Quotes by Stephen Sondheim

Over a period of time its been driven home to me that Im not going to be the most popular writer in the world so Im always happy when anything in any way is accepted.

Im interested in the theater because Im interested in communication with audiences. Otherwise I would be in concert music.

One of the hardest things about writing lyrics is to make the lyrics sit on the music in such a way that youre not aware there was a writer there.

Im very opinionated about movie musicals when theyre adapted from live shows. Youll sit still for a three-minute song in a theater. But in movies, a glance from someones eyes will tell you the whole story in a few seconds.

Musicals are, by nature, theatrical, meaning poetic, meaning having to move the audiences imagination and create a suspension of disbelief, by which I mean theres no fourth wall.

Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.

“Music straightjackets a poem and prevents it from breathing on its own, whereas it liberates a lyric. Poetry doesnt need music; lyrics do.”

“One difference between poetry and lyrics is that lyrics sort of fade into the background. They fade on the page and live on the stage when set to music.”