I actually liked Lady Gaga’s performance at the Oscars this year. She did a musical tribute for the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music. You could tell that Gaga took it seriously, that she practiced and rehearsed and wanted to get it right. She seemed nervous at first, but she hit all the notes and sounded really good… to me. Shonda Rimes disagreed, and Shonda publicly dissed Gaga on Twitter. But Julie Andrews thought Gaga was wonderful, and if Julie says it’s cool, then it’s cool. But now Stephen Sondheim is chiming in, because I guess we needed to know what he thought of Gaga’s performance? Sure. Well, it sounds like Sondheim just hates Gaga in general.
Lady Gaga’s Sound of Music tribute at the Oscars was not one of Stephen Sondheim’s favorite things. The legendary composer — who’s known for musicals including Into the Woods, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, and Company, among others — told the UK’s Times of London recently that he thought the performance was “ridiculous,” and not in a good way.
Sondheim’s partner, Jeff Romley, who is 36 years old to his 84, “would crawl a mile to see” Gaga, he shared with the paper. But the eight-time Tony winner is more difficult to impress.
“On the Academy Awards she was a travesty,” he said. “It was ridiculous, as it would be from any singer who treats that music in semi-operatic style. She had no relationship to what she was singing. What people liked was her versatility.”
I had to watch the video of Gaga’s performance again (go here to see) because I feel like I’m hallucinating. Nope… Gaga sounded really good. Truly. Did she sound as good as Julie Andrews in the original film soundtrack? No, she didn’t. But that’s a really high bar to set, you know? Gaga sounded better than the overwhelming majority of professional singers attempting that medley. I could see having some quibble about her relationship to the music, or her lyrical interpretation, but Gaga was not a “travesty” by any stretch of the imagination. God, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Team Gaga. Sondheim sounds like such a crotchety jackass here. Oh, and an 84 year old dude has a 36-year-old lover? Yeah, THAT is the travesty.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Who asked you, old meanie who made me sit through Sweeney Todd so bored I was about to cry? Now THAT was a travesty. Gaga gets on my last nerve, but why say something so nasty? Mean people suck.
How long ago was this show? Talk about a delayed reaction.
Weird, right?
He should go on a, ‘Why Gaga was a travesty @ the Oscars’ tour. He could team up with Kathy Griffin. I’m not sure who would be the warm-up act. I’m guessing Sondheim, so he could still hit the earlybird special dinner and get to bed by 9.
Watched “Sweeney Todd” recently on DVD – and I too found it boring. Very, very boring, without thrill and with forgettable music. *örks*
You’re not talking about the Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street movie right?
There is difference from the movie and the work he created…idocracy is alive well! Sad…hahah
The movie was a travesty. But the stage play is AMAZING.
I saw in on Broadway, but it was a long time ago. I can’t explain why I hated it so much. Maybe it’s better now.
The one with Angela Lansbury? At least that’s the one I saw and I enjoyed the heck out of it.
Yes, that one. I know it was very well liked. I just didn’t like the music or the story. I was bored. But I’m not somebody that loves everything on Broadway. I’ve seen a lot of shows that bored me slightly or a lot. Maybe it’s just not my thing.
Whoa, Sweeney Todd is my absolute favorite movie ever and I’m not ashamed to say that I know it by heart – with dialogues and songs and all that. Together with the two Eds, it ranks among Tim Burton’s best work. Also, it’s Johnny’s finest performance, probably matched only by his turn in the underrated “The Libertine”. It managed to create a claustrophobic feel, which, ironically, is in contradiction with how the character claimed to be feeling – free at last. He escapes from a prison, just to end up in a another, albeit different, one. A prison of his mind consumed by the desire for vengeance. His love for his daughter is heartbreaking – he wants to see her, because she is a piece of him and he wants/hopes that she looks just like her mother. But on the other hand, he is afraid she might look just like her and open up old wounds.
I felt they hit the right notes with the translation to the big screen, because they were clever enough to realize that a minimalist approach was more appropriate, instead of going for the Broadway grandeur. The voices fit the medium and it was very well welcomed that they preferred actors trying to sing, instead of singers trying to act.
The songs are the story, they are a lyrical beauty. Especially “A Little Priest”, which revolves around the double entendres. Yeah, it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but I loved it.
I didn’t watch the oscars, and I hadn’t heard this–thanks for the link. What on earth is Sondheim talking about? What was he hearing I thought she was great!
I thought she was great too – I don’t get this!
Gaga knocked it out of the box during the Oscars. Her vocal range and tone was awesome.
Anyone throwing shade on that performance sucks and is jealous. My new hope for GaGa is that she will return to her piano solos and more natural vocals, ballads and songs.
Like it or not, GaGa can sing, write and play piano like a MOFO. Also, when she stops dressing like a Goth/freak/alien from another planet– she looks elegant and sexy! Her ArtPop Album/Phase aside— GaGa is amazing and here to stay.
TEAMGAGA
Sondheim is an adopted member of Oscar Hammerstein’s family, and like Hammerstein’s daughters and grandchildren, is super-protective of all his works (the Sound of Music was Hammerstein’s last musical before he died). This was an emotional reaction.
Personally, I think Mary Martin’s original version was a hash job (she wasn’t a great singer but closely associated with Rodgers & Hammerstein). Julie Andrews is the only one who did it any justice. Still, nothing in the American musical comedy canon is inviolate, and Gaga’s versions of the songs were better than a lot of other people’s.
I feel like his specific comment about her “not feeling connected” to it was sooooo far off!
She starts off singing about the literal “sound of music”, how it fills her heart. Honestly, when I was watching I really BELIEVED that Gaga loves music with all of her heart and that these songs fill her with joy. I thought the strength of her performance was that she connected to the songs and also with the audience and shared their nostalgia and good feelings for these songs.
Gaga’s not trained to sing theatrical music, so the songs really weren’t right for her. And it’s good she isn’t because people trained to sing theatrical music tend to suck when they try to switch to pop. She did very well but I can see how someone who’s mainly into that kind of music would prefer someone with the proper training to sing it. However, I don’t think most people who watched the Oscars really cared.
Actually, that isn’t true–she’s had a broad range of training, and even brushed up with over two months of vocal training every day specific to the Oscars appearance. Actual theatrical singers thought she did great, Sondheim is, er, Sondheim. After all, it’s not like he wrote it.
Yeah, not a GaGa fan, but she sang beautifully
I liked her performance, but she did have some weird affectations on some of the words when she was singing that were kind of annoying and made it seem like she was acting instead of feeling the music. Maybe that’s what he’s talking about. IDK.
Yeah, it sounded like an impersonation. She still has a great voice though.
‘No relationship to the music.’ Yeah, I can see that. But still. Grumpy old man indeed. If Julie could be gracious, than so should everyone else.
I kind of agree with Sondheim – her performance was very stiff and rehearsed. Yes, she sounded good. I think people were just surprised that she had that voice, which… you haven’t been paying much attention if that surprised you.
He knows what he’s talking about!
People tend to think anyone who uses lots of gimmicks can’t sing because they think the gimmicks are used to distract from a lack of talent. That’s why I think many people were surprised she could sing. But lots of very respected artists used gimmicks.
She has said it was meant to be a tribute to Julie Andrews and her interpretation of the songs in the movie. She sang in the same key as Julie and did her accent as well.
Stephen Sondheim, do you know what is the real travesty and ridiculous…the fact that you think your opinion still matters.
P.S. Loved Gaga’s performance, was never a fan of her work but she sure can sing!!
Sondheim will always be brilliant in my book. I’m one who liked the way Gaga sang it (and was surprised as I’d never heard her sing before), but I can also see something to what he said. There was still an artifice to Gaga’s interpretation. Maybe if she wasn’t afraid of falling over in whatever heels she was wearing (I remember watching it and thinking oh lord she’s gonna tip over!) and being hampered by the restricted mobility of her costume, she could have inhabited the song in her body as well. I think that is the quality he is talking about when he says she has “no relationship to the music.”
^this. He means that she didn’t act the song. She just sang it. Musical theatre isn’t just about technically singing the song well. It’s acting.
While I thought she sang it well, he is kinda right. She did not perform it as a piece of theater. And being THE musical theatre guy, he’s going to have some bones to pick. He writes very complex books, both musically and emotionally. He expects people to stretch themselves, not just sing pretty.
You know what is a true travesty, when people like you dismiss those who have working knowledge of their craft. He has been in the business for years and knows what he is talking about. But socitey today and people like you, have no respect for
those who came before. You and many other are easily fooled by the idolization of rubbish and the disposable acts and gimmicks like lady caca…who by the way wa lipsyncing.
Grumpy old man yells at clouds.
+1
Lol! Perfectly described, CR.
lol! He is the living definition of “GET OFF MY LAWN you young whippersnappers! Wait….except for YOU 36 year old boy toy. You can mow mine…without a shirt…and NO SINGING!”….. FFS!!
Is there something in the March winds.. because this month it seems everyone is talking and talking and talking..
I swear someone unleashed the Mouth Beast.. Who will be next and what will they say.
Beware the ides of March.
It’s been a seriously. long. winter.
Truly.
He’s totally correct. She was completely wrong for the part. She could’ve pulled off a musical role more suited to her, such as a character from cabaret or Chicago, but she was not convincing at all in the youthful fresh ingenue role of Maria.
She wasn’t playing an ingenue nor was she giving a Broadway performance!!!!
Here is a revolutionary thought, songs can be staged differently from their original setting.
He didn’t like it. You didn’t like it. But it’s not a ‘travesty’.
I agree, cr. Eric Garner being murdered over selling cigarettes is a travesty. Singing a song in a way you don’t care for – is not a big deal.
Uhhhhh… she was singing a musical medley, not acting in a show. You know, like when someone takes the American songbook and sings it to jazz? Like that.
Yeah, those are my thoughts exactly. This was not a staging of the musical! It was a performance of the music.
I sort of get what he (and you?) is saying- technically it was good, no errors noteable to the average ear like mine, but there was something… IDK…stuffy? Stilted? I almost expected an old-fashioned recitation hand clasp. Not sure. I think Gaga is an extremely talented vocalist, but I just think no one can compare to the iconic Ms. Andrews in one of her best- known and forever loved musicals/roles.
As far as Ms. Andrews thinking it was “fine”, who knows what she really thought. That doesn’t matter, though, because she is a thoroughly gracious performer, one many in show biz should strive to emulate.
ITA-she did a pretty OK job, but I wouldn’t call it stupendous. It seems like it was a bigger deal more because it was Lady Gaga, not because of the outstanding quality of the performance, IMHO a well seasoned Broadway performer would have done a better job from a purely technical perspective. Julie Andrews is/was being incredibly gracious & class, most stars should follow her example.
He really is on a grump campaign- didn’t he also try to diss the Disney adaptation of Into the Woods? Of course, he backtracked pretty fast. And a 34/6 year old “partner”?- right.
Well on that I can agree with him, the Disney adaption sucked to me.
They did change the entire second act, soooooo…..
I thought she did really well. He seems to have had other expectations of it and since it wasn’t exactly what he would’ve done he’s declaring it a travesty? That’s not really fair to her.
Also 36 and 84? Yikes.
84 vs 36??!!!! Jeesh!!
Ew.
Soooo ew.
Gross. Boyfriend has crawled a mile to hook up with an 84 year old.
A “Broadway performance” should still reflect the character you are portraying in the song. In addition the singing style was wrong–a cross between operatic and smoky/sultry. It was still a good performance but not by the kind of standards that Broadway stars are held to.
But she wasn’t singing for a Broadway audience, nor is she a Broadway star. Different performer, different audience, different expectations.
She was singing a medley of songs from a show. Yes, you should strike the right emotional chord in the performance, but it’s a more restrained standard than that of actually performing the character in the show. It’s more subdued and interpretive in nature. It’s like the difference between a dramatic book reading and the book being turned into a movie. Two different things. Was she perfect? No, but she surprised everyone and pulled it off with Julie Andrews’ blessing, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
if I were giving her a Julie Andrews number to perform it would likely be from Victor Victoria. However it was Sound of Musics 50 year tribute so I guess this made sense on that level.
Hi, Pinky. I’m Team Sondheim. What are you?
God help me for defending Gaga, but this was not a Broadway performance. This was a musical montage at the Academy Awards. It was not a travesty. The one party that I will agree with Sondheim about is that I do think that at least half of the acclaim for Gaga’s performance is that we didn’t expect it from her at all. That speaks to surprise at her versatility, which is what he said. But yeah – travesty it was not. But it was also not musical theatre. It was simply a musical number.
He is rude and nasty to call her performance a travesty but I thought it was very karaoke. I feel like we were all just relieved she didn’t perform it in assless liederhosen and overcompensated with the praise.
lol
You know, there’s a lot of truth in that. Lol
I just want to share that I burst out laughing (much to my embarrassment) at the assless leiderhosen comment!
nsfw methinks 🙂
LOL! You’re probably right.
I think it’s fine if he didn’t like it and wants to offer some criticism, but he and Shondra both acted like she punched Julie in the face before singing it.
Omigosh the imagery that brings to mind. I hollered.
Old man purist is pissed off and being a purist. The best thing that happened in the last 2 years is Gaga stopped being flavour of the five year mark of a pop star. Old man please stop trying to bring her back by being unkind and ungracious, making all of us even non fans like me feel protective towards her by being openly unkind instead of just, wry?.
I didn’t love her performance – it was ok, every note was sung as it was supposed to be, but somehow it lacked that special something. Saying that, I think people like Sondheim or Rhimes are way too extreme in their judgment. Everyone has a right to their opinion but they are stating theirs as it was the one and only and everyone who thinks otherwise is a deaf moron. It’s a sign of a Kanye level of inflated ego. What happened to simple – I didn’t like it, full stop, instead of going on rants about the awfulness of something as harmless as that tribute? It’s not like she came on stage dressed as a slutty Alpine flower or tried to sing those songs while swinging on a butcher’s hook, dressed in dirndl with cuts in the strategic places. She tried to be respectful and she delivered.
Exactly. There are plenty of opinions and legitimate critiques. I thought it lovely, but it did seem like a bit of an impersonation. But to call it a ridiculous travesty is so DRAMATIC.
Seriously. He’s entitled to his opinion on the performance, but the term “travesty”is a bit much. It’s not as if anyone got hurt because of that performance.
+1. Maybe he and Shonda Rhimes can go toss smelling salts on each other about the OH MY GOD I CAN’T EVEN of it all.
Well said. I’m a Gaga fan, but I know nothing about TSOM… I watched the performance and said “aw, that was sweet of her. ” She did a low-key, normally good job. If she would have tried for spectacular, and failed, she would’ve been ripped to shreds, because people love those songs dearly, from what I gather. I thought she was respectful also.
I am a huge Sondheim fan; I’ve seen many of his musicals more than once and have lots of his music downloaded. But he just sounded like an old crank here. Gaga did what she was supposed to do, pay homage to a movie’s songs at the Oscars, and she did that nicely.
I was stunned to read about Sondheim’s 36 year old boyfriend. No wonder he’s cranky.
I thought she was wonderful, and honestly was surprised by the talent she has.
Heavens to Murgatroyd! Mr. Sondheim, you are dating someone young enough to be your grandson. Deal with that travesty… Lady Gaga not singing to your liking does not a travesty make.
In the words of another great composer/songwriter … “haters gonna hate” 😉
Eh, Gaga was great.
“Travesty” is far, far too strong a word but his point about Gaga having no relationship to what she was singing was right and so was his point that the main reason people responded positively was the surprise versatility factor. She hit the notes (most of them, anyway) but she was showboating instead of interpreting the lyrics. I was a little surprised why more people didn’t call her out on how affected and disconnected she sounded.
But Sondheim sounding like an ungracious grump isn’t going to win people over to the point he’s trying to make. Sure, Gaga got overpraised but overcompensating for that by attacking her doesn’t help. And, maybe it would’ve been OK to just let people be happy for Gaga having a nice moment since she’d spent so much time in the tabloid fire.
You said it all better than me.
Yes, showboating is correct.
His comment made me think about what Idina Menzel said about singing Frozen live, in that what she’d learned about these performances as a Broadway singer is that hitting all the notes perfectly was meaningless if you weren’t carrying the audience with your emotion and making them feel the changes in that emotion.
I think what someone said up thread was correct. Gaga didn’t perform in assless chaps so the public is heaping praise on her.
Preach!
I wouldn’t say “travesty,” but I only lasted around two minutes before I had to turn her off because I didn’t think she sounded good at all. I do appreciate the fact that she was stretching herself out of her comfort zone; it just wasn’t to my taste.
Gaga’s performance, and her respect for the music, for Julie Andrews and for her audience was just brilliant. Less so, Sondheim.
Eh, I can understand where he is coming from. She was a little over the top but she did sound good. I think we are use to seeing her a certain way that when she attempts anything “normal” or tries to be “normal” it comes off as something else.
Sour old man.
I can see where’s he coming from with the semi-operatic style but I think Gaga performance was really good and there was no need to call it a “travesty”. That said I totally agree that people were totally impressed by her versatility. A lot of people don’t know that Gaga is a classicaly trained singer who can actually sing.
Perhaps old dude needs to adjust his hearing aid….
What an oaf. And Shonda Rhimes dissing Gaga? Well someone is a little full of herself. How totally rude. Who cares what she thinks about musical theater anyway? I taught voice in college for years and I thought Gaga was fantastic. She wasn’t playing a part, she was singing a medley.
I think it’s personal for him. Oscar Hammerstein was Sondheim’s mentor and was like a father to him, (TSoM was also the last project Rodgers and Hammerstein completed before his death). So it matters a great deal and it made no difference to him that she was singing a tribute medley to the movie. The interpretation and execution of the songs are important http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/printmember/son0int-1 For him it’s part of the genius of their music. So I understand why he is harsh and strict in his criteria for those songs. If Sondheim thought it was all wrong, then it was a travesty in the annotative definition of the word. (A burlesque and a poor imitation? A distorted representation of something? That’s literally what he is saying. That her styling was incorrect, lacking an understanding of, and disconnected from the material. Which is horrible and I guess utterly pointless and offensive to him.) Sondheim has said much harsher things about his own work. If you think his desire for purity is unfair or his standards are too high, then ok. But he was not getting personal or insulting her, beyond critiquing her performance. (And he was nowhere near as rude to her as some are being towards him.) So in spite of Dame Andrews’ enthusiasm I too didn’t like LG’s interpretation or presentation. I didn’t like her phrasing, her mannerisms (stop with the dress, the hands, and the mugging), and I just thought it was affected and corny. I didn’t imagine it would receive so much praise, but I didn’t hate it. I’ve never hated her. And I don’t think he does either. But I don’t care that she hit her notes. She’s an impressive singer and wonderfully versatile. I was just looking for different things. That seems to be the gist. People having their minds blown mainly because a pop singer can actually sing. And they’ve never seen Gaga in that mode, so bonus points. But who are the “majority of professional singers”? Because something tells me Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Sierra Boggess, Jessie Mueller, Anne Runolfsson, and hundreds of other performers out there probably wouldn’t have stunk up the place. I think the bar is set too low to start with.
All of this. Gaga can sing but has turned people off with her theatrics in the past. People were terrified of what was going to happen when she hit that stage and when she just stood there and sang everyone was so relieved and enjoyed her singing.
But…it just didn’t quite work for what she was singing to me.
+1 to every word of this.
And, he actually knows what the hell he’s on about, unlike nearly every other opiner in the mix.
Thank you thank you! People are often so easily impressed. Raise the bar, damn straight.
I don’t get the”grumpy old man”comments. If anyone would know what’s good and not good musically it would be him. I liked Lady Gaga’s performance ,but his trained ears heard something else. I get it.
This, lol, people are acting like he doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about when it’s his name on the majority of play billboards.
Don’t be dissin no Sondheim. That man is genius.
His point wasn’t that he thought she sounded bad.
He simply thought she wasn’t connected to the song at all. And that part is correct. You could tell she felt awkward…didn’t really know what to do with her arms..etc.
She didn’t think what the song was ABOUT when she sang it.
That is what he is criticizing. And he’s not wrong.
But it was still great for her to go so far outside her comfort zone and shock millions of people.
I loved it.
While this was a great moment/performance and she proved that she can really sing – there was at points a disconnect. But that’s probably due to nerves as it was a big deal for her to perform at the Oscars. You could tell for the first half that she was nervous.
And that’s how sad the world is today
we’re happy that a SINGER can actually SINGl
Life’s about making love – any idiot can F**K
His point was that the music was not written for a semi-operatic voice – he would have the same criticism of Placido Domingo singing ‘Officer Krumpke’ in a semi-operatic voice.
But musicals were originally sang by people with trained voices. Even now, some of renowned musical actors have that training, e.g. Kristin Chenoweth and Kelli O’Hara whom just made her MET Opera debut this season in The Merry Widow (opposite a great dame of the opera, Renée Flemming who will be making soon her own Broadway debut).
??
I dont understand his comments, I mean she used a correct singing technique mixing her head and chest voices when needed. That’s not semi-operatic per se, that’s a good and healthy singing technique. Also musicals used to be sung originally with operatic voice.
In this case, I’m sure Sondheim’s trained ears are hearing something I’m not, but I also think some people are dissing her performance just because they dont like her, like Shonda and her Idina comments, when Idina can’t pitch or hold a high note correctly anymore.
oops…double post from way above!
Lol people here are acting as if they knew better than Sondheim. As if.
Right? It boggles the mind.
With the exception of West Side Story, I find all of Sondheim’s musicals to be a wordy mess. It’s like how many words can I cram into a melody?
Anyway she did great. I wasn’t expecting much true but she sung it straight and it wasn’t painful (cough cough Carrie Underwood).
I feel a little sketch about some of the ageist shade being thrown at Sondheim about this. Fix your hearing aid old man and be quiet disrespects everything this illustrious creative icon has achieved just because he’s past his social expiration date. His comments should be explored but let’s keep some healthy perspective here. This isn’t some interchangeable Jonas brother we’re talking about.
Who knows better than Sondheim? He is the greatest living genius in American theatre..
He gave his opinion because he was asked.
Julie Andrews is graciousness personified and knew she would be asked for her blessing.
Gaga is a trained singer with a lovely instrument, when she applies herself.
That does not make her exceptional amongst professionals of equal or greater talent, chops, experience, creativity or acting ability.
She was able to win back artistic respect & was applauded for that.
Meh, he’s getting cranky, but I’ll probably be much crankier by the time I reach that age. As a few other commentators indicated, I think his biggest issue was the particular voice she used for the part. If you listen to the original Maria, Mary Martin (for whom R&H wrote the part) , she has a much more belty, earthy style. The keys were raised to suit Julie Andrews when she was cast in the film. Yes, you could say he’s a purist, but if I had been as close to Oscar Hammerstein (whom Sondheim considered a surrogate father), I probably wouldn’t be so objective about his work either.
Anyway, one internet comment I read compared Gaga’s performance to Susan Alexander in Citizen Kane. If you’ve seen that film, you might agree…so harsh but, IMO, so true.
I can understand his sense of disconnect with the music she was performing, but I wouldn’t accuse her of being passionless. She always struck me as very into her work.
I don’t understand how people are overlooking his rude comment because of status. He could have a seventy year career in theatre and it wouldn’t change my opinion. He’s being way over the top calling her performance a travesty. I understand not liking something and he could have the biggest name on Broadway, but it doesn’t excuse him from being a rude @ss.
Lady Gaga sounded fine. She sings better than a lot of people who have gotten Oscars for crappy singing (Anne Hathaway). And Sondheim might find her singing to be a travesty but I find his music to be a travesty and thus I avoid musical theater like the plague.
Am I the only one that sees her lip syncing? That’s what ruined it for me.
I saw it and have been saying it but people are so blind when they come to idolizing their false idols. Sad that society will bow down to such trash.
TRUE ARTISTS SING their SOUL
All her BLOOD & VOMIT splattered performances R about is ATTENTION & $$$$, lol
Gaga’s a BORING RICH GIRL w/nothing 2 say let alone sing
A PRODUCT of the MACHINE – only the BLIND & DEAF believe that ABILITY = TALENT.
Julie Andrews gave an interview and said she gave her blessing to have Gaga do the performance. She embraced her afterwards-enjoying her permance. If it is f***ing good enough for Julie then he needs to bloody well bugger off!!!!!!!
84 to 36???
Man… dig that gold, man, dig that gold. Vile in every way.
And yes, I judged.
I think she sounded bad. Her voice was going other way, almost like she couldn’t hear herself.
Also I don’t know why people defend her for singing normal, she was at the academy awards, not a concert where her fans cheer at everything she sings.
He’s no Andrew Lloyd Webber, so he shouldn’t talk.
That talentless mocking jay was and will always be a travesty! If someone else sang it, wore it or thought it, so can Stephani, but original she is not.
Sondheim is a musical genius and a legend and correct about GaGa. No one writes musicals like he has anymore. No one comes close.
He has a name in his own right. But, instead of trashing, would it not be better to give an example of someone that would have done (according to him) the medley justice? Yes, you could see Gaga’s interpretation as semi operatic, but I don’t think (granted I don’t know her) that she did it on a whim, she probably practiced and thought about it over and over again.
Lady Gaga is a persona, an image, from the interviews that I have seen of her, she is a very dedicated professional whom happens to be very smart. And, I don’t think Idina Menzel would have done the interpretation that differently
Agree with him 100%.., Caca always takes it over the top when she doesn’t need to do so,plus I believe she was lip synching. Her nasty monsters can eat it because she hasn’t created anything that will last as long as what Sondheim as masterfully accomplished to do. Plus what is she really remembered for, oh yeha her stupid schticks and copy/paste costumes. Go away caca…