Circling the Master: The Sondheim Hub launches Act Two
Circling the Master: The Sondheim Hub launches Act TwoSubstacker Alex Marsden unwinds about year one at the Hub, reveals Broadway's "gateway drug," and explains why he's seeing the same production five times
The Broadway Maven’s fourth advanced Sondheim Academy kicks off with a dazzling deep dive into Into the Woods, in a FREE one-time class on Tuesday, May 6 at Noon ET. In the first half-hour, Sondheim Hub creator and Sondheim theorist Alex Marsden (see interview below) unpacks the Baker’s poignant journey through the show’s lyrical and musical transformations. In the second half-hour, Broadway Maven David Benkof brings sharp insight and wit to the show’s comedic brilliance, revealing how Lapine and Sondheim’s humor enriches the story’s emotional core.
Shalom, Broadway lovers!In today’s issue of MARQUEE: The Broadway Maven’s Weekly Blast: A) an extended interview with Sondheim Hub creator Alex Marsden about his Substack publication; B) a Broadway Blast about Pippin and Kimberly Akimbo; C) a survey about favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein shows; and D) a Last Blast about CATS.
INTERVIEW: What’s all this hubbub about The Sondheim Hub? This month marks the one-year anniversary of that twice-weekly free Substack publication, which has nearly 2,000 subscribers. I’ve become friends with Alex Marsden, the newsletter’s writer/editor/publisher, and I invited him to share his thoughts about Substack, Sondheim, and such with MARQUEE readers. Alex has been rather modest so far about using his name in promoting his work, and this is his first full interview. DAVID: Let's pick two moments in the history of the Sondheim Hub when you thought, “This is what I created this publication for.” ALEX: The first one that comes to mind actually is getting to talk to Ann Morrison, who was the original Mary Flynn in Merrily We Roll Along. Ann said "Yes" really early into the existence of the Hub, before I had a big platform—she just, on a human level, was really excited to talk. I was able to offer something of a really high level in terms of this person who has a unique and direct relationship with Sondheim himself. I constructed that interview backwards, so we went from the present day back to when Merrily was being written. And I think that was quite a nice thing—to be able to sort of, you know, content dictate form, as Sondheim always said. A second moment that stands out is messages from people I’ve never met saying, “Ah, you know, I’d always thought this about this moment in Sweeney Todd, and you’ve managed to put it into words,” or “You helped me to think about this little passage in a different way.” DAVID: To be a Sondheim expert and a Sondheim fanatic, how much musical theater do you need to know that isn’t Sondheim? ALEX:. I think the more theatre you go to that isn’t Sondheim, the more you are rewarded as a Sondheim fan—whether you like the other shows that you see or not. You know, I happen to really love opera as a medium separately, and classical music. And I think although Sondheim has a complicated relationship with opera, his works for a lot of people seem like a bit of a “gateway drug” between musical theatre and opera—in both directions actually. So I think knowing what Grand Opera feels like can be really informative for Sweeney Todd or for certain of the other shows as well. I saw the first preview of Here We Are (Sondheim's last show) on Friday, so I’m freshly familiar with Here We Are now, so that’s good. I have resisted looking at any bootlegs that I came across, because I wanted to experience the visuals for the first time in person. So, yeah, it was fantastic. I’m glad I’m going again (four more times). DAVID: So on Tuesday, we are co-teaching a class on Into the Woods (sign up here). Do you want to share some of your thoughts about how you approach that show? ALEX: Yeah, the characterization in Into the Woods is so fantastic that you could almost start anywhere—I’ve settled on the Baker. I think, in a way, he is the spine of the show. He becomes the storyteller at the end. I think there is a really profound thing being said by Lapine and Sondheim about what we pass on to the next generation—what we inherit from the generation before us. I’m going to be looking at the Baker from the perspective of questions and answers. Running through the whole show, peppered into the lyrics and the book, there are so many examples of him wanting easy answers or not being prepared to compromise morally. DAVID: Terrific. I think my students are really going to enjoy that perspective. Which of the Sondheim shows, when you go back and watch it again, is most likely to surprise you with something new you haven’t seen before? ALEX: At the minute I’m getting a huge amount out of Passion. Every time I listen to it, I hear new and quite profound things about the kind of difficult love it describes. The brilliant thing about these little revelations in any Sondheim work is they don’t just reveal things about that piece—they reveal things about others. In the first scene of Passion, Giorgio is having an affair with Clara. When he knows he has to leave her for a period of time, he literally says, “I’m painting you indelibly on my mind,” and starts describing her physical features. His name is Giorgio—we might think of George (from Sunday in the Park with George). They’re almost doing the same thing in “Color and Light,” describing the creamy skin, the hair, the red cheeks. I’ve always loved musical theatre, though it felt for a long time like a personal passion, while I was supposed to be focused on classical piano and related work. One thing running The Sondheim Hub has allowed me to do is take that passion seriously and fill a gap in my working life I didn’t quite realize I needed to fill. BROADWAY BLAST: Berthe in Pippin and Kimberly in Kimberly Akimbo are separated by generations and genres—but when they sing “No Time at All” and “This Time,” they’re making the same argument. Life is short. Death is certain. So why not live a little? Berthe’s advice is showbiz-bright: toss your cares, take what joy you can, and stop waiting for life to begin. Kimberly’s is quieter but just as bold: this time, she’s not wasting another minute. These songs are two of Broadway’s most unexpectedly life-affirming moments, not because they ignore death, but because they invite joy into the room with it.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Want to experience a New York opening of a new show? The Broadway Maven will be giving away three single tickets to the opening of Lunar Eclipse, "a stirring new play about the fragility of memory and the passage of time," which opens off-Broadway Tuesday, June 3. Your ticket includes an invitation to the afterparty. Paid Members who wish to enter the drawing may hit reply to this email with the message "drawing," and non-Members can join The Broadway Maven no later than Friday afternoon to be able to enter. Interested parties can join The Broadway Maven (and get one month FREE!) here.
Love Broadway? Let’s get serious. The Broadway Institute is your backstage pass to the history, artistry, and genius of musical theater. Join Broadway Maven David Benkof for eight weeks of rich, engaging sessions that go beyond the Playbill—featuring everything from Golden Age classics and Sondheim brilliance to Jewish Broadway and social issues. Each Monday in May and June (except June 2), you’ll choose from two session times—Noon or 7 p.m. Eastern—each one packed with Broadway history, lyric insights, musical training, and great discussion. And the best part? The first session is completely FREE to everyone, and new Members get their first month (half the course!) at no charge with no commitment. Anyone may sign up for this FREE class below: And new Members can sign up here to get a month FREE: ANNOUNCEMENT: Last chance! Applications are still open for the Spring 2025 Broadway Maven Scholars program for full-time students ages 16-26. The curriculum involves an in-depth look at Broadway history and structure, with intense exploration of both the musical and the lyrical side of song construction. Students will participate in discussions, presentations, and a final project, making a video that will appear in MARQUEE. Those who complete the program (for which there's no application fee) get $500, four invitations to Broadway shows, and a certificate of achievement. Perfect for the theater kids and budding scholars in your life. Apply at the button below.
Note: A full calendar of upcoming classes is always available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.• Monday, May 5 Noon and 7 pm ET The Broadway Institute (1940s and 1950s): FREE (Register here) • Tuesday, May 6 Noon ET Sondheim Academy: Into the Woods (Register here) • Monday, May 12 Noon and 7 pm ET The Broadway Institute (1960s and 1970s) (Members only) • Tuesday, May 13 Noon ET Sondheim Academy: Merrily We Roll Along (Members only) • Monday, May 19 Noon and 7 pm ET The Broadway Institute (1980s and 1990s) (Members only) • Tuesday, May 20 Noon ET Sondheim Academy: Sunday in the Park with George (Members only) • Monday, May 26 Noon and 7 pm ET The Broadway Institute (21st century) (Members only) • Tuesday, May 27 Noon ET Sondheim Academy: Pastiche in Sondheim (Members only)
LAST BLAST: CATS isn’t just a dance spectacle; it’s an ode to the many facets of identity. Each feline has three names, and the songs themselves follow suit: playful verses for the crowd, hints of deeper character arcs, and a nearly mystical undertone that suggests we can never truly know another soul. Even the show’s most lighthearted moments—like “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer”—carry a sense of the uncanny, showing that beneath the silliness lies something profound. In this way, the musical’s kaleidoscopic score becomes a mirror for our own hidden selves, quietly purring that there’s always more than meets the eye. The Broadway Maven is a vibrant educational community that helps its members think more deeply about musical theater. Every month, members may attend 5-15 expert-led classes and innovative Broadway experiences, all for just $18. We also foster enthusiasm for Broadway through the FREE weekly Substack newsletter MARQUEE and host an expansive YouTube channel. It's your home for Broadway appreciation. Contact The Broadway Maven at DavidBenkof@gmail.com. You're currently a free subscriber to MARQUEE: The Broadway Maven's Weekly Blast. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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