Stephen Sondheim Quotes

When you trance out properly, when you're completely in that world, there is no other world, so there's no conflict.

If I cannot fly, let me sing.

I like songs that are part of a dramatic texture, and therefore I like the scenes to be active. I wanna follow the story and that means you lean on the actors.

So many good songs get written fast, because you know exactly what has to work.

Only capitalists get photographers.

I firmly believe lyrics have to breathe and give the audience's ear a chance to understand what's going on. Particularly in the theater, where you have costume, story, acting, orchestra.

Every day a little death.

When I listen to my work, I think, what's so inflammatory about it? It's not really that dissonant. A lot of people who used to hate my stuff have come round to it.

I love computers. I love writing on them. I love gadgetry. The thing is: I am a slow reader. So, if I am going to get my work done, I read, like, a newspaper and that's it. If I got into websites and the internet, I wouldn't get any work done.

All the best performers bring to their role something more, something different than what the author put on paper. That's what makes theatre live. That's why it persists.

There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and the vermin of the world inhabit it and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit and it goes by the name of London. At the top of the hole sit the privileged few Making mock of the vermin in the lonely zoo turning beauty to filth and greed... I too have sailed the world and seen its wonders, for the cruelty of men is as wonderous as Peru but there's no place like London!

Nice is different than good.

You can't have personal investors anymore because it's too expensive, so you have to have corporate investment or a lot of rich people.

I do not hope for what I cannot have! I do not cling to things I cannot keep!