Sondheim & Co

by Craig Zadan

"Sondheim & Co" is the complete, behind-the-scenes story of the making of Stephen Sondheim's musicals. Written with the full co-operation of Sondheim himself, it examines each of Sondheim's masterpieces - including "West Side Story", "Gypsy", "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", "Company", "Follies", "A Little Night Music", "Sweeney Todd", "Sunday in the Park with George" and "Into the Woods" - as well as the other Sondheim productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in repertory, as revivals, as opera, on film, and on television. this account is based on hundreds of hours of interviews with Sondheim and his associates.

Genres: Theatre, Biography, Nonfiction, Historical

408 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a well researched study of one of my all-time favorites, Stephen Sondheim. Originally written in 1976 and updated in 1989, it covers his work and the influences that informed his choices through Into the Woods in 1987. He was very young when chosen to provide lyrics for West Side Story, and the backstory of that landmark show is remarkable considering its place in the pantheon of musical theater. Here are the histories of three of my favorite musicals (Company, Follies, and my all-time favorite, Sweeney Todd), all of which I have seen whenever possible and in the case of Sweeney, at least 10 times. His approach to writing and composing is truly unique, and it was a revelation to learn that at least in the case of Company, he hadn't even started on the music until the set had been designed and a model built.

There are informative chapters about the roles that orchestrators, composers, even poster designers perform, and a wonderful section on Barbra Streisand's Broadway Album which features more examples of his work than any other. Many wonderful quotes from the man himself which add to the authenticity of this work. A few years back I saw him in person at BAM on the 20th anniversary of Into the Woods, and included on the stage was Bernadette Peters who when talking about him referred to him as "Zeus." He is. Towering, uncompromising, unlike any other talent in the field today. Remarkable.

[Kem · Rating 4 out of 5]

He is a hero of mine (musically) because he uses his intellect, his aquired knowledge as well as his instinct. His music seems to be a subdued person who lets his music be his fireworks.

[Atar Hadari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good collection of interviews, sometimes built up into a complex discussion of a particular show from several perspectives, which follows Sondheim's career project by project up to mid-way. Not least of the confection are the interspersed essays on the various elements that make up a show - what makes a good librettist? a good orchestrator? - which are often more thoughtful than the more casual interviews spliced together for the coverage of the shows themselves. There isn't a harsh word in there, but it does give a three dimensional sense of how his career took shape, how he chose his projects for good or ill and how some succeeded and others were a sideways journey. A book to return to over time.

[brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The is a very well researched book on Stephen Sondheim that covers his musical productions from pre-production and afterwards. It's not really a biography, but a chronical of his shows. A couple of things I learned is that with the exception of a few shows, none of his shows made back their investments. Also, this book makes the point numerous times that Sondheim did not have any "hummable" songs like most other composers. He had almost a cult-like following. But keep in mind that this book was originally published in the 1970s. Sondheim is considered a genius in musical theatre now, that I don't think will ever be replaced. Also, I learned that a lot of the critics did not like his shows and called them cold.
While I did enjoy this book, I have a few criticisms. The book does tend to get mired down in the weeds regarding Sondheim's composing of his songs. And if you are not a musician, it can be very overloading. Also, this book has tons of quotes from Sondheim's friends and contemporaries. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was being quoted.
There are several editions of this book since its initial publication. I read the second edition, and it only covers up to the creation of "Into the Woods" and it had not moved into production yet.
There are several editions of this book since its initial publication. I read the second edition and it only covers up to the creation of "Into the Woods" and it had not moved into production yet.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic read. It goes show by show up until Into the Woods and provides the history of the show complete with quotes from the creatives, photographs, discussions of cut materials, notes on reception, etc. It's amazing to read so extensively about the people Sondheim has collaborated with and their opinions of him in one volume (Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Michael Bennett were standouts for me). It's also fascinating to read early reception of works that are now undeniable classics (and beloved ones at that), since, for the most part, they were not all that well reviewed at the start. I really loved getting Sondheim's opinion and also Hal Prince's opinion on their shows and their futures. This is definitely worth your time if you're a Sondheim fan.

Almost forgot - The book also includes interludes in which topics such as cast album recording, the work of an orchestrator, music publishing, and casting are discussed, giving you a nice baseline of the theatre industry at the time the book was published.

[Susan]

Essex Library Book Sale June 2012. I might already have this - the one I got today is paperbound but has this cover.

[Rick Rapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the backstage stories. Particularly liked the chapter on Follies.