Send in the Clowns

"Send in the Clowns" is a song by Stephen Sondheim, from the 1973 musical A Little Night Music. It is a slow, mournful ballad, in which the character Desiree reflects on the ironies and disappointments in her life.

Related Topics:
Song - Stephen Sondheim - 1973 - Musical - A Little Night Music

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Of Stephen Sondheim's more than 800 songs, this is the one that became a megahit. It achieved popularity with recordings by Frank Sinatra and, later, Judy Collins. Sondheim added a verse for a 1985 Barbra Streisand recording.

Related Topics:
Frank Sinatra - Judy Collins - 1985 - Barbra Streisand

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The song was written for actress Glynis Johns, who had a breathy voice and a limited tessitura—Sondheim wrote the song with short phrases and a small music range (only about an octave).

Related Topics:
Glynis Johns - Breathy voice - Tessitura - Octave

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The title refers to a phrase reputedly used in a circus when an unforeseen disaster had occurred, with the clowns being sent in to distract the audience from the problem. Alternatively, the title could refer to the practice in vaudeville theatre of sending the clowns on to the stage to distract the audience after a particularly bad act.

Related Topics:
Circus - Clowns - Vaudeville - Theatre

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