How Sondheim Can Change Your Life

De: Richard Schoch

Narrado por: Shaun Taylor-Corbett

Discover the powerful and universal lessons from the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, the genius behind such musical theater masterworks as Company, West Side Story, and Into the Woods.

Stephen Sondheim died on November 26, 2021, but for countless fans around the world, he is “still here,” to quote one of his lyrics. With acclaimed revivals of his landmark shows occurring around the world and introducing new generations to the man who transformed American musical theater, Sondheim’s legacy has only grown. What is it about such classic songs as “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy, “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music, and “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods that speaks to us so intimately and profoundly?

How Sondheim Can Change Your Life makes the case that Sondheim’s greatness—beyond the clever lyrics and adventurous music—rests in his ability to tell stories that relate to us all. From Louise’s desire for freedom as Gypsy Rose Lee to Sweeney Todd’s thirst for revenge, we as an audience relate easily to Sondheim’s characters. His works understand us as much as we understand them.

Following the arc of Sondheim’s career, How Sondheim Can Change Your Life is rich with stories about productions and iconic performers, deep readings of his music and lyrics, and insights into his creative process. But more than that, it reveals how Sondheim’s works can enrich our own lives.

©2024 Richard Schoch (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Insight into Sondheim’s shows

Narrator was excellent. Book was a little self- referential but insight on shows was great.

Putting It Together

This book plays well to those who are Sondheim aficionados and novices. There are many instances where I learned to look differently at the lyrics, music, and book of the show. The performance was perfection. The reader was as excited as we are to live in these moments.

Analyzing Sondheim beyond plot and characters

The author goes beyond analyzing who the characters are in the plot. He examines what they do and why. After reading this book, I realized that I had missed critical details to the story. The book gave me a deeper understanding of each piece. But it was not a dry analysis, the author included personal details to help readers get the point.

Found this on the way to Grandmother’s House

I came to Sondheim during Covid and was blessed to see Old Friends in London twice because it made me feel so good. The narrator does a great job delivering the overall tone of the book. The author - Richard Schoch - needs a few standing ovations and roses presented to him onstage.

I didn’t know that I needed this book, but I did. I learned more about Sondheim, his works, his impact on the author as a theater academic and his great idea to translate the emotions of Sondheim’s music and lyrics for us.

He boldly says it is our time to go live and love with all our might and damn the torpedoes. I am excited to conduct a personal reboot.

Good

I was really looking forward to this release. It was good. Not great, but good. I think I was expecting a little more of its affect on people rather than really detailed (and good) reviews of the shows. If there would have been a bit more on how the shoes impacted society, it would have been great.

Explanations Welcome!

Having experienced several productions of each of the Sondheim shows over the past 55 years, I was intrigued at the idea of learning more about why they have had such a firm grip on my conception of theatrical excellence. It was especially gratifying to realize that I know each of the shows well enough to understand exactly what the author meant to explain. There were a few technical details mentioned that I had forgotten and many musicological moments that I know well as a listener but had never considered this fully from a compositional standpoint. My only complaint would be that the author’s lapses into self-revelation were not particularly useful in conveying his points.