I’d like to know his thoughts on the new musicals, not only on the music and lyrics, but on the subject matters that are being chosen to make musicals out of and the way they are put together.

At the very end one of the fan questions was about his birthday coming up and could we sing to him. So we did. The whole theater audience sang Happy Birthday to him. Now I can say I personally sang Happy Birthday to Steven Sondheim.

Here’s a short review.