"Take Sondheim and run with it...." I'm told after asking what I can do to add to the SSS.

"Great!" I thought, "This will be simple." (as 1,2,3,1,2,3.....) I spend a lot of time mulling over Sondheim-related topics--I should have plenty to say! So, here we go! Thoughts on Sondheim! Okay! We're moving right along now....

It occured to me the other day when I was out walking that I was probably the only one with Pacific Overtures on my walkman. Hey! This could be the start of a whole new fitness craze! I can just see it sweeping the nation, Exercising with Stephen Sondheim! Join us for the "Ladies Who Lunch" workout! "Everybody rise! RISE! Riiiise!" It's not quite "Sweatin' to the Oldies," but still....

Well, maybe not.

The other night I was out with a group of friends, and someone mentioned the upcoming revival of Annie. My friend, Brian, turned to me and said, "Hey, didn't Sondheim write that?"

His arm should be out of the cast in 4-6 weeks!

Last semester, the concert band I play in performed a piece that started with two eighth-notes, followed by a long pause. The figure was a descent of a third, with the first note accented. At the first rehearsal, after playing that figure, a group of us simultaneously began to sing "Bobby... Bobby... Bobby Baby..."

Luckily, the conductor understood what our problem was.

All the other musicology students in my program are mocking me because I want to write my thesis on Sondheim. I personally don't find this to be an unreasonable topic. I'll bet that more people would like reading about Sondheim that about Bernart de Ventadorn.

Am I wrong about this?

"Who wants to live in New York?" We had a big discussion about this the other day at my internship. Our managing editor really wants to move there. So I sang her the song. She found it amusing, but still wants to go.

"Suddenly I do" too.

I was talking about Sondheim with a friend last fall. He admitted that he didn't know much of his music, but had really liked what he did know. He brought up "Pretty Women" as "just the most beautiful song." After agreeing wholeheartedly, I explained its context in the show. This brought upon a raised eyebrow look from him as he replied, "Oh. So I guess I might not want to play it at the wedding....?" The way I figure it is, what's the harm in having a beautiful song like that, even if it is sung by the so-called "Demon Barber of Fleet Street"?

Just don't tell my grandmother where it's from.

The bookstore I work in has nothing by or about Sondheim. I find this outrageous, not least of all since I get a 40% discount on all the books in the store. The same problem comes up at the music store we're affiliated with--they have 700 copies of Victor/Victoria, but no Sondheim at all. What is this world coming to?

I weep for the present sometimes.

I didn't make the connection until last week that Malcolm Gets on the York Recording of Merrily is the same Malcolm Gets on Caroline in the City. I liked him on the recording, and think he's really funny on the show.

Too bad it's not a very good show. I'd much rather watch "Merrily" every week. How's that for "Must See TV"?

I saw a production of Something's Afoot at MIT earlier this year. At the start of the show, when the maid was alone onstage dusting, she started humming "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid." I laughed. No one else did...

Unfortunatley, it was the funniest thing that happened all night.

In concert band a couple of years ago, we read through a piece called "The Magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber." It was really badly arranged, and squelched any sense of melody that may have been there originally.

If I ever find "The Splendor of Stephen Sondheim" on my music stand, I'm turning in my flute for good!

Sondheim's music always affects me very deeply. Some of his songs make me feel very sad. Sunday is one of them, but I'm not sure why. Maybe the image of a perfect picture coming into focus always makes me stop and think about how incomplete and unfinished parts of my own life picture are.

Or maybe it's because I've always hated Sundays. It's hard to tell. :}