My mother wanted me off her hands. She was a working woman. She designed clothes, and she was a celebrity collector. It's my mother's ambition to be a celebrity.

Quote by Stephen Sondheim

Topics: Stephen Sondheim Quotes

One of the hardest things about writing lyrics is to make the lyrics sit on...

One of the hardest things about writing lyrics is to make the lyrics sit on...

I was raised to be charming, not sincere.

I was raised to be charming, not sincere.

The more restrictions you have, the easier anything is to write.

The more restrictions you have, the easier anything is to write.

Oscar Hammerstein was a surrogate father during all those many days, and weeks and months...

Oscar Hammerstein was a surrogate father during all those many days, and weeks and months...

I played the organ when I went to military school, when I was 10. They...

I played the organ when I went to military school, when I was 10. They...

When the audience comes in, it changes the temperature of what you've written.

When the audience comes in, it changes the temperature of what you've written.

When you know your cast well and their strengths and weaknesses, you can start writing...

When you know your cast well and their strengths and weaknesses, you can start writing...

The dumbing down of the country reflects itself on Broadway. The shows get dumber, and...

The dumbing down of the country reflects itself on Broadway. The shows get dumber, and...

When I was growing up, there was no such thing as Off-Broadway. You either got...

When I was growing up, there was no such thing as Off-Broadway. You either got...

Everyone I used to play with has either given up or is dead.

Everyone I used to play with has either given up or is dead.

Nowadays, there are sometimes more producers than there are people in the cast, because it...

Nowadays, there are sometimes more producers than there are people in the cast, because it...

The worst thing you can do is censor yourself as the pencil hits the paper....

The worst thing you can do is censor yourself as the pencil hits the paper....

Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.

Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.

My personal life and my artistic life do not interfere with each other.

My personal life and my artistic life do not interfere with each other.

You can't have personal investors anymore because it's too expensive, so you have to have...

You can't have personal investors anymore because it's too expensive, so you have to have...

If you're dealing with a musical in which you're trying to tell a story, it's...

If you're dealing with a musical in which you're trying to tell a story, it's...

I fell into lyric writing because of music. I backed into it.

I fell into lyric writing because of music. I backed into it.

So many good songs get written fast, because you know exactly what has to work.

So many good songs get written fast, because you know exactly what has to work.

I would have been a geologist.

I would have been a geologist.

Musicals are, by nature, theatrical, meaning poetic, meaning having to move the audience's imagination and...

Musicals are, by nature, theatrical, meaning poetic, meaning having to move the audience's imagination and...