Sondheim & Rich, The Art of Making Art

In Los Angeles, the importance of an event is often determined by the guest list – this is a see and be seen town – so the power player turnout for last week's A Little Night Conversation with Stephen Sondheim and Frank Rich at UCLA was an indicator that something exciting was in store for the sold out crowd.  That, or some serious swag was being handed out – but luckily the latter was not the case, this time.

Sondheim, often considered the pre-eminent American musical theatre composer alive today, delivered what could only be described as a priceless master class for a nearly 90 minute chat with The New York Times columnist – and one time chief theatre critic – Rich at his side.
 
As the UCLA Live event was not the first of these conversations for the influential duo - their West Coast tour included stops in Santa Barbara and San Francisco – perhaps the most surprising characteristic of the evening was the genuine freshness both had.  Rich started off the evening by probing Sondheim for tidbits from his experiences working alongside Broadway directors Michael Bennett and Jerome Robbins, both known for their demanding personas.

Those who have followed Sondheim's career closely, most likely reading a biography or two, surely came equipped that night with a broad knowledge base, but hearing the legend reminisce first hand was a rewarding experience.  A conversation of any kind with Sondheim is ultimately engrossing as the pure history surrounding the man is endless.

One aspect to the evening proving most intriguing was Rich's involvement, as he was once lovingly referred to as the "Butcher of Broadway" while working the Times' theatre beat.  He represents a community that often took Sondheim to task for his less than critically acclaimed Broadway offerings. 

Rich addressed this only briefly, asking what role critics play today, while Sondheim merely stated most critics are not schooled in music so their interpretation of musicals is almost dismissible.

Recognizing their being in Los Angeles, Sondheim acknowledged he is a film buff at heart, speaking of his experience as a "clapper boy" on John Houston's "Beat the Devil" and his writing five months of the television show "Topper" in 1952, which also marked his first professional gig.

When Rich brought up the composer's dislike of West Side Story's film adaptation, Sondheim carried the thought further by proclaiming most movie musicals fail to work on screen.  Something that must not have been comfortable for Hollywood producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("Chicago," "Hairspray"), both of who were in attendance.  Although, Sondheim did acknowledge "Chicago" as working, as if by default, as its musical numbers are told in mostly fantasy sequences.  The recent "Sweeney Todd" Tim Burton film did, however, earn Sondheim's gushing approval.

Back to Broadway, Oscar Hammerstein remained a constant mention throughout the conversation, as the fellow composer had a profound influence on Sondheim's career.  Sondheim looked back fondly on his time as a young boy spending summers with the Hammersteins.

Picking up on the fact that Los Angeles was the only town outside New York to get a production of the musical Follies, Sondheim reminisced about his time working with director Bennett, who the composer claims staged the greatest number in musical theatre with "the mirror number."

Sondheim, as if schooling the audience, pointed out that a writer's biggest challenge, and most important job, is to have a sense of an actor's movement and being able to time lyrics to that movement.

Rich also focused on the perception that Sondheim's music is often un-hummable, while the composer admitted that audiences today are perhaps more willing to accept his tunes since pop music is no longer required to originate on the stage, as was the case during his early career.

Much of the conversation centered on Sondheim's earlier works, avoiding nary a mention of his more recent projects, aside from an audience prompted response to the origin of the easily forgettable The Frogs.  There is a reason Rich hosts, as the audience Q&A section often led to useless praise and little worthwhile questions.  Sondheim does not need to be reminded he has an adoring public, as the event was obviously sold out due to his immense popularity.  He gets it people.

With a continued resurgence of Sondheim revivals on Broadway, listening to the composer opine for over an hour lived up to the hype, and with Rich's insight, a conversation between the two was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for any theatre aficionado.  And for more from James Sims visit www.simsscoop.com.

Photos (1) Stephen Sondheim by Jerry Jackson (2) Frank Rich by Fred Conrad, The New York Times.

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