Do you think Sondheim was a Datalounger?

I suppose if the other guy hounded Sondheim into promising to tell him exactly what he thought . . .

Lorna says Steve was kind to her, so I don't think he was a hardcore DLer...

Not that he would not (maybe did not, as you speculate) fit in here, but naturally he relies on his own you know who I am-ness to do the heavy lifting.

It's borderline tl;dr for DL, and wouldn't be so succinct or so cutting if nobody knew who the author was.

“London is like New York, only more so,” he snapped at once. “You give the audience something really vulgar, and they’ll go for it every time.”

If I received such a message I'd require a stiff drink. I prefer more subtle Euro style take downs. This was brutal.

[quote]This was brutal.

Brutal, but justified with detail. And manifestly suitable for framing. Behold, he could be an angry God. And as he saw it, cruel to be kind.

"You said you hated me -- or were you just being kind?

Or am I losing my mind?"

"Best Songwriter of the 20th Century?" What about Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hammerstein/ & Hart, et al.--not to mention the many songwrtiers who didn't even work in musical theater?

Does anyone really like all that sour sentimentality?

It's really hard to say because a lot of people of the pre-digital generations just never got into internet accessible technology. Also he would have had PAs and secretaries to handle his communications for him so no real reason to ever get online. And certainly he was occupied enough with his career not to have free time to dick around on social media. Did he ever have a personal Twitter account?

I wouldn't take Sondheim's opinions too hard. Look at all the terrible choices he made in his work, especially in his collaborators--all the nearly unplayable books, often attached to scores that didn't do much to redeem them. Then there was his tone deaf and all too public reaction to the revised "Porgy and Bess." The FUCK, Steve. You should only hope someone does a good revision of "Follies" when it finally becomes possible.

It was dickish for Barr to post this critique of a still-alive performer, and tag her, unless he and Shirley had already had a laugh about this. Maybe Barr felt the same way about her performance and found a way to get his digs in?

A friend gave me a Shirley Bassey covers album a few years ago as a joke. Her version of Madonna's You'll See is hilarious - it makes Susan Boyle's version sound packed with motion.

Is it common for artists to record their own version of the lyrics? Barbra did it and so did Elaine, here at 10.05.

I like the overstrike - I think it ranks right up there with Rosemary Woodhouse's undertaste.

R8, yes Sondheim is the greatest composer/lyricist of the 20th Century. Hell, he’s one of the greatest of all time- Verdi, Donizetti and Mozart didn’t write their own lyrics after all.

Richard Rodgers is the only one who comes close, but Sondheim’s greatness eclipses even him. As if the lyrics to West Side Story, Gypsy and Do I Hear a Waltz weren’t enough, Sondheim’s string of genius-level tour de forces is overwhelming. His output is unparalleled:

Company (BRILLIANCE) A Little Night Music (BRILLIANCE) Follies (MOST-BRILLIANT EVER) Pacific Overtures (BRILLANCE) Sweeney (BRILLIANCE) Merrily (BRILLIANCE) Into the Woods (BRILLIANCE) Assassins (BRILLIANCE) Passion (BRILLIANCE) Forum (Fun)

Yes, Road Show never came together like it should have, but few if any have been able to sustain such a prolonged period of exceptionalism. Sondheim deserves every laudatory sentiment he has received.

^MARY!

I agree with r15 but MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY MARY FOLLIES MARY

I don't quite understand the background of the anecdote. Did the guy who posted this ask Sondheim for his opinion? If he did, Sondheim was entirely justified; but if not it was unnecessarily bitchy. I would assume it was the former: Sondheim was a polite (and friendly) man, but said what he thought if he were asked.

r15, it's been said, but it absolutely needs to be said again:

Your MARY! is more intense than that at the Grotto of Lourdes.

I wanna praise you, R15, I just wanna praise you.

R8 I also agree with R15. Cole Porter had some cute songs, but few have stood the test of time, and he sometimes gets too corny. Hammerstein is good, and as Sondheim’s teacher, we have him to thank for Sondheim. Berlin doesn’t even come close.

Sondheim can do it all. He has funny lyrics, but he also has moving lyrics, sad lyrics, creepy lyrics, inspirational lyrics, romantic, and more. He took all the conventions and turned them on their heads.

FOLLIES!

When someone addresses you in a letter by just your first and last name, you are in for a put-down.

Shirley Bassey had/has a huge voice and can be effective. She also so over emotes and chops phrasing to the point of hilarious camp. Celine Dion is a bit the sane. No surprise that Sondheim was not pleased by her versions.

Mary me a little, r17.

Maybe SS actually saw this by mistake.

[quote]Also he would have had PAs and secretaries to handle his communications for him so no real reason to ever get online.

Among the justified shoal of personal tributes, I've seen reference to SS sending 'hundreds' of emails. As his earthly span shortened, I'm sure he used the quicker form despite that talent for incisive snail mail.

Here

We've already seen the Benny Hill clip......oh.....uh......never mind.

anyone transcribe the letter? it's gone now.

Masks have always been about substantially reducing risk, not eliminating it completely. No one is going to a conference in full pappers (sp?)

Sorry!!!! Wrong thread! I have no idea if Sondheim was a Datalounger, but am as interested as all of you.