Great call! Some friends and I watched that flick so much in college we worked up our own ROCKY-style callbacks.

The sun never sets on those who ride into it.

Not officially. (Though I have seen a bootleg recording from its 2004 presentation at the Montreal Just For Laughs festival. Not that I would OWN such a thing... heh)

A soundtrack featuring the 2006 OffBroadway cast is available. Try Amazon.

Being a HUMONGOUS Sondheim fan, I have to say you didn't mention "Being Alive" from Company, or "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music.

I disagree with you there. Most Rodgers and Hammerstein shows build character, create complex situations, and weave serious themes into their shows. But even something like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is much more than patches of dialogue to get to the next song. And when we get to the Sondheim shows of the 70s and 80s, the dialogue is the equal partner of the songs, climaxing in the rhapsody of song and speech, Passion.

Not that I'm saying there aren't many musicals that are like that. But certainly not most.

Sondheim is actually lauded in England far more than he is in his own country. It's true, few of his shows have been commercial hits on the West End, but the same is true of his shows on Broadway. And a cursory glance at the reviews of the original Broadway productions of many of his shows and the original London productions of many of his shows tells how much more respect London critics have for him.

Oh, hell yes.

I clicked on the link hoping and praying to the ghost of Richard Rodgers that you wouldn't say anything about Avenue Q (yes, yes, the internet is for porn, now stop playing that fucking song) or Thoroughly Modern Millie (the 21st century version of "Cats" - every single girl age 14-25 suddenly started singing it at auditions. Badly. You ain't no Sutton Foster, and even she couldn't make that show work). And you didn't! Girl, you have fantastic taste, and I've constantly been surprised at your picks.

I'm surprised you went with Into the Woods, though - out of all of Sondheim's work, it might be his weakest (barring Pacific Overtures, but at least that gets points for having enough balls to be willfully un-American). Some killer melodies, but his lyrics get a little too precious. I love the show, don't get me wrong, but had I a choice, I'd make the contestants sing something from Company - "Being Alive" is seriously one of the greatest finale songs ever written, with lyrics that leave enough room for a million different interpretations.

And in a perfect world, I'd love to hear something from "Assassins". David Archuleta trying vainly to tackle "Gun Song" would bring tears of joy to my eyes.

AHAHAHAHA!

Yep, even R&;H didn't hit a home run every time.