As the reality of a global pandemic began to settle in, uncomfortably so, in March/April 2020, something amazing happened. Losing My Mind: A Sondheim Disco Fever Dream happened. Seeing my favorite industry go dark so suddenly and for such an indeterminate amount of time really kicked me in the nuts. But this album gave me hope that artists will bounce back, and that magic can still be made with music. Much like many things that happened in 2020, I could not have ever predicted that this album come to fruition. A disco mashup/remix album based on Sondheim’s music? Impossible! But not actually….

The end result really showcases not only Sondheim’s talent in songwriting but very much so his talent of writing words. City On Fire / Hot Up Here exemplifies this to me:

The chorus shouts “City on fire! Rats in the grass!” And so begins one of the more terrifying moments of Sweeney Todd. This section of the libretto is, perhaps, my favorite lyrics Sondheim has written. How does it the sound when mashed-up with Hot in Here from Sunday in the Park with George? Deliciously so.

City on fire! Rats in the grass!
And the lunatics yelling in the streets
“It’s the end of the world!” Yes!
City on fire! Hunchbacks dancing!
Stirrings in the ground
And the whirring of giant wings!
Watch out! Look!
Blotting out the moonlight!
Thick black rain falling on the
City on fire!

This is also an album that speaks to the universally compatible quality of Sondheim’s music. I imagine Sondheim will be relevant for a long time and there will always be ways to re-interpret some of his works. And, despite being literally a disco album, it feels timeless in quality. I know I’ll be able to enjoy this album for years and years to come, and it won’t ever feel dated.

Thank you Joshua Hinck and Scott Wasserman for putting together an album that pays such great tribute to the great American treasure that is Sondheim. His legacy will live on in theatre history forever and this album is proof.