Isn’t it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground
Send in the clowns
Isn’t it bliss?
Don’t you approve?
One who keeps tearing around
One who can’t move
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns
Just when I stopped
Opening doors
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours
Making my entrance again with my usual flair
Sure of my lines
No one is there
Don’t you love a farce?
My fault, I fear
I thought that you’d want what I want
Sorry my dear
But where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns
Don’t bother
They’re here
Isn’t it rich?
Isn’t it queer?
Losing my timing this late
In my career
Where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns
Well, maybe next year
STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Any of us who have passed through a tumultuous relationship has had moments like this. Send in the Clowns, most eloquently captures the true essence of a relationship out of balance. It will probably be the song Stephen will be most remembered for, but I would share that there are many wonderful songs that he wrote that might compete for that crowning achievement, if voted from an audience fully familiar with his work.
Stephen Sondheim was truly one of America’s greatest songwriters ever. He passed away at 91 years old over the holiday and it was important to me to take a moment to acknowledge him in my musing.
A writer believes that with proper thought and inspiration, they can bring anything of quality and value to life. I would agree that that is mostly true, the operational words would be quality or value? Writing is easy, you just put words together that express something you are thinking and that becomes the writing process. But when you are writing libretto for a Broadway musical, it is an entirely different beast. Not only is there music, complete with melody and harmony and rhythm, but there is also a precision to making a concise point in a song with so few words to get that message across. Then there is the cadence and rhyme component.
A couple decades ago, I had an aspiration to write such a libretto and it was the work of Stephen Sondheim that gave me courage to try. I got through about 12 songs before I convinced myself that I needed more tutoring before I could take on such a project. But I learned so much from trying it, and became that much more impressed with how his writing could say so much, with so little. There is truly a magic to brevity.
My favorite Stephen Sondheim musical is Sweeney Todd. It breaks all form and turns the musical into a much more rich form of viewing experience. He was incredibly adept at story, character, and his libretto was nothing short of true genius. I invite you to watch a track from Sweeney Todd…Try the priest. If you understand the story of the opera (Sweeny Todd has become the demon barber of Fleet Street, and is wrestling with what to do with the bodies after he has offed them in his barber’s chair… Mrs. Lovett hatches an idea for what could be done with the bodies using her pie shop, downstairs below Sweeny’s Barber Shop.
Happy Saturday and here’s to you, Stephen Sondheim, thank you for bringing so many moments of true joy to my life!
Brian Weiner 