What Plot?

As a longtime admirer of the lyrics and music of Stephen Sondheim, I was pleased to discover that he is now reaching a larger audience (“Sondheim Isn’t Quite Out of the ‘Woods,’ ” by Barbara Isenberg, Jan. 8).

I do, however, have one reservation about Mr. Sondheim’s work, which Isenberg touches on in her reference to the “minimal plots” of his more recent shows.

In Craig Zadan’s biography, the composer is quoted as saying: “Up until ‘Company’ I thought that musicals had to have very strong plots. One of the things that fascinated me about the challenge of the show was to see if a musical could be done without one.”

The notion that plot is expendable is precisely the source of the problems with Sondheim’s “concept” shows. The critical foundation for a musical theater work is the libretto. Without a strong book, the result is simply a revue.

As “Into the Woods” proves, Mr. Sondheim and librettist James Lapine never metaphor they didn’t like. But a desultory series of events laced with allegory and symbolism is hardly the equivalent of a coherent, well-crafted book.

DON HAUPTMAN

New York City