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re: This may be a revisionist view of history

Posted by:	pierce 03:35 am EDT 04/04/14
In reply to:	re: This may be a revisionist view of history - Zelgo 10:36 am EDT 04/03/14

Nonetheless, it was a perception that dogged Sondheim in both the 60s and 70s (George Abbott felt his original opening song for Forum wasn't "hummable" enough). The 1973 Newsweek cover story on Sondheim addressed this nonsensical claim and presented more than enough evidence to disprove it. But that didn't stop certain people from repeating it. Even Sondheim makes reference to it in Merrily We Roll Along (about midway through "Opening Doors"). I don't think Herman meant to be malicious, but his comment was a thoughtless one; I wish he'd taken a moment to THINK before speaking. A simple "Thank you" and/or "I'm honored" would have been sufficient. Instead, he talked about a "rumor" that the "simple, hummable show tune was no longer welcome on Broadway." I didn't know what he was talking about, as this was the first time I'd ever heard of such a "rumor." And then he said: "Well, it's alive and well at the Palace!" (where La Cage was playing). I don't know what he meant by the word "simple," but at the time many were wondering if he was saying that audiences wouldn't find "hummable" music in the theaters where shows by Sondheim, John Kander and David Shire were playing. Like I said, if he'd given his acceptance speech some thought, there wouldn't have been a controversy - and we wouldn't be discussing it today.

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