Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night. Tonight there will be no morning star.
Stephen SondheimRead
Careful the spell you cast, not just on children. Sometimes the spell may last Past what you can see And turn against you... Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell.
Interpretation
Be mindful of the words and influences you share, as they can have lasting effects beyond your immediate perception.
This quote by Stephen Sondheim emphasizes the importance of the narratives we create and the impact of our words, particularly on impressionable minds. It serves as a reminder that what we communicate can resonate beyond our control, potentially shaping the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors of others in unforeseen ways, making it crucial to approach storytelling and expression with care and responsibility.
In practice
In a workshop about effective communication, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of thoughtful language.
Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night. Tonight there will be no morning star.
After the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution, songs became part of the story, as opposed to just entertainments in between comedy scenes.
Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.
Let Pirelli's / Miracle Elixir / Activate your roots, sir... Keep it off your boots, sir- / Eats right through. Yes, get Pirelli's! / Use a bottle of it! / Ladies seem to love it... Flies do, too!
Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.
Swing your razor wide! Sweeney, hold it to the skies!
People often remark that I'm pretty lucky. Luck is only important in so far as getting the chance to sell yourself at the right moment. After that, you've got to have talent and know how to use it.
We do not ignore maturity. Maturity consists in not losing the past while fully living in the present with a prudent awareness of the possibilities of the future.
Money without brains is always dangerous.
... as a slow-witted human being I have a very small head and I had better learn to live with it and to respect my limitations and give them full credit, rather than to try to ignore them, for the latter vain effort will be punished by failure.
No man is so foolish but he may sometimes give another good counsel, and no man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other counsel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.
It's true that no policy fully survives first contact. But if you don't spend time anticipating the shots you are likely to take, you wind up flailing about wildly.
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