Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night. Tonight there will be no morning star.
Stephen SondheimRead
Musicals are, by nature, theatrical, meaning poetic, meaning having to move the audience's imagination and create a suspension of disbelief, by which I mean there's no fourth wall.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Musicals engage the audience by blending poetry and theater, breaking the traditional separation between performers and viewers.
In this quote, Stephen Sondheim highlights the essence of musicals as a unique art form that combines theater and poetry to captivate audiences. He emphasizes the importance of fostering a connection where the audience can suspend disbelief, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the performance without the constraints of the 'fourth wall'.
Themes
MusicalsTheaterArtPoetryImaginationAudience
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the importance of live theater, one might quote Sondheim to emphasize how musicals engage audiences.
More from Stephen Sondheim
All quotes βAfter the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution, songs became part of the story, as opposed to just entertainments in between comedy scenes.
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Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.
Stephen SondheimRead
Let Pirelli's / Miracle Elixir / Activate your roots, sir... Keep it off your boots, sir- / Eats right through. Yes, get Pirelli's! / Use a bottle of it! / Ladies seem to love it... Flies do, too!
Stephen SondheimRead
Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.
Stephen SondheimRead
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 SondheimRead
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Poetry involves the mysteries of the irrational perceived through rational words.
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I want to make sure everyone's having a good time because when I ask you to come to my movie, I'm throwing a party for you. I want you to enjoy it.
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Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer.
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I just think music is so intrinsically linked with images in the culture that we live in that you'll be hard-pressed to have an experience with the music without a preconceived notion.
Esperanza SpaldingRead
We're human beings, and we want stories. We're always going to be entertained and have our emotions touched by humanity and by things that we recognize in our own lives. So whilst every now and again we'll be happy to watch a bubblegum film, it's never gonna be the only things that get made.
Peter JacksonRead