It boasts an amazing and incredible score, fantastic choreography and brilliant cinematography.
In the course of my career, I've had the great good luck to work with each of WSS's creators in different capacities. Let me share an observation about the show's lyricist, Stephen Sondheim.
He was a young composer/lyricist who wanted to be the youngest writer to have their show produced on Broadway. When he was invited to join the creative team for WEST SIDE STORY, he almost passed but his agent, the late but great Flora Roberts (a legend in her own right) convinced him to take the gig. The Broadway show was modestly successful but when the film was released a few years later, it became a classic.
Sondheim didn't really want to write just the lyrics for his next project but Ethel Merman wanted a known composer for GYPSY and she got the awesome tunesmith, Julie Styne. That show was a hit from the get-go.
Finally, Sondheim got to write both music and lyrics for his third show, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. Another hit!
So, his first 3 Broadway shows were all hits, all became films and each one is among the greatest shows ever produced. Had he quit at that point, he would have been a successful and historic writer. But then he wrote ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, the lyrics (again!) for DO I HEAR A WALTZ?, COMPANY (Tony Award), FOLLIES (Tony Award), A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (Tony Award), THE FROGS, PACIFIC OVERTURES, SWEENEY TODD, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (Pulitzer Prize), INTO THE WOODS, PASSION and ROADSHOW. He also wrote the score or songs for DICK TRACY (Academy Award), STAVISKY and the screenplay for THE LAST OF SHEILA.
If you're at all interested in digging inside the brain of this genius, I highly recommend his two-volume collection of lyrics, "Finishing The Hat" and "Look, I Made A Hat." The margin notes accompanying the lyrics are brilliant, insightful and quite entertaining!
Let's talk about Leonard Bernstein another time. Meanwhile, enjoy the film!
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