On Sondheim: An Opinionated Guide

tephen Sondheim's Company appeared in 1970, and the American musical theatre has never been the same. The adventures of a bachelor and his married friends, Company exploded the musical's traditional business model of romantic tales with a beginning, middle, and end (in that order) and neatly packaged songs. In Sondheim's shows, the music flows in and out of the stories, often completely taking over, and romance may be overshadowed by doubt.Moreover, Follies (1971) skips the beginning, Sunday in the Park With George (1984) lacks a middle, and Merrily We Roll Along (1981) has an end, a middle, and a beginning in that order. As Ethan Mordden explains it,

by : Ethan Mordden