Stephen Sondheim: Still great at 80

In a genre swamped with lightweight fluff, the musical theatre he writes stands out for its intelligence and sensitivity.

From Company to A Little Night Music, from Gypsy to Into the Woods, Sondheim has a signature style that could never be confused with anyone else’s.

Of course, it isn’t always to everyone’s taste and has sometimes been criticised by some reviewers for being cold and emotionless. On top of this, his work is much too complex musically to allow the audience the easy luxury of leaving the theatre humming a catchy tune.

But whatever his appeal, it shows no sign of waning.

I leapt at the chance to meet him during a recent trip to London. And I wasn’t disappointed.

A couple of years ago Tim Burton made a film version of Sweeney Todd starring Johnny Depp. Just this year there’ve been two big London revivals of his work: Into the Woods at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Passion at the Donmar Warehouse.

Tony Awards
Two others – Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music – recently transferred from London’s Chocolate Factory to Broadway and cleaned up at the Tony Awards.

With characteristic modesty, Sondheim himself dismisses this current craze for his work as being down to the great books written for his musicals – more or less the only element of the shows outside his responsibility.

“The shows that I’ve been connected with generally have first rate books and therefore are shows that are worth reviving,” he says.

“There interesting enough that a young director or a group of actors can reinterpret the thing and have a good time going it.”

Whatever the reasons behind the current craze for his work, I leapt at the chance to meet him during a recent trip to London. And I wasn’t disappointed.
As I found out, there really is something about Sondheim.