This is an incredible book and one that I suggest to every theater fan. I will be buying this for friends for sure. Anyone who is a musical theater and sondhein fan will love the stories, music, and advice.

Someone wise once told me that great art can be defined by the fact that you can continue to gain insights each time we encounter it. If that’s the case, then Stephen Sondheim can be considered one of the greatest artists who ever lived. I have listened to, studied, sung, taught, and watched Sondheim since I was in college at the height of his theatrical output (the first Sondheim musical I ever saw was Follies, on Broadway when I was a freshman in college). I thought I had delved pretty deeply into Sondheim, but Richard Schoch’s deep dive into Sondheim’s works opened up new worlds for me. I learned, for example, that the grand aria “My Friends” from Sweeney Todd was sung in 3/4 but to an accompaniment in 7/8, making an eerie mismatch. Nor did I fully internalize all of the times Sondheim used non=traditional constructions: Merrily We Roll Along is told from present to past; Sunday in the Park with George’s second act takes place 100 years later and is an entirely different story. Even Into the Woods, arguably Sondheim’s most performed musical, has much more to learn than at first meets the eye.

I also appreciated Schoch’s personal reflections on his Sondheim journey as well. One of the best thing about Sondheim is his ability to tap into universal emotion. As it did with Schoch’s, it did with me.

I loved loved loved this book, a worthy entry into the Sondheim universe. Thank you so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for offering me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a huge fan of Sondheim, I was so excited about this book, and it did not disappoint. I learned so much about Sondheim, his musicals, and life in general. I loved how the book was organized by musical in alphabetical order. I also thought the author’s passion and musicals and Sondheim in particular were really apparent. I found the book to be insightful, heartfelt, and inspiring. I would absolutely recommend this book.