[NEohioPAL] Sondheim disses South Pacific

[Christopher Fortunato]

Of course, his columns are opinion.  But I don;t feel he backs himself up well.> Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:06:18 -0800> From: kulturekids at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL] Sondheim disses South Pacific> To: neohiopal at listserve.com; learnedhand at live.com> > sorry, disagree with you about Frank Rich...his Sunday New York Times columns (mostly political) are intelligent, thorough, and usually spot on the money. > T.> > > --- On Tue, 1/20/09, Christopher Fortunato <learnedhand at live.com> wrote:> > > From: Christopher Fortunato <learnedhand at live.com>> > Subject: [NEohioPAL] Sondheim disses South Pacific> > To: neohiopal at listserve.com> > Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 2:49 PM> > Interesting he would diss his benefactor Oscar Hammerstein> > who taught him everything about writing lyrics.> > The occasion seemed weird and self-congratulatory what with> > horrible critic Frank Rich leading the conversation.> > > > Sondheim Calls Critics ‘Ignoramuses,’ Disses ‘South> > Pacific’ > > > > Email | Print | A A A > > By Philip Boroff> > Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Since Rodgers and Hammerstein’s> > “South Pacific” opened at New York’s Lincoln Center> > Theater in April, it’s been a favorite of critics and> > audiences and has won seven Tony Awards, the most of any> > Broadway musical revival. > > On Sunday, Stephen Sondheim tore it apart. > > Interviewed at Avery Fisher Hall by New York Times> > columnist Frank Rich, the 78-year-old composer-lyricist> > explained why he’s no fan of the 1949 classic. > > “I think it’s personal taste,” he said. “I find it,> > um, obvious.” > > “South Pacific” was adapted from the James Michener> > book “Tales of the South Pacific.” It’s set on two> > islands during World War II and tells intertwining stories> > of two romances obstructed by prejudice and a secret mission> > to gain intelligence about Japanese troop movements. > > Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the> > book, was weak with contemporary language, Sondheim said.> > And his characters are unrealistic, particularly a cheery> > battalion of U.S. Navy Seabees who build aviation bases. > > “I don’t believe for two seconds that those are> > Seabees,” Sondheim said. “It’s the happiest war I’ve> > ever seen.” > > Rare Dig > > Seldom does Sondheim, the most revered living composer-> > lyricist in musical theater, publicly criticize a> > contemporary. But he’s free with opinions when the artist> > is dead, even when it’s Hammerstein, a mentor and father> > figure. > > (The musical was key in Sondheim’s life: At the opening,> > on April 7, 1949, 19-year-old Sondheim was introduced to> > 20-year-old Hal Prince, who would go on to produce and> > direct on Broadway. The two would collaborate on some of> > Sondheim’s biggest successes, including “Company,”> > “Sweeney Todd,” and “A Little Night Music.”) > > On Sunday, Sondheim singled out the last line of “There> > is Nothing Like a Dame” from “South Pacific” for> > ridicule: “There ain’t a thing that’s wrong with any> > man here/That can’t be cured by puttin’ him near/A> > girly, womanly, female feminine dame.” > > “The whole lyric of ‘There’s Nothing Like a Dame’> > drives me crazy,” he said. “It doesn’t sound to me> > like what the character is trying to convey. Where he> > (Hammerstein) is at his best is in the romantic stuff.” > > Sondheim rarely gives extended interviews and Avery Fisher> > Hall, with some 2,700 seats, was packed. The audience> > included fans, producers, critics, collaborators such as> > John Weidman and performers such as Bernadette Peters -- the> > original Dot in “Sunday in the Park With George.” > > ‘Reviewed By Ignoramuses’ > > Other nuggets from the 90 minutes: Sondheim showed his> > contempt for critics, many of whom were slow to embrace his> > shows. > > “Musicals are the only public art form reviewed by> > ignoramuses,” he said. “There are very few of them, I> > can guarantee it, who know anything about music at all.” > > (“I know what I like,” Rich, a former Times chief drama> > critic, said in his defense.) > > The composer-lyricist was asked about the public’s> > increased appetite for his work the second time around. Last> > season, the Roundabout Theatre Co. staged a lauded revival> > of “Sunday in the Park.” Next season, it’s planning to> > revive his 1981 flop “Merrily We Roll Along.” > > “Tastes get more sophisticated as time goes on,” he> > said. “Sometimes a show grows into its own clothes.” > > Sondheim disclosed that a CD of “Road Show,” which> > wrapped up a run at the Public Theater last month, is> > likely. > > “It looks like we will be recording it in February,” he> > said. > > As previously reported, he’s compiling a collection of> > his lyrics for a book, with essays by him about writing. And> > he’s “nibbling” with “Road Show” collaborator> > Weidman about another piece. > > “I should be getting back to the piano,” he said.> > “I’ve got to start writing music again.” > > “There isn’t anything in particular. There will be.” > > To contact the writer on this story: Philip Boroff in New> > York at pboroff at bloomberg.net. Last Updated: January 20,> > 2009 11:32 EST > > _________________________________________________________________> > Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Chat. Store. Share. Do more with> > mail. > > http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t1_hm_justgotbetter_howitworks_012009_______________________________________> > MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR CTC BENEFIT: Collectively Speaking> > ... Cleveland Theater Collective Celebration February 9,> > 2009, 7:30pm!!> > ______________________________________> > NEohioPAL is SELF-SERVE. 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