Opening Doors

 As a fan of musical theater, there are plenty of songs I love by Stephen Sondheim, as I look into more of his work, reinforcing old favorites and discovering new ones, there is one song that I have been listening to for years that is definitely in my top five, if not my top three. With the news of the upcoming theatrical release of the recording of "Merrily We Roll Along", which I am beyond excited to see, there is a song from that show that I often go back to. One that I resonate with as I write on my own, or even for this blog. A song that makes me feel seen, written by someone who understands the process of not only writing, but being seen, being heard. The song Opening Doors was one I wanted to talk about, it encourages me, inspires me, and also is just a fantastic listen.

The show "Merrily We Roll Along" follows three writers, but it starts at the end, and goes backward in time to show the audience how we got to where we are. This song is the second to last major number, with only one more song, and transition piece after it. We are very far in the past and very early on in the careers of our three leads Frank, Charlie, and Mary. We see them go through the writing process, have moments of victory, plenty of set backs, but never get up. From the writing process to trying and get a producer to give them a chance, to putting on the show themselves, all while getting the pieces of their lives in-between such as the creative process or just seeing a show or going on a date. The good and bad are shown as time keeps on passing, as they keep on "Opening doors", the tone of relentless determination staying from the moment the song begins to the last note. No matter how tired they are or what goes wrong, these three refuse to give in. 

The lyrics and instrumentation work together so well in this song, always keeping the tone set from start to finish. The lyrics are memorable and packed with relatable emotions and even some humor. This song showcases multiple singers working off each other and it creates for memorable moments and great harmonies, showcasing everyone's stories at once while not putting the song to a halt. 

The characters in this song move it along perfectly, having moments where they crack jokes, talk about their dreams, or even just what is going on their lives. The song shows all aspects of the creative process in a way that doesn't talk down to the listener but rather shows these creatives and tries to connect them to the one listening. Instead of acting like the creative process is for just a select few, it shows that everyone has to start somewhere. 

This song has such a great pace, and it never stops, it starts and already has such great energy that never stops until the song does. This is a song that makes for a great listen while also being something me and many others can connect to. Whether it is writing, drawing, or even content creation, the creative process is not always easy. We can get written off or negative criticism for our work, our work can take time, and sometimes it can just be refused or not seen at all. This song and another Sondheim great that I will surely talk about on this blog someday Putting It Together from "Sunday In The Park With George" capture the trials and the triumphs of creative pursuits with real emotion while not being cynical. The emotions are truly human expressing both joys and frustration, but at the end of the day also that determination that pushes all creatives forward. 

The song highlights moments where everything is going wrong, right after Frank and Charlie fail getting their show produced, the lyrics at this moment reflect that and the instrumentation follows suit, showing the uncertainty of things. But then things turn around, and the song cannonballs to the end at breakneck speed. Right before the main chorus is sung one more time, Sondheim showed his lyrical genius by having every voice overlap, but not in a way that make it incoherent but rather matched the energy of the song perfectly before a grand ending. The song changes ever so slightly over time while keeping its tone consistent, making this song a truly great one. 

The ending of this song having an air of optimism and triumphant, showing a renewed sense of determination in such a great fashion that still puts a smile across my entire face. I want to sing along to with great lyrics and fantastic score, the song inspires me to keep going and trying with projects both big and small. A showcase of determination in the creative space, that shows us even when they are closed in our face, we keep opening doors until our dreams come true.