Stephen Sondheim goes to London and sounds off about the current state of theater: “It’s quite discouraging to see that London is slowly becoming like Broadway,” he says. He bemoans the fact that Americans are drawn to productions whose values are based less on the words and the music than the length of the spectacle and the number of scenery changes. He is most frightened by the lack of serious plays on Broadway. In his opinion, audiences in London have broader tastes, attend more regularly and treat the theatre as enjoyment rather than a chore. The British hunger for challenging productions has helped to provide opportunities for new talent, from the West End to the fringe. – The Sunday Times (UK)