| I think the Jay recording was revelatory, after listening I think I understood where Sondheim and Laurents wanted to be headed and that was towards theater of the absurd. The timing was right, many of the classic pieces (The Balcony, Rhinoceros) still showed up. Do I think they successfully got there? Yes and no. I had a grounding in the style working at The Charles Playhouse in Boston as a youth, circa 1963--1969, off and on, so I get it. I still don't really know if a theater of the absurd musical is likely to appeal to general audiences, except for Sondheim's unbelievable score. The Jay recording, at least for me is perfect in every way as a road map to this almost masterpiece. |
