MUSICAL STORY

Speaker Bronwyn Allan and U3A co-ordinator Rob Crothall strike a musical pose in the Don Powis Hall at Settlers Park retirement village. Allan gave a fascinating and inspiring talk on ‘The Life and works of Stephen Sondheim’ earlier this month. The American composer and lyricist was one of the most important figures in 20th Century musical theatre. Credited for having reinvented the American musical, his works addressed the darker, harrowing elements of the human experience, taking the genre far beyond its traditional subjects. He and composer Leonard Bernstein joined forces to create works of unprecedented complexity and sophistication. One of the best known is ‘Westside Story’. Allan used excerpts from documentaries to illustrate her observations on Sondheim and Bernstein’s very different leadership styles, as well as their extraordinary artistic achievements.