Friday, September 23, 2011

Musical Words of Wisdom: The Sondheim Musicals

Just over a month ago, I posted a blog of words of wisdom and witty, creatively stated ideas from the musicals of Andrew Lloyd WebberToday, here are just some of the many you have sent in (along with a few of my favorites) from the musicals of Stephen Sondheim.


There were so many, it really was hard to choose, so below are the ones I think are the most clever, most meaningful; but most of all, these are the ones that most of you repeated.  Clearly, some of these quotes mean a lot to many of us.


Here is a quote, sometimes two, from each of his Broadway shows. Some are my contributions, others are singular submissions from one person, and others are quotes sent in from several of you. In the interest of fairness, I will attribute the quotes to no one, except the lyricists themselves. I think they are all kind of catchy and all of them at least clever and thought-provoking.


I have included more than a couple from the most quoted of his shows, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Into the Woods.  Not surprising, really.  What does surprise me is how many I got from Merrily We Roll Along!


And I am still collecting your quotes from the musicals of Kander and Ebb!




Anyone Can Whistle
  • "Crazy business, this, this life we live in - Can't complain about the time we're given - With so little to be sure of in this world." 



Assassins
  • "Everybody's got the right to their dreams."



Company
  • "Everybody rise!  Rise!  Rise!  Rise!  Rise! Rise!  Rise!"
  • "But alone is alone, not alive."
  • "And that's what it's all about isn't it? Company!  Lots of company!  Life is company!  Love is company!  Company!"



Follies
  • "The things that I want, I don't seem to get, The things that I get...well, you know what I mean?"
  • "Sometimes when all the wrappings fall there's nothing underneath at all."



Gypsy
  • "Some people sit on their butts. Got the dream, yeah, but not the guts!”



Into the Woods

  • "Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor."
  • "I was taught to be charming not sincere."
  • "We disappoint. We Disappear. We die, but we don't."
  • "Isn't it nice to know a lot? And a little bit not."
  • "Someone is on your side, Someone else is not. While we're seeing our side maybe we forgot: they are not alone. No one is alone."
  • "Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell. Children will listen."


A Little Night Music
  • "I frequently laugh myself to sleep contemplating my own future."
  • "Isn't it rich? Are we a pair?"


Merrily We Roll Along
  • "Dreams don't die so keep an eye on your dreams."
  • "And a friendship's like a garden: you have to water it, and tend it, and care for it. And I want it back."
  • "Okay, so now you know, life is crummy."
  • "Some rides are rough and leave you jumpy, why make it tough by getting grumpy?"
  • "Success is like failure - It's how you perceive it, It's what you do with it, Not how you achieve it"
  • "You need a tune you can hum."




Passion
  • "Why is love so easy to give, and so hard to receive?"
  • "They hear drums. We hear music. Be my friend..."
  • "Just another love story, that's what they would claim. Another simple love story. Aren't all of them the same?"




Sunday in the Park with George
  • "The choice may have been mistaken, the choosing was not. You have to move on."
  • "We do not belong together, and we should have belonged together. What made it so right together is what made it all wrong."
  • "There are only two worthwhile things to leave behind when we depart this world of ours: children and art."


Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
  • "Don't you know, silly man, half the fun is to plan the plan?  All good things come to those who can...wait."
  • "We'll not discriminate great from small.  No, we'll serve anyone - meaning anyone - and to anyone at all!"
  • "Eat them slow, 'cos that's the lot and now we've sold it!  Come again tomorrow!  Hold it! ("More hot pies!") Bless my eyes! ("Right this way, Sir!") Fresh supplies!"
  • "Being close and being clever ain't like being true."
  • "No one can help, nothing can hide you -- isn't that Sweeney there beside you?"


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Jeff
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