Composer

:

Stephen Sondheim

Genre

:

Musical Theatre

Style

:

Show/Musical

Compose Date

:

1954

Saturday Night is a musical composed by Stephen Sondheim, with a book by Julius J. Epstein based on the play Front Porch in Flatbush by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. The musical was composed in 1954, but it was not produced until 1997, more than 40 years later. The premiere of the musical was on May 3, 1997, at the Second Stage Theatre in New York City. The plot of Saturday Night revolves around a group of young men in Brooklyn in the 1920s who are looking for love and adventure. The main character, Gene, is a young man who dreams of making it big on Wall Street. He and his friends spend their Saturday nights trying to meet women and have fun. Gene falls in love with a girl named Helen, but she is already engaged to someone else. Gene and his friends come up with a plan to get Helen to break off her engagement and marry Gene instead. The musical is composed of two acts and features a number of memorable songs, including "What More Do I Need?", "Isn't It?", and "So Many People". The music is characterized by Sondheim's signature style, which includes complex harmonies and intricate lyrics. Saturday Night was originally intended to be Sondheim's Broadway debut, but the production was canceled after the death of the producer. The musical was then shelved for more than 40 years until it was rediscovered and produced off-Broadway in 1997. The production received positive reviews and helped to establish Sondheim as one of the most important composers of musical theatre in the 20th century. Overall, Saturday Night is a charming and entertaining musical that showcases Sondheim's early talent and sets the stage for his later masterpieces. The music is catchy and memorable, and the characters are relatable and endearing. Despite its long delay in production, Saturday Night remains a beloved and important work in the canon of American musical theatre.

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