I remember Arthur [Laurents] telling me one afternoon while he was casting “I Can Get It for You Wholesale” about having just discovered a remarkable new actress. Her name was Barbra Streisand, he said. He told me how she had awkwardly entered from the wings with music pages falling behind her. Halfway across the stage, she realized what she had done, became embarrassed and walked back in embarrassment to pick them up. Then she asked for a chair to sit in while she sang. They brought her one, she sat in it, then looked around in a panic, stuck her hand in her mouth, took out some gum and put it under the chair. Arthur said: “At that moment, I knew she was a professional.
Stephen Sondheim (via thetheatergeek)

RIP Arthur Laurents.

A better quality copy of this picture. Doesn’t he look dapper?

It might be worth noting that Arthur Laurents invented a character called Baby John in West Side Story, a character called Baby June in Gypsy and a character called Baby Joan in Anyone Can Whistle, prompting one to ask, ‘Whatever happened to Baby Jane?’
Geeky and great musical theater quote from Stephen Sondheim’s new collected lyrics book FINISHING THE HAT. (via veganchameleon)

tree-saw:

Closing night of Gypsy

Arthur Laurents, Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim