Since the beginning, we've frequently been asked questions about our origins and what we're all about. Here are some responses.

Q. How did the magazine get started?

A. Good question--and an interesting story. In early 1994, Ray Birks, in Chicago, called Paul Salsini, in Milwaukee, because he had heard that Salsini was publishing a newsletter devoted to Stephen Sondheim's works. Actually, Salsini wasn't--but he was doing some writing for the newsletter of the Stephen Sondheim Society, based in London. After more conversations, Salsini and Birks decided: Why not? Since Salsini was a journalist and Birks was experienced in management, it seemed like a good match. At first, they planned a little newsletter, maybe 12 pages, two or three times a year. But word got around and people became interested. A college student, wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with The Sondheim Review, handed out flyers in front of the Plymouth Theater in New York, where Passion was playing. Amazingly, people started subscribing to a publication they had never seen. So it was decided to go to the eventual plan immediately: publish a slick magazine four times a year. The first issue, with Passion on the cover, was printed in July 1994.

Q. How has it been going since then?

A. Great. We've had great responses from readers. Many say it's the only magazine they read from cover to cover.

Q. How many readers do you have?

A. Right now, our paid circulation is around 4,000 and they're in 32 countries around the world.

Q. Can I buy it at a bookstore?

A. Yes! You'll find us in many stores. We send it to such chains as Barnes & Noble, Borders, Tower Records, Hastings Books and Records and SuperStand, but we're never sure which of their stores actually get them.

Q. What's your relationship with Sondheim?

A. Before we started, we sent him a prospectus and he called with his approval. Since then, he has been most accessible, answering our questions very promptly (something that we appreciate very much when we're on deadline).

Q. Do you know what he thinks of the magazine?

A. We asked him that very question. He said he was both embarrassed and pleased: Embarrassed because it seemed to make him an "icon" and he didn't want to be put in that position, but pleased because it was a high quality magazine.

Q. He said that?

Yes. He said he was impressed by the writing and the look of the magazine, which he said were of high standards.

Q. Why do you report on regional productions?

A. We know that a production of, say, "A Little Night Music" in St. Paul, MN may not be of great interest to readers in Kansas or Georgia, but we want to show the great range of Sondheim works throughout the country and even the world. Obviously, we don't report on hundreds of productions, but we try to give an indication of some of the more interesting and innovative shows that are occurring.

Q. How do you select the shows to be included on your list of upcoming shows around the country and Canada?

A. We get extremely long lists from Music Theater International and Tams-Witmark--an indication, of course, of the popularity of Sondheim shows. We wish we could publish the entire list, but that would take pages, and we simply don't have room. So we make a selection, trying to include all the professional, semi-professional and college productions. We wish we could include high schools, too. We do, however, offer the entire list on our Shows in Your Area page.

Q. Have you interviewed many Sondheim collaborators and performers?

A. The list is long and getting longer: from Weidman to Tunick to Gemignani to Starobin. From Peters to Patinkin to Stritch to Jones to Cariou to Johns and many more.

Q. Do you always have enough to fill your magazine?

A. Never a problem. The problem is what to select and to make it an interesting magazine that will appeal to all readers.

Q. What about advertising?

A. We love it. Obviously, we need advertising to pay our bills, and we're always looking for more. We think the rates are good, and we point out that our classified ads allow readers to seek and sell materials at a nominal rate.

Q. How can I help?

A. Spread the word. If you like the magazine, tell your friends about us. Let the circle grow larger.

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The Sondheim Review • P.O. Box 11213 • Chicago, IL 60611-0213 USA
Tel: 773-275-4254 • Toll Free 800-584-1020
info@sondheimreview.com
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