Thanks for the explanation, Larry.
You're welcome! I know there are folk who love it. I felt Steve was on a fantastic roll through the 70s and, after SWEENEY TODD, he let the air out of he balloon with MERRILY. He told me right after it closed that he had never wanted to do the show, and it was all because of pressure from Furth and Prince that he did it. Of course, at that time he was very bitter and swore to me, at a Men's Chorus rehearsal in Carnegie Hall, that he was giving up the theatre and writing computer games for Parker Brothers. Then, after a break, SUNDAY happened and he was back. I think his work's been hit or miss since then, but the Sondheim cult thinks everything he produces is art, and I think that attitude's led to other good writers being overlooked or ignored. It isn't his fault, but it must be difficult to have a claque calling it music when you're simply passing gas.