Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night. Tonight there will be no morning star.
Stephen SondheimRead
Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Musical comedies require multiple drafts and revisions before they achieve their final form.
Stephen Sondheim highlights the iterative nature of creating musical comedies, emphasizing that they often undergo extensive rewrites to hone their storytelling, dialogue, and music. This process reflects the idea that great art is rarely created in a single attempt and that revision is essential for quality and depth.
Themes
MusicalsRewritingArtCreativityTheater
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on musical theater, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of feedback and revision.
More from Stephen Sondheim
All quotes βAfter the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution, songs became part of the story, as opposed to just entertainments in between comedy scenes.
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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!
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Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.
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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.
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Swing your razor wide! Sweeney, hold it to the skies!
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