Harold Prince Quotes

Author Image

Harold Prince

Profession : Producer

Birth : January 30, 1928

Producers want to put their music behind revivals but I don't think that's a good trend for the theater at all.

Harold Prince

I got successful awfully quick, and I wanted it... But I do think there is responsibility to move the musical theater form forward. I think you always have to be aware of the work that came before and build on that.

Harold Prince

I always liked the visuals to be choice and at the same time minimalist. And, I love black boxes. After all, that's what theatre is, it's an empty space, and it's both limited and unlimited because the space is the space, but what you can do with people's imaginations is really endless.

Harold Prince

I saw 'On The Town' about nine times. I discovered it. I loved it. I was in college.

Harold Prince

Lyrics can't do what they do - or should do - when you're creating a musical with rock lyrics. There's plenty of room for rock musicals, just not all rock musicals.

Harold Prince

The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes.

Harold Prince

I was nine. I saw Orson Welles in 'Julius Caesar.' It was involving, emotional, imaginative. I've never forgotten it.

Harold Prince

I really don't spend time thinking about the past. I think about the future. I'm not stopping.

Harold Prince

I've always loved Victorian melodrama. And I've always liked larger-than-life theater, providing it's truthful and honest. I like what the theater can provide in energy and bombast - I enjoy it when it's large, and by that I don't mean in size, I mean in emotions. Shakespeare did that.

Harold Prince

A star may guarantee business, but the tradeoff is a very short run.

Harold Prince

There's no lack of talent out there. I suspect there is a lack of creative guidance, and that would not be solely the responsibility of a director but also a producer.

Harold Prince

Producing should be a creative responsibility.

Harold Prince

Audiences are very willing to be taken somewhere, and to ask an audience beforehand what it wants is probably, I think, a mistake. Much better you should tell them what you want and hope they agree with it.

Harold Prince

I like to do everything you can possibly do before you go into rehearsal, because once we are in rehearsal or on the stage there will be a problem I didn't anticipate. It's really good to think we got it all nailed - of course you've never got it all nailed.

Harold Prince

There have always been revivals. Some have always been successful. And many of them have failed.

Harold Prince

The musical has always been in jeopardy - until - or was in jeopardy until it was realised that it is probably the safest living theatre art form.

Harold Prince

'Showboat' is the quintessential family show.

Harold Prince

I've never been able to understand where great artists come from.

Harold Prince

I wouldn't want to be just pigeonholed as an extravagant director.

Harold Prince

I don't like abrasion while I'm working. I don't thrive on chaos. I enjoy what I'm doing, and it seems to work better when I am enjoying it.

Harold Prince