By MK Scott
I was all prepared to Interview the legendary Broadway composer, Stephen Sondheim for OUTview’s radio blog, but since Sondheim, 79, rarely does interviews , it was a long shot. What I did get was a ticket to see an actual interview occur LIVE at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall this past Monday night being conducted by former NYT theater critic, Frank Rich.
The 100 minute Interview (Some was questions from the audience) jumped around a lot from hearing stories from GYSPY to COMPANY and Back to GYPSY. Then they ‘started from the beginning and a very good place to start’ by revealing the summer he spent being mentored by Oscar Hammerstein III by working as his assistant.
He called Jerry Robbins as the only genius he has ever known but also ruled by fear and harbored resentments that he unfairly took out on his cast. The only one who could stand up to him was Jule Stein,who wasn’t afraid of anybody.
Currently he fears that the French critics for an upcoming Paris production of “A Little Night Music” (with Leslie Caron and Kristen Scott-Thomas) will recognize Ravel’s heavy influence on his work.
The highlight was the story about the audition for ‘Little Night Music’ and the image of 75-year-old Hermione Gingold revealing her bald head to prove she was her right choice for the role.
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