Top 69 Quotes by Stephen Sondheim

When the song is part of the action and working as dialogue, even two minutes is way too long.

I don't listen to recordings of my songs. I don't avoid it, I just don't go out of my way to do it.

I don't find my life that interesting. The shows, maybe. But not me.

When I'm writing a song, I try to be the character.

On stage, generally speaking, the story is stopped or held back by songs, because that's the convention. Audiences enjoy the song and the singer, that's the point.

When you know your cast well and their strengths and weaknesses, you can start writing for them, just the way Shakespeare wrote for his actors.

The dumbing down of the country reflects itself on Broadway. The shows get dumber, and the public gets used to them.

I think 'lunch' is one of the funniest words in the world.

Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.

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.