When Stephen Somdheim died unexpectedly in 2021, he left behind a legacy of modern American musicals revered around the world.
In Richard Schoch’s fascinating book, How Sondheim Can Change Your Life, key shows and songs are dissected in a mix of memoir, tribute, and philosophy.
Every musical theatre lover has a Sondheim story. For me, it was finding his Company and Sweeney Todd at my local theatre at the time of a teal romance. Sondheim began as a young protogee of Oscar Hammerstein II, learning the craft of lyric writing.
After creating West Side Story with Bernstein and Gypsy with Styne, young Stephen went solo. His own books, Finishing the Hat and Look! I Made a Hat give full and complex insight into that process.
For Richard Schoch, the musicals of Sondheim offer life lessons and reach into our souls, wherever we are and at whatever stage in our lives. It’s a bold claim.
From Momma Rose (never called that in the show, but she’s universally known by that name) by way of Bobby and Sweeney to the ageing showgirls of Follies and the optimistic students of Merrily We Roll Along, he explores how their preoccupations and emotions are ours.
Pinpointing both wildly popular numbers (‘Send in the Clowns’ from A Little Night Music) and half-forgotten pieces (‘Someone in a Tree’ from Pacific Overtures), this book celebrates one composer’s ability to connect with an audience.
As a gay man, the same as Sondheim, Scholch finds comforting echoes for the outsider as well as a cynical understanding of heteronormacy.
This is a book that offers a measure of self-reflection for both author and reader while challenging our perceptions of songs we may not know as well as we think.
You don’t have to be a Sondheim fan o appreciate this book, and even a brief acquaintance with a melody or two might suffice. For those who revere his work, you will find Schloch’s text interesting, informative, and even just a tad irreverent.
How Sondheim Can Change Your Life is published by Penguin and is released on 14 Nov 2024.