Dissecting the Cow

Best part of Sondheim in conversation with Anna Quindlen at Barnes and Noble last night? When they both spoke of seeing a Mondrian retrospective and the effect it had on their outlook on art and life. Both of them spoke so eloquently and passionately about their realization that, in the process of watching Mondrian go from visually dissecting a cow to his Broadway Boogie Woogie, they were witnessing an artist coming into his own voice. For Sondheim, a similar transition came to him when he heard the score for "Company." More than anything, though, it also highlighted the importance of learning a strong technical foundation in order to break out and come into one's own.

An illuminating moment for them made for an illuminating moment for everyone in the room.