The current issue of The G&LR includes an article by David LaFontaine on the music of Stephen Sondheim, focusing on several of his musicals and specific songs within these musicals that contain a gay subtext or were inspired by Sondheim’s love for a man. To bring these observations to life, David LaFontaine – a trained singer and pianist – decided to record a few of these songs for our readers. So, we rented time in a sound studio in North Cambridge, MA and produced this podcast.
In addition to playing and singing these songs, David wanted to provide a little more background on them, so he is interviewed by me before and between these performances. The three songs that you’ll hear him perform are: “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music (1973), “Happiness” from Passion (1994), and “Children Will Listen” from Into The Woods (1987).All of this could not have been done without the efforts of Art Cohen, who set up the recording session, mixed the sound elements, and produced this podcast. Big thanks to Art as well as to David for going the extra mile on this project.
David LaFontaine is a professor at Massasoit Community College, where he teaches in the English Department.
Art Cohen is a freelance writer, journalist, and documentary filmmaker working in Boston.
