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Richard W. Schoch

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How Sondheim Can Change Your Life Hardcover – November 19, 2024

by Richard Schoch (Author)

4.5 12 ratings

in Drama Literary Criticism

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Discover the powerful and universal lessons from the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, the genius behind such musical theater masterworks as Company, West Side Story, and Into the Woods.

Stephen Sondheim died on November 26, 2021, but for countless fans around the world, he is “still here,” to quote one of his lyrics. With acclaimed revivals of his landmark shows occurring around the world and introducing new generations to the man who transformed American musical theater, Sondheim’s legacy has only grown. What is it about such classic songs as “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy, “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music, and “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods that speaks to us so intimately and profoundly?

How Sondheim Can Change Your Life makes the case that Sondheim’s greatness—beyond the clever lyrics and adventurous music—rests in his ability to tell stories that relate to us all. From Louise’s desire for freedom as Gypsy Rose Lee to Sweeney Todd’s thirst for revenge, we as an audience relate easily to Sondheim’s characters. His works understand us as much as we understand them.

Following the arc of Sondheim’s career, How Sondheim Can Change Your Life is rich with stories about productions and iconic performers, deep readings of his music and lyrics, and insights into his creative process. But more than that, it reveals how Sondheim’s works can enrich our own lives.

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Incisive. . . heartwarming. . . . What a joy the author’s take on it all is. I was happy simply to be in Schoch’s company, wallowing in Sondheim trivia and enjoying a series of smart, close reads.”
—New York Times Book Review

“When it comes to musing on Sondheim, from the intellectual to the introspective, Schoch seems to know it all.”
—The Washington Post

“Even if you were not a Sondheim fan on page 1, there’s a good chance by mid-book you’ll be ordering tickets for the next Sondheim show in town.”
—Minnesota Star Tribune

“Fascinating and wise. . . . offers a fresh way to look at some great works, without ignoring Sondheim’s greatness as a lyricist and composer. Rather, Schoch often demonstrates the subtle brilliance with which Sondheim uses his words and music to illuminate character.”
—Jonathan Mandell, New York Theater

“Richard Schoch presents the complexity of Sondheim’s work with clarity and accessibility. Sondheim continues to change my life, and this book will help many readers, listeners, and theatergoers to understand a bit better how he does it.”
—Ben Brantley, chief theatre critic, New York Times, 1996-2017

About the Author

Richard Schoch is professor of drama at Queen’s University Belfast. He graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University and received his PhD from Stanford University. He has received fellowships from the Whiting Foundation, The Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Stanford Humanities Center. Before launching his academic career, Schoch directed plays in New York City and worked for the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books (November 19, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1668030594
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1668030592
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.38 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #11,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Drama Literary Criticism
- #6 in Musicals (Books)
- #218 in Motivational Self-Help (Books)

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4.5 12 ratings

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enubrius
How a Sondheim (or any other) Study Should Be written
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
As impressive as Schoch's pithy, pitch-perfect, and profound examinations of the major Sondheim musials are (and you can read about that in any of the other adoring, but spot-on reviews) what MOST impresses me is the feather light way in which he carries his knowledge
When was the last time YOU read a HIDDEN reference to William Saroyan for Christ's sake. Let alone one that just slips it in and passes on without comment!
If you have ANY interest in ANY aspect of American culture (hate that word on SO MANY levels) you must read this!

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Jim F.
Worthwhile (even for well-read Sondheim enthusiasts)
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
Very thoughtful and articulate musings on the deeper meanings, messages and themes of Sondheim's work. Structure of book, ie - one chapter per show, is very helpful. Rating four stars instead of five due to occasional passages that seem to cross the line from being astute to over-analytical.

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Dan Sherman
Excellent book with many insights regarding Sondheim, though best if you already know Sondheim
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2024
Although I was somewhat put off by the book's title, thinking it might be a self-help book, I'm happy to report it is one the best books I have read about appreciating Sondheim (and more broadly, the work of many great artists). Basically, the author (a theatre instructor) makes the point that Sondheim (and his book writers) work to expose and explore their feelings and thoughts - not always comfortable ones - in a way that can help us understand ourselves better.

The author makes this point through what could be seen as a set of case studies through 11 chapters that focus on individual shows that show how Sondheim explores the emotions of some of the characters in each (he skips Sat. Night, West Side Story, Forum, Waltz, and Road Show). The approach is very effective, especially in shows like "Follies" (where 4 main characters reflect on their past) and "Night Music" (where Desiree and her mother reflect on their lives, especially Desiree in "Send in the Clowns" - very well discussed.)

In addition to the discussion of individual shows, the book has several threads that show up in most chapters. There is a general background on Sondheim (starting with the book's introduction), a discussion of how he worked with his collaborators in different shows, and some discussion (not excessive) of how the author encountered specific shows and reacted to them. The challenge the book raises is the reader to really engage with the characters Sondheim and his collaborators gave us and think about our own lives.

There really is a lot we can learn from Sondheim (and he helped us with extensive interviews and 2 well-annotated books of lyrics), and the book gives us a lot of well-chosen examples. There are of course many more, which to me is what makes Sondheim classic - you can keep going back to his work.

I liked the book a lot in that it had many insights, both about Sondheim and his characters. One warning, though, is that you have to know plays pretty well to really appreciate the book - there are bits of plot summaries, but the book is mostly references to the plays, oftentimes pulling in short bits of dialog and lyrics.

I recommend the book highly, especially to lovers of Sondheim and those who want to learn more about him. I'm already going back to cast albums and collections and enjoying them more, and I will go ahead and appreciate Sondheim and other theatre greats more.

Five stars!

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I. Smith
Fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2024
It wasn’t until I met my wife that I became familiar with the works of Stephen Sondheim. Prior to us meeting, all I knew of him was that he wrote the lyrics to West Side Story and Gypsy. But it wasn’t until Sweeney Todd that I fell head over heels for his shows.

So it’s this background that lead me to read How Sondheim Can Change Your Life, a discussion of eleven Sondheim shows and the life lessons they can potentially teach us. As a huge fan of West Side Story, I was disappointed that the show wasn’t included, though Mr. Schoch does explain his reasoning. The author, depending on which production is being discussed, either takes a broad overview, or can get laser focused on a topic, such as his really fascinating discussion of Send In The Clowns from A Little Night Music. For the most part, I discovered many really interesting insights. For this reader, however, there was also material that was just a bit too philosophical for me, though, fortunately, this wasn’t a common occurrence.

I’m not sure how appropriate this wonderful book would be for the casual Sondheim fan, but it truly is a great addition to the literature about one of America’s finest Broadway composers.

I received an ARC of the book, and am submitting this review voluntarily.

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William Demaree
Learning to Move On
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024
As a Sondheim fan (I've seen everything but Do I Hear a Waltz and Here We Are), I expected to like this book. I didn't expect it to be so moving. True, I have wept openly at many Sondheim performances: the first act finale of Sunday in the Park, "Being Alive" in Company, "Send in the Clowns" in Night Music. Schoch's gift in this book is to explain WHY I blubber during these scenes. In a skillful blend of analysis and personal anecdote, Schocht defines the emotional and spiritual significance of each major Sondheim musical. Reading the book was, for me, like a journey through a family album, reminding me of how Sondheim's musicals have helped me through emotional times. How the last line of Sunday ("So many possibilities.") helped crystalize my decision to leave a well-paying but soul-killing job in Texas, for instance. Schoch battles many prejudices here: musicals are "just entertainment." Sondheim is too cerebral. He proves each of these false. For Sondheim fans, Schoch is preaching to the choir. I hope that some folks who've never been Sondheim fans will also read this book. It may just prove to be revelatory.

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Musicbeater
A very important addition to the Sondheim canon
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2024
This is a very important book about the work of Stephen Sondheim and it's affect on us as theatre geeks and Sondheim fans. A must-read.

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Maisie
What a joy of a book!!! Sondheim fans - you’re in for a treat.
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2024
If you love Sondheim and miss him as much as I do, then this is the book for you. Such a pleasure to read and learn new things about a person and these amazing shows when I thought I knew everything already. Highly recommend.

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