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Rating: 
Summary: "INTO THE WORDS"
Review: Being but another worshipper at the alter of Stephen Sondheim, I was eager to read anything about him which went beyond your typical stage review.This book was given to me as a gift and I eagerly opened it hoping to find hidden treasure about Sondheim and his work. The book was not quite what I expected and at the same time EXACTLY what I expected. What Goodhart promises in the introduction, he delivers - a serious delving into the works of Sondheim, treating his musicals as literature. What I didn't expect was just how thoroughly the writers (Goodhart employs several essayists) would analyze character and plot. One essay that comes to mind is one written on "Sweeney Todd." I really thought I knew as much as there was to know about this masterwork - WRONG. The essayist gives great detail into the psychological make-up of these characters...much more information that a layman or actor like myself can begin to understand. At times the analysis was clinical I had to back up and re-read the passage to get a grasp on what was being explored. I've decided that the book will provide a wonderful reference to keep on my shelf for my own work on Sondheim musicals, but for simple pleasure reading, this book may not be appropriate unless you have your PHD.
Rating: 
Summary: not really worth getting
Review: not bad, but not as entertaining as sondheim: a casebook. some of the analyses were quite obtuse (e.g. the lacanian analysis of sweeney todd and the argument that passion is about sondheim's relationship with his mother). i thought one of the more interesting essays was the first one about passion, but there weren't many others that were particularly relevant or insightful.
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