--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Show tunes are great. Stephen Sondheim…" description: "\"“Show tunes are great. Stephen Sondheim. Rodgers and Hammerstein. Wicked. Rent. The Music Man. Almost any musical will do. Except Cats.” “Why? Doesn’t ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/connie-willis-5208_actor_show-tunes-are-great-stephen-sondheim-ro_95964.png" --- # Show tunes are great. Stephen Sondheim. Rodgers and… ![“Show tunes are great. Stephen Sondheim. Rodgers and Hammerstein. Wicked. Rent. The Music Man. Almost any musical will do. Except Cats.” “Why? Doesn’t it shut out the voices?” “No, it shuts them out fine. But it’s a terrible musical.” quote by Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/connie-willis-5208_actor_show-tunes-are-great-stephen-sondheim-ro_95964.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/connie-willis-5208_actor_show-tunes-are-great-stephen-sondheim-ro_95964.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/connie-willis-5208_actor_show-tunes-are-great-stephen-sondheim-ro_95964.png) > ““Show tunes are great. Stephen Sondheim. Rodgers and Hammerstein. Wicked. Rent. The Music Man. Almost any musical will do. Except Cats.” “Why? Doesn’t it shut out the voices?” “No, it shuts them out fine. But it’s a terrible musical.”” [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. While many musicals are celebrated, some fail to deliver artistic merit, illustrating subjective taste. **In simple terms:** Subjective musical taste Key Takeaway Not all popular works are great Themes art criticism subjectivity culture taste Mood witty critical Type humorous critical When to use this quote - theater discussion - friend debate - cultural analysis Key Concepts musical theater evaluation Practical Applications - media reviews - cultural commentary Questions to Reflect On - What makes a musical great? - How do personal biases shape artistic judgment? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-man/) [Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) [Musical Cats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-cats-1177417/) [Sondheim Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sondheim-rodgers-1177418/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stephen-sondheim/) [Terrible Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-musical-1177416/) ## Related quotes > [My first show in high school was 'The Music Man.' 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So there's great truth in the songs, and that's what was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/stephen-sondheim-told-me-that-oscar-hammerstein-believed-everything/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [The first time I encountered Stephen Sondheim was like everyone else: through snatches of old songs people performed in drama school, through 'Send in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/the-first-time-i-encountered-stephen-sondheim-was-like-everyone-else/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [In the Stephen Sondheim song, when something bad happens in the circus, they send in the clowns. In America's political circus, they send in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/in-the-stephen-sondheim-song-when-something-bad-happens-in-the-circus/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) > [The only Train song I like is the one that I play in my act "Drops Of Jupiter". Sheryl Crow has three or four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-showalter/the-only-train-song-i-like-is-the-one-that-i-play-in-my-act-drops-of/) [Michael Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-showalter/) > [I think Stephen Sondheim is a - and I hardly ever use this word - but this is as close as it gets to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/i-think-stephen-sondheim-is-a-and-i-hardly-ever-use-this-word-but/) [Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/) > [Even though we try not to be nostalgic about drawing from old music, I'm always inspired by things like old Cole Porter songs or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/even-though-we-try-not-to-be-nostalgic-about-drawing-from-old-music-i/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [Popular music of the last 50 years has failed to keep in step with advances in musical theater, namely Stephen Sondheim. But the two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephin-merritt/popular-music-of-the-last-50-years-has-failed-to-keep-in-step-with/) [Stephin Merritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephin-merritt/) > [“Stephen Sondheim said : " If you know where you're going, you've gone. Move on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-crusie/stephen-sondheim-said-if-you-know-where-you-re-going-you-ve-gone-move/) [Jennifer Crusie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-crusie/) > [“I Read by Stephen Sondheim from "Passion" Fosca: I do not read to think. I do not read to learn. I do not read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/i-read-by-stephen-sondheim-from-passion-fosca-i-do-not-read-to-think/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [ The thing about Stephen Schwartz is that, while it may be difficult to learn - it's a little bit like\[Stephen\] Sondheim; Sondheim is quite… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-ellis/the-thing-about-stephen-schwartz-is-that-while-it-may-be-difficult-to/) [Kerry Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-ellis/) > [As a person, Stephen Sondheim is a very funny, very dry and very shy man. I've never witnessed any diva-ish moments, he just always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/as-a-person-stephen-sondheim-is-a-very-funny-very-dry-and-very-shy/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [To my mind, 'Dear Brutus' stands halfway between Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's 'Into the Woods'. Like them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/to-my-mind-dear-brutus-stands-halfway-between-shakespeare-s-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Stephen Sondheim I am in awe of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/stephen-sondheim-i-am-in-awe-of/) [Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/) ## More by Connie Willis > [“Cyril had staked out his claim and refused to move. "Move over!" I said, freeing one hand from holding the cat to push. "Dogs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/cyril-had-staked-out-his-claim-and-refused-to-move-move-over-i-said/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [Shakespeare put no children in his plays for a reason," Sir Godfrey muttered, glaring at Alf and Binnie. 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A Grand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/a-grand-design-we-couldn-t-see-because-we-were-part-of-it-a-grand/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [“Well, at least she’s asserting herself, and you don’t have to worry about her having ‘squelched girl syndrome,’ ” she said. Mary Clare ignored that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/well-at-least-she-s-asserting-herself-and-you-don-t-have-to-worry/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [No," I said finally. "Slowness in Answering," she said into the handheld. "When's the last time you slept?" "1940" I said promptly, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/no-i-said-finally-slowness-in-answering-she-said-into-the-handheld/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [When you're a writer, the question people always ask you is, "Where do you get your ideas?" Writers hate this question. It's like asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/when-you-re-a-writer-the-question-people-always-ask-you-is-where-do/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [“We live in hope that the good we do here on earth will be rewarded in heaven. We also hope to win the war.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/we-live-in-hope-that-the-good-we-do-here-on-earth-will-be-rewarded-in/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [“You can't go yet, not without telling us what all's happened to you since we saw you last." I faked amnesia, nearly killed Alan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/you-can-t-go-yet-not-without-telling-us-what-all-s-happened-to-you/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [And kissed her for a hundred and sixty-nine years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/and-kissed-her-for-a-hundred-and-sixty-nine-years/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [Management cares about only one thing. Paperwork. They will forgive almost anything else - cost overruns, gross incompetence, criminal indictments - as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/management-cares-about-only-one-thing-paperwork-they-will-forgive/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [And every place and time an author writes about is imaginary, from Oz to Raymond Chandler's L.A. to Dickens's London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/and-every-place-and-time-an-author-writes-about-is-imaginary-from-oz/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [“1. Optimize potential. 2. Facilitate empowerment. 3. Implement visioning. 4. Strategize priorities. 5. Augment core structures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/1-optimize-potential-2-facilitate-empowerment-3-implement-visioning-4/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [Fred Astaire is my hero. I love him because he was willing to kill himself to make his art look effortless. And because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/fred-astaire-is-my-hero-i-love-him-because-he-was-willing-to-kill/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) [Explore all 100 Connie Willis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. 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I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Show tunes are great. Stephen Sondheim. Rodgers and Hammerstein. Wicked. Rent. The Music Man. Almost any musical will do. Except Cats.” “Why? Doesn’t it shut out the voices?” “No, it shuts them out fine. 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