In the Sondheim show "Sunday in the Park with George," the first lines spoken are as follows:
"White. A blank page or canvas. The challenge: bring order to the whole."
I know that there are no words I could write that would achieve this goal. They could never convey my true thanks and awe surrounding the topic of Stephen Sondheim. I wish I could take all of my thoughts and feelings and somehow put them onto this page, but to my great chagrin, I know that is impossible. So here is my best attempt at discussing the ongoing presence, necessity, and relevance of Stephen Sondheim in not only mine, but so many of our lives.
There is nobody who will ever write lyrics the way Stephen Sondheim does. So many people will try -- I'm sure even I will someday -- but nobody will ever succeed to such a level. The way he takes ordinary words and phrases and creates something seemingly brand new is a talent one can only be born with. There is nowhere that this skill is more blatantly exemplified than in the timeless and troubling "Send in the Clowns" from "A Little Night Music." Not only do his words hit us like a punch, leaving us breathless and sometimes confused, they also make our whole world turn upside down. He uses words and sounds in ways we never think to, rhyming two words that you never would have thought to pair, and posing questions that challenge us as listeners and as human beings. Sondheim has an inherent need and indisputable quality to make his lyrics a part of us, to the point that we keep them rolling around in our heads day after day ... 'til the days go by ("Merrily We Roll Along," anybody?).
Time passes by while I listen to his works on a constant loop, doing nothing at all except thinking about the man and the mind behind these complex characters and the words that they sing. How can this human, appearing just like any other, constantly take the disliked character and make you sympathize with them? Why did we all leave "Into the Woods" crying for the Witch of all people?! How do we see "Follies" and somehow want to help Ben find his way back on his feet?! The answer lies within the music. However deeply it is buried, there is an answer. Because of the lessons your words have taught me along with the heartbreaking lyrics you have written and shared with us, because of all of the wondering and analysis your pieces have caused me, Stephen Sondheim, you have my time and my endless attention.
Beyond the famous and legendary lyrics, Sondheim is a composer and utilizes his orchestra in the most moving and triumphant ways. He delivers constant dissonance with delayed resolution, modulations at the exact moment where the listener has found a sense of familiarity, and moments of syncopation delivering a complete inability to count a beat. I have read many articles about the works of Stephen Sondheim, and it seems that one recurring theme is always mentioned, and that is Mr. Sondheim's affinity for speed and tongue twisters. I can't think of a time this is better illustrated than during Amy's moment of sheer madness as she plows through the lyrics of "Getting Married Today" in the show "Company." Sondheim, reminding us of his genius (just in case we forgot), does not compose a piece to be sung at such a radical speed for his own pleasure. When we combine the lyrics of the song with the panicked stage direction and then incorporate the inhumane speed; we as an audience member actually get to fall apart with this character to the point of a nervous sweat. Because of the twists and turns each song delivers, and the story each sound conveys, Stephen Sondheim, you have my ears.
It is time to elaborate on the actual staging and stories of Sondheim musicals and if we're being honest, the emotional and intellectual toll they take on a person. Whether it is the twisted world you're transported to in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" or the devastating and bleak roads we travel throughout the show "Passion," it is hard to escape a Sondheim show with a dry eye. Experiencing the combination of Sondheim's words and musical compositions paired with sets and costumes, wrapped up like a present in the stories written by any number of Sondheim's known collaborators, truly produces something so outstanding that it makes me believe in magic and fairy tales again. Watching greats such as Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Patti LuPone, Joanna Gleason, and countless others take these monumental parts and execute the characters' most secret thoughts and fears through song is the cherry on top of Sondheim's works. Because of the journey I go on each time I sit in the audience, type a search into YouTube, or watch a DVD, Stephen Sondheim, you have my eyes.
Lastly, my own experience playing the Baker's Wife in a production of "Into the Woods" has left an unwavering impact on every aspect of myself. Singing "Moments in the Woods" and telling the story of such a determined but somehow so conflicted woman was a completely consuming project that I willingly jumped into. Sondheim showed me the complexity of playing a character with ambition and how to approach doing justice to that very special woman. Every line I memorized, every harmony I attempted, and every song I took to the stage to sing is locked in a special spot in my memory. Stephen Sondheim made me and my cast come alive to conquer the obstacles each of the compositions posed. Every Sondheim song I have learned, both from this experience and others, has been an journey of perseverance, self-growth, and challenge. For the performer you have made me grow to become, the memories your compositions house for me, and the work ethic your shows require of me, for making my jaw drop no matter how many times I hear a song, Stephen Sondheim, you have my infinite gratitude and thanks.
