For the average human being, Broadway musicals may seem like a waste of time, resources, energy, and money. In a downward economy, who needs musicals. Some of them are not what critics might call high art or superb culture. In fact, many Broadway shows are totally rip offs -- sometimes vulgar, sometimes corrupt, sometimes silly.
Although a case may be made that Broadway, or theatre in general, is not worth the effort, I will stake the claime that Broadway has its purposes. Behind the lights, costumes, songs, and showbiz there is a story, and in that story there is a truth. That truth may be filled with joy, plagued with sadness, are touching our hearts.
In today's upsidedown world, a good song can bring people back to where they belong. I think that sometimes every person wishes life were a musical -- not just because it would be fun, but because theatre is where people are portrayed as people. Real things can come from nonreal situations.
Perhaps if people took seriously taking the serious side of musicals, they would understand the world. As a future music educator, I hope that there will always be a Broadway, a critical world of wonderful creations, and a place where truth meets unreality so that reality sees the truth.
Stephen Sondheim -- is he a genius? Is he genuine? His work is masterful, his lyrics are both insightful and inciteful, his music is....well, very Sondheimic. He wonderfully crafts melodies but when boiled down, really its one melody. Into the Woods for example, the five-note melody is the mode of the entire musical. Sometimes I enjoy this, but the first time listening to a Sondheim musical, I cannot help but notice how this song sounds like that song, or this rhymes with that. Each one of his musicals, brilliant in some regard, is unique, but they are definitely written by the same man. Call him genius or a nut, but let the records stand that his shows are good ideas, overdone lyrics, typical songs, and half-baked productions. If there are those who can agree or disagree, please convince this on-the-fence fan that Sondheim really is worth his salt.
