Maybe replaced wasn't the best word. But they took a solo moment examining Ben's psyche and now it's a duet exploring the relationship between Ben and Phylis. The songs occur in a pretty similar spot in the chronology of the evening.
As far as House sounding like 1980’s Sondheim, it totally does. There is a word, which you might know, that I read in one of the Sondheim music analysis books—maybe Banfield. It’s a style of composing where he sort of just moves around the notes as opposed to having a more traditional melody. This is the style in which Country House is written, and used heavily in Sunday, Woods, Assassins, and Passion. What Can You Lose? Is also in this style. I wish I could remember the word, it’s bothered me for years!!! Argh. The other Follies songs, even the non-pastiche book songs, aren’t in this style. |
