"Even while enjoying extraordinary music and the beautiful visuals that we have, it is meant to to remind us of our place in this precious world we live in."
"We are there to communicate with emotions. We are there to transport. We are there to support history, the imagination of somebody. And if it all gets just corrected by politics, it loses its purpose."
"The rest of the week is going to be pretty jive. But right now I'm not worried about the rest of the week. I'm celebrating right now. That's the message we're trying to get out of here."
"Everyone obviously loves Sondheim and these songs are amazing, but when you're in the middle of a pandemic do you really want to hear the Sweeney whistle blowing in your ear like problems?"
"Not only is this work a masterpiece, but it's also adapted into a film that is also separately a masterpiece. I don't think it's necessary to do a straight telling of the story. "
"Just serve the art, serve the music as best as you can, as honestly as you can, as diligently and thoughtfully and thoroughly as possible, and let the rest take care of itself."
"I don't think it's going to be better than John Coltrane, frankly. My generation, we're not going to quite get to what that is. So what we have to do is figure out things to add to it, to make something a little different."
"There is not an inherent gorgeousness to classical music itself. We find it gorgeous because we find ourselves represented in it. We have not been successful at making it relevant for everybody."
"Liza used to tell me any time that you can work and perform on your birthday, it’s kind of the best thing to do because it is the birthday wish come true. "
"Once you get a feel for the audience after two or three songs, you kind of take them on this music journey and you're a deejay of your own music."