Work is what you do for others, liebchen. Art is what you do for yourself. Stephen Sondheim More Quotes by Stephen Sondheim More Quotes From Stephen Sondheim Every writer I've ever spoken to feels fraudulent in some way or other. Stephen Sondheim writingfeelsway Careful the spell you cast, not just on children. Sometimes the spell may last Past what you can see And turn against you... Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell. Stephen Sondheim justicechildrenpast It should be interesting to see two entirely different ways to treat a story, geared for two entirely different kinds of audience. Stephen Sondheim differenttwointeresting When I was growing up, there was no such thing as Off-Broadway. You either got your show on or you didn't. Stephen Sondheim broadwaygrowinggrowing-up You have to be submitted for the Pulitzer, and unbeknownst to us, a choral director whom I know had submitted us. Stephen Sondheim knowsdirectors With videotaping, on the second generation you're already losing some of the freshness. Stephen Sondheim freshnessgenerationslosing My personal life and my artistic life do not interfere with each other. Stephen Sondheim artistic-lifeinterfereartistic Math and music are intimately related. Not necessarily on a conscious level, but sure. Stephen Sondheim levelsconsciousmath When you know your cast well and their strengths and weaknesses, you can start writing for them, just the way Shakespeare wrote for his actors. Stephen Sondheim weaknessactorswriting When I listen to my work, I think, what's so inflammatory about it? It's not really that dissonant. A lot of people who used to hate my stuff have come round to it. Stephen Sondheim hatepeoplethinking Generally, the best recording is the original cast, because that's the way the piece grew: integrally, with them. Stephen Sondheim grewpiecesway My parents got divorced and military school gave me a structure. A lot of kids my age were children of divorced parents. They didn't know what to do with the kids. Stephen Sondheim militarykidschildren Sometimes I'll ask the book writer to write a monologue, not to be performed, just as if they were notes for the character. Stephen Sondheim writingcharacterbook Math was my big interest when I was in prep school. I was considering taking math in college, and majoring in it. Stephen Sondheim collegemathschool Lemuel Ayers had had a huge success producing and designing Kiss Me, Kate. He wanted to produce this as a musical. I got the job. It was a professional score. Stephen Sondheim designkissingjobs Take a play that you like but you think is flawed, and see if you can improve it and turn it into a musical. [...] Then make up your own story. Stephen Sondheim musicalplaythinking The dumbing down of the country reflects itself on Broadway. The shows get dumber, and the public gets used to them. Stephen Sondheim broadwayusedcountry So many good songs get written fast, because you know exactly what has to work. Stephen Sondheim writtenknowssong Everyone I used to play with has either given up or is dead. Stephen Sondheim givenusedplay I didn't really want to write just lyrics, but I wanted to meet Leonard Bernstein. Music was always the first reason I was writing songs. Stephen Sondheim wantwritingsong
