Michael Riedel

Michael Riedel

Theater

A thin line between love & hate for Laurents & Sondheim

There’s nothing more bracing on a hot summer day than sipping an ice-cold martini while reading Stephen Sondheim’s letters to Arthur Laurents on the subject of their flop musical “Anyone Can Whistle.”

The gin provides the tang; Sondheim, the snap.

These letters were deposited by Laurents in the Library of Congress, but have since been removed from public view at Sondheim’s urging.

Fortunately, I have copies.

The two Broadway legends had a love-hate relationship, which plays out vividly in the letters.

In a 1964 letter from London (on Savoy Hotel stationery), Sondheim agrees with Laurents that the tune for “Me and My Town” is weak. He says he’ll try to improve it, and is cheered somewhat by the fact that Angela Lansbury hums it all day long.

Laurents accuses Sondheim of going to London to have fun when he should be in New York writing the show. Sondheim resents the charge, saying he’s busy working on the West End production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”

Despite the tension, Sondheim looks forward to returning to New York and tackling “Whistle.” He signs off with “Love, Steve.”

By the time they hit Philadelphia, where the show is trying out, “love” has turned to hate.

Sondheim tells Laurents he’s fed up hearing that people think he’s trying to ruin the show. Would Laurents like to hear what people say about him — his confused book and direction, his hissy fits, how nasty and tactless he is with the cast?

Laurents complains that Sondheim’s lyrics are confusing and didactic. Sondheim responds that the confusion stems from Laurents’ muddled writing. He says he wishes he had a nickel for every time he suggests something and Laurents turns his back on him and yells, “Oh, for God’s sake, Steve!”

Laurents says he’s not being ruthless enough with Sondheim because of his affection for him. That’s a lie, Sondheim scoffs. He says Laurents’ ruthlessness hides his own insecurity — which doesn’t give Laurents the right to hurl daggers at everyone in sight.

This letter closes, simply, with “Steve.”

But then comes another quick note in which Sondheim says he loves Laurents and his work. They’ve both done a good job, he says, on an admittedly flawed show.

He begs Laurents not to listen to other people, who like to criticize and dish.

He says the two of them should work out their problems openly and honestly — without throwing in their faces what other people are saying behind their backs.

This note closes: “Love (N.B.), Steve.”