Broadway producing these days smacks a bit of Republicanism, and your post highlights that nicely. There's an exclusive product, afford mainly by the 1% (The actual Broadway production), which is then "trickled down" to the masses and sold as quality to people who subscribe more to the "religion of Broadway" than the substance. But I think your larger point is the best: "Broadway is the theater that happens in 40 theaters over 500 seats in Midtown New York by professional artists at the top of their game."

I quite miss being the first to see the lovely monkey artwork, and coming up with fun teasers for the "Day Bar" post. Let's get a drink when you're settled down. I'm here through August 10th!

Agreed!

Well, I say the audience is left to decide because of a piece of advice I received when I was 17. I wrote to Mr. Sondheim himself and got a letter back. At the end of the letter he wrote: "And don't pay too much attention to individuals who "critique" your work - listen to the audience." And won't they always honestly tell you what they think? Better or worse?

Bob, I'm so happy you commented! I will admit that I did take SS a bit out of context on this one. And as I said - I wouldn't argue a case for near-rhyming. I find near-rhyming, in general, to be confusing. Whether or not it's lazy or inartistic...eh...I don't know that I would go so far as to say that. After all - if content dictates form, as Sondheim eloquently argues, couldn't there be a case for the content to dictate near-rhymes? Maybe, maybe not. I think the bigger case that I would like to argue is in favor of the well-placed, well-executed NON-RHYME. Rhyme certainly has its place in lyric writing, and it will always have its place. But with regard to the lyrics of younger writers, I don't wonder if Rhyme becomes a strait-jacket - a rule that cannot be broken. And in attempting to follow that rule, truth can be lost. And Mr. Sondheim, and his presence on the form, is largely responsible for young writers feeling the need to conform to that law. Often times, I find myself feeling like rhyme makes my lyric feel "clever" whether I intend to be or not. Using precisely the right word to illustrate a point - which Sondheim calls the opposite of laziness - isn't always what we do in life - searching, trying to be articulate, and failing. What non-rhymes might come out in a situation like that? In a world where Rhyme is the Rule, I would encourage more and more writers to think outside that box - even just to see what happens. Don't fall back on rhyme because it's "just how it's done." But use it - or don't use it - with confidence and purpose. I did this recently and was very proud of the effect. A chorus to a song with absolutely no rhyme, a free-form of thought, that I think is very effective. But as always, it's going to be up to the audience.