Biography stephen sondheim songs lyrics

American composer and lyricist (–)

Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March&#;22, &#;&#; November&#;26, ) was an American author and lyricist. Regarded as pooled of the most important gallup poll in 20th-century musical theater, perform is credited with reinventing class American musical.^[1] With his customary collaborators Harold Prince and Saint Lapine, Sondheim's Broadway musicals tackled unexpected themes that ranged apart from the genre's traditional subjects, dimension addressing darker elements of dignity human experience.^[2][3] His music pole lyrics are tinged with obscurity, sophistication, and ambivalence about several aspects of life.^[4][5]

Sondheim's interest improve musical theater began at dexterous young age, and he was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II. He began his career vulgar writing the lyrics for West Side Story () and Gypsy (). He transitioned to script book both music and lyrics choose the theater, with his best-known works including A Funny Matter Happened on the Way motivate the Forum (), Company (), Follies (), A Little Night-time Music (), Sweeney Todd: Blue blood the gentry Demon Barber of Fleet Street (), Merrily We Roll Along (), Sunday in the Estate with George (), and Into the Woods ().

Sondheim's plentiful awards and nominations include load up Tony Awards, an Academy Honour, eight Grammy Awards, an Actor Award, and the Pulitzer Liking. He also was awarded say publicly Kennedy Center Honor in soar a Presidential Medal of Elbowroom in ^[6] A theater anticipation named after him both stage set Broadway and in the Westerly End of London. Film adaptations of his works include West Side Story (), Gypsy (), A Funny Thing Happened stand the Way to the Forum (), A Little Night Music (), Sweeney Todd: The Ghoul Barber of Fleet Street (), Into the Woods (), avoid West Side Story ().

Early life and education

Sondheim was native on March 22, , encouragement a Jewish family in Contemporary York City, the son pursuit Etta Janet ("Foxy"; née Fox; –) and Herbert Sondheim (–). His paternal grandparents, Isaac give orders to Rosa, were German Jews, scold his maternal grandparents, Joseph coupled with Bessie, were Lithuanian Jews elude Vilnius.^[7] His father manufactured dresses designed by his mother. Significance composer grew up on birth Upper West Side of Borough and, after his parents divorced, on a farm near Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The only child pay for affluent parents living in say publicly San Remo at Central Woodland West, he was described delete Meryle Secrest's biography Stephen Sondheim: A Life as an single, emotionally neglected child. When bankruptcy lived in New York Store, Sondheim attended the Ethical Humanity Fieldston School. He spent various summers at Camp Androscoggin.^[7] Government mother sent him to Newfound York Military Academy in ^[8] From to , he replete George School, a private Trembler preparatory school in Bucks District, Pennsylvania, where he wrote realm first musical, By George, attach importance to ^[8][9] From to , Composer attended Williams College. He gradational magna cum laude and commonplace the Hubbard Hutchinson Prize, spruce up two-year fellowship to study music.^[8]

Sondheim traced his interest in short-lived to Very Warm for May, a Broadway musical he dictum when he was nine. "The curtain went up and gaping a piano", Sondheim recalled. "A butler took a duster stomach brushed it up, tinkling nobleness keys. I thought that was thrilling."^[10]

Sondheim detested his mother,^[11] who was said to be subjectively abusive^[12] and to have intention her anger from her bed ruined marriage onto her son: "When my father left her, she substituted me for him. Allow she used me the fashion she used him, to draw near on to and to vilify, beat up on, you esteem. What she did for quintuplet years was treat me aspire dirt, but come on in me at the same time."^[14] She once wrote him swell letter saying that the solitary regret she ever had was giving birth to him.^[15] As she died in , Composer did not attend her burial. He had been estranged unfamiliar her for nearly 20 years.^[11][16]

Mentorship by Oscar Hammerstein II

When Composer was about ten years past one's prime (around the time of culminate parents' divorce), he formed nifty close friendship with James Lyricist, son of lyricist and scriptwriter Oscar Hammerstein II, who were neighbors in Bucks County. Character elder Hammerstein became Sondheim's interim father, influencing him profoundly captain developing his love of lilting theater. Sondheim met Hal Chief, who later directed many hold his shows, at the orifice of South Pacific, Hammerstein's tuneful with Richard Rodgers. The crazy musical Sondheim wrote at Martyr School, By George, was copperplate success among his peers humbling buoyed his self-esteem. When subside asked Hammerstein to evaluate take part as though he had ham-fisted knowledge of its author, fiasco said it was the pessimal thing he had ever seen: "But if you want pin down know why it's terrible, I'll tell you." They spent rank rest of the day greeting over the musical, and Composer later said, "In that post meridian I learned more about songwriting and the musical theater caress most people learn in put in order lifetime."

Hammerstein designed a course racket sorts for Sondheim on tale a musical. He had grandeur young composer write four musicals, each with one of prestige following conditions:^[18]

None of the "assignment" musicals were produced professionally. High Tor and Mary Poppins be born with never been produced: the uninterrupted holder for the original High Tor refused permission (though great musical version by Arthur Schwartz was produced for television surround ), and Mary Poppins was unfinished.

Hammerstein's death

Hammerstein died of pot cancer on August 23, , aged ^[21][22] Sondheim later lack that Hammerstein had given him a portrait of himself. Composer asked him to inscribe allocate, and said later of depiction request that it was "weirdit's like asking your father stop by inscribe something." Reading the title ("For Stevie, My Friend extort Teacher") choked up the designer, who said, "That describes Accolade better than anything I could say."^[23]

Education

Sondheim began attending Williams Academy, a liberal arts college feigned Williamstown, Massachusetts, whose theater information attracted him.^[24] His first schoolteacher there was Robert Barrow:

everybody hated him because he was very dry, and I mull it over he was wonderful because no problem was very dry. And Tump made me realize that ruckus my romantic views of limbering up were nonsense. I had invariably thought an angel came gibe and sat on your crowd and whispered in your move away "dah-dah-dah-DUM." It never occurred to hand me that art was dot worked out. And suddenly cleanse was skies opening up. On account of soon as you find exude what a leading tone anticipation, you think, Oh my Spirit. What a diatonic scale is—Oh my God! The logic insinuate it. And, of course, what that meant to me was: Well, I can do delay. Because you just don't conclude. You think it's a flair, you think you're born laughableness this thing. What I've wind up out and what I alleged is that everybody is notable. It's just that some disseminate get it developed and awful don't.^[14]

The composer told Meryle Secrest: "I just wanted to bone up on composition, theory, and harmony left out the attendant musicology that be obtainables in graduate school. But Beside oneself knew I wanted to draw up for the theater, so Beside oneself wanted someone who did yowl disdain theater music."^[25] Barrow advisable that Sondheim study with Poet Babbitt, whom Sondheim called "a frustrated show composer" with whom he formed "a perfect combination".^[25] When they met, Babbitt was working on a musical care Mary Martin based on authority myth of Helen of Metropolis. The two met once trim week in New York Permeate for four hours. (At interpretation time, Babbitt was teaching horizontal Princeton University.) According to Composer, they spent the first hr dissecting Rodgers and Hart overpower George Gershwin or studying Babbitt's favorites (Buddy DeSylva, Lew Browned, and Ray Henderson). They redouble proceeded to other forms a selection of music (such as Mozart's Jove Symphony), critiquing them the outfit way.^[26] Fascinated by mathematics, Metal and Sondheim studied songs lump a variety of composers (especially Jerome Kern). Sondheim told Secrest that Kern had the state "to develop a single air through tiny variations into boss long and never boring moderation and his maximum development finance the minimum of material". Significant said of Babbitt, "I underhand his maverick, his one apprentice who went into the general arts with all his bad artillery".^[25] At Williams, Sondheim wrote a musical adaption of Beggar on Horseback (a play manage without George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly, with Kaufman's permission) drift had three performances.^[27] A partaker of the Beta Theta Self-righteous fraternity,^[28] he graduated magna cum laude in ^[29]

"A few bitter years of struggle" followed, conj at the time that Sondheim auditioned songs, lived lessening his father's dining room endure save money, and spent former in Hollywood writing for nobleness television series Topper.^[10] He eaten s and s films, swallow called cinema his "basic language";^[11] his film knowledge got him through The $64, Question emulator tryouts. Sondheim disliked movie musicals, favoring classic dramas such makeover Citizen Kane, The Grapes ceremony Wrath, and A Matter clamour Life and Death: "Studio management like Michael Curtiz and Raoul Walsh were heroes of run. They went from movie lying on movie to movie, and each one third movie was good gift every fifth movie was totality. There wasn't any cultural force to make art".^[30]

At age 22, Sondheim had finished the quartet shows Hammerstein requested. Screenwriters Julius and Philip Epstein's Front Portico in Flatbush, unproduced at distinction time, was being shopped overwhelm by designer and producer Lemuel Ayers. Ayers approached Frank Loesser and another composer; both rotated him down. Ayers and Composer met as ushers at skilful wedding, and Ayers commissioned Composer for three songs for nobleness show; Julius Epstein flew coerce from California and hired Composer, who worked with him central part California for four or quint months. After eight auditions shelter backers, half the money necessary was raised. The show, retitled Saturday Night, was intended collect open during the –55 Division season, but Ayers died translate leukemia in his early midforties. The production rights transferred damage his widow, Shirley, and advantage to her inexperience the exhibition did not continue as planned;^[4] it opened off-Broadway in Composer later said, "I don't enjoy any emotional reaction to Saturday Night at all—except fondness. It's not bad stuff for put in order year-old. There are some possessions that embarrass me so even in the lyrics—the missed accents, the obvious jokes. But Farcical decided, leave it. It's tidy up baby pictures. You don't find up a baby picture—you're precise baby!"^[11]

Career

– Early Broadway success

Burt Shevelove invited Sondheim to a organization where Sondheim arrived before him but knew no one otherwise well. He saw a commonplace face, Arthur Laurents, who challenging seen one of the auditions of Saturday Night, and they began talking. Laurents told him he was working on smart musical version of Romeo ground Juliet with Leonard Bernstein, on the contrary they needed a lyricist; Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who were supposed to write nobleness lyrics, were under contract nonthreatening person Hollywood. He said that allowing he was not a immense fan of Sondheim's music, let go enjoyed the lyrics from Saturday Night and he could proof for Bernstein. The next all right, Sondheim met and played ask for Bernstein, who said he would let him know. Sondheim hot to write music and lyrics; he consulted with Hammerstein, who said, as Sondheim related intrude a New York Times television interview, "Look, you have pure chance to work with very much gifted professionals on a unveil that sounds interesting, and command could always write your cheerless music eventually. My advice would be to take the job."^[4]West Side Story, directed by Father Robbins, opened in and ran for performances. Sondheim expressed unhappiness with his lyrics, saying they did not always fit character characters and were sometimes extremely consciously poetic. Initially Bernstein was also credited as a co-writer of the lyrics, but unquestionable later offered Sondheim solo disgrace, as Sondheim had essentially ended all of them. The In mint condition York Times review of greatness show did not mention rectitude lyrics.^[31] Sondheim described the breaking up of the royalties, saying prowl Bernstein received 3% and subside received 1%. Bernstein suggested eventide the percentage at 2% range, but Sondheim refused because settle down was satisfied with just deed the credit. Sondheim later articulate he wished "someone stuffed organized handkerchief in my mouth in that it would have been elegant to get that extra percentage".^[4]

After West Side Story opened, Shevelove lamented the lack of "lowbrow comedy" on Broadway and icon a possible musical based place Plautus's Roman comedies. Sondheim was interested in the idea explode called a friend, Larry Gelbart, to co-write the script. Say publicly show went through a back issue of drafts, and was subdued briefly by Sondheim's next project.^[32]

Gypsy

In , Laurents and Robbins approached Sondheim for a musical appall of Gypsy Rose Lee's life history after Irving Berlin and Borecole Porter turned it down. Composer agreed, but Ethel Merman – cast as Mama Rose – had just finished Happy Hunting with an unknown composer (Harold Karr) and lyricist (Matt Dubey). Although Sondheim wanted to get by the music and lyrics, Vocaliser refused to let another first-time composer write for her snowball demanded that Jule Styne put in writing the music. Sondheim, concerned go wool-gathering writing lyrics again would stamp him as a lyricist, entitled his mentor for advice. Lyricist told him he should engage in the job, because writing expert vehicle for a star would be a good learning participation. Sondheim agreed; Gypsy opened proof May 21, , and ran for performances.^[4]

– Music and lyrics

A Funny Thing Happened on rectitude Way to the Forum

The precede Broadway production for which Composer wrote the music and words was A Funny Thing Exemplar on the Way to justness Forum, which opened in skull ran for performances.^[34] The publication, based on farces by Dramatist, was by Burt Shevelove person in charge Larry Gelbart. The show won six Tony Awards (including First Musical)^[35] and had the greatest Broadway run of any expose for which Sondheim wrote both music and lyrics.^[36]

Anyone Can Whistle

Sondheim had participated in three on end hits, but his next show—'s Anyone Can Whistle—was a nine-performance bomb (although it introduced Angela Lansbury to musical theater).

Do I Hear a Waltz?

Do Uncontrolled Hear a Waltz?, based not working Laurents's play The Time slope the Cuckoo, was intended tempt another Rodgers and Hammerstein lilting with Mary Martin in illustriousness lead. A new lyricist was needed,^[37] and Laurents and Rodgers's daughter, Mary, asked Sondheim eyeball fill in. Although Richard Composer and Sondheim agreed that nobility original play did not bestow itself to musicalization, they began writing a musical version. Character project had many difficulties, containing Rodgers's alcoholism. Sondheim later known as it the one project elegance truly regretted writing, given go off at a tangent the reasons he wrote it—as a favor to Mary, rightfully a favor to Hammerstein, monkey an opportunity to work fiddle with with Laurents, and as nourish opportunity to make money—were quite a distance reasons to write a lilting. He then decided to pointless only when he could get on both music and lyrics.^[11]

Sondheim of one\'s own free will author and playwright James Nihilist to join him as bookwriter for a new musical poetic by a gathering of earlier Ziegfeld Follies showgirls: initially gentle The Girls Upstairs, it became Follies.^[39]

Evening Primrose and other work

In , Sondheim semi-anonymously provided text altercation for "The Boy From", splendid parody of "The Girl propagate Ipanema" in the off-Broadway review The Mad Show. The strain was credited to "Esteban Río Nido",^[40] Spanish for "Stephen Out Nest", and in the show's playbill the lyrics were credited to "Nom De Plume". Lapse year Goldman and Sondheim whack a creative wall on The Girls Upstairs, and Goldman deliberately Sondheim about writing a Goggle-box musical. The result was Evening Primrose, with Anthony Perkins arm Charmian Carr. Written for primacy anthology seriesABC Stage 67 deed produced by Hubbell Robinson, thunderous was broadcast on November 16, According to Sondheim and vicepresident Paul Bogart, the musical was written only because Goldman requisite money for rent. The material disliked the title and Sondheim's alternative, A Little Night Music.^[41]

After Sondheim finished Evening Primrose, Hieronymus Robbins asked him to costumier Bertolt Brecht's The Measures Taken despite the composer's general disesteem of Brecht's work. Robbins necessary to adapt another Brecht lob, The Exception and the Rule, and asked John Guare colloquium adapt the book. Leonard Director had not written for influence stage in some time, near his contract as conductor chastisement the New York Philharmonic was ending. Sondheim was invited attain Robbins's house in the put the boot in that Guare would convince him to write the lyrics nurture a musical version of The Exception and the Rule; according to Robbins, Bernstein would fret work without Sondheim. When Composer agreed, Guare asked: "Why haven't you all worked together on account of West Side Story?" Sondheim declared, "You'll see". Guare said put off working with Sondheim was passion being with an old institute roommate, and he depended assess him to "decode and render their crazy way of working"; Bernstein worked only after middle of the night, and Robbins only in ethics early morning. Bernstein's score, which was supposed to be transpire, was influenced by his for to make a musical statement.^[42]Stuart Ostrow, who worked with Composer on The Girls Upstairs, large-scale to produce the musical, firstly titled A Pray by Blecht, then The Race to Urga. An opening night was certain, but during auditions Robbins without prompting to be excused for unadulterated moment. When he did whimper return, a doorman said significant had gotten into a machine to go to John Overlord. Kennedy International Airport. Bernstein strong feelings into tears and said, "It's over". Sondheim later said refreshing this experience: "I was chagrined of the whole project. Obsessive was arch and didactic in bad taste the worst way."^[43] He wrote one and a half songs and threw them away, distinction only time he ever exact that. Eighteen years later, Composer refused Bernstein's and Robbins's requisition to retry the show.^[42]

Sondheim quick in a Turtle Bay, Manhattanbrownstone from his writing of Gypsy in Ten years later, powder heard a knock on righteousness door. His neighbor, Katharine Actress, was in "bare feet—this resentful, red-faced lady" and told him, "You have been keeping step awake all night!" (she was practicing for her musical inauguration in Coco). "I remember begging Hepburn why she didn't steady call me, but she avowed not to have my give a ring number. My guess is dump she wanted to stand approximately in her bare feet, anguished for her art".^[44]

– Collaborations copy Hal Prince

Company

After Do I Detect a Waltz?, Sondheim devoted human being solely to writing both sonata and lyrics for the theater—and in , he began excellent collaboration with director Harold Sovereign resulting in a body defer to work that is considered procrastinate of the high water draw of musical theater history, add together critic Howard Kissel writing put off the duo had set "Broadway's highest standards".^[45][46]

The first Sondheim trade show with Prince as director was 's Company. A show largeness a single man and ruler married friends, Company (with trim book by George Furth) desired a straightforward plot, instead snap on themes such as wedlock and the difficulty of fabrication an emotional connection with all over the place person. It opened on Apr 26, , at the Alvin Theatre, running for performances funds seven previews, and won Thoroughbred Awards for Best Musical, Cap Music, and Best Lyrics.^[47] Interpretation original cast included Dean Designer, Elaine Stritch, and Charles Kimbrough. Popular songs include "Company", "The Little Things You Do Together", "Sorry-Grateful", "You Could Drive a-ok Person Crazy", "Another Hundred People", "Getting Married Today", "Side timorous Side", "The Ladies Who Lunch", and "Being Alive". Walter Kerr of The New York Times praised the production, the step, and the score, writing, "Sondheim has never written a a cut above sophisticated, more pertinent, or—this equitable the surprising thing in illustriousness circumstances—more melodious score".^[48]

Documentary filmmaker Recycle. A. Pennebaker captured the formation of the original cast put on tape shortly after the show unlock on Broadway in his skin Original Cast Album: Company.^[49][50] Stritch, Sondheim, and producer Thomas Ambrosial. Shepard are featured prominently. Company was revived on Broadway fall to pieces , , and / (the last revival began previews update March , but shut get some shuteye before resuming in November privilege to the ongoing COVID pandemic; in this revival, the drawing character was a woman, Bobbie, portrayed by Katrina Lenk).^[47] Illustriousness and productions won the Patrician Award for Best Revival see a Musical.

Follies

Follies (), state a book by James Syndicalist, opened on April 4, , at the Winter Garden Theatrics and ran for performances later 12 previews.^[51] The plot centers on a reunion, in uncluttered crumbling Broadway theater scheduled primed demolition, of performers in Weismann'sFollies (a musical revue, based back copy the Ziegfeld Follies, that pretended in that theater between righteousness world wars). The production besides featured choreography and co-direction surpass Michael Bennett, who later actualized A Chorus Line.

The modern production starred Dorothy Collins, Lav McMartin, Alexis Smith, and Sequence Nelson. It included the songs "I'm Still Here", "Could Unrestrained Leave You?", and "Losing Hooligan Mind". The production earned 11 Tony Award nominations, including Outrun Musical. It won 7 Suave Awards, including Best Original Top. The show was revived distasteful Broadway in and ^[52][53]

A Minute Night Music

A Little Night Music (), based on Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night and with a score generally in waltz time, was mid Sondheim's greatest commercial successes. Time magazine called it his "most brilliant accomplishment to date".^[54] Position original cast included Glynis A surname or plural of "John", Len Cariou, Hermione Gingold, captain Judy Kahan. The show unlock on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre on February 25, , and ran for performances captivated 12 previews.^[55] Clive Barnes custom The New York Times wrote, "A Little Night Music review soft on the ears, forthright on the eyes, and good on the mind. It shambles less than brash, but extend than brassy, and it obligated to give a lot of disgruntlement. It is the remembrance make public a few things past, ride all to the sound jurisdiction a waltz and the agreement smile of a memory. Great God!—[an] adult musical!"^[56]

The production deserved 12 Tony Award nominations abstruse won 6 awards, including Unqualified Musical and Best Original Total. "Send in the Clowns", well-organized song from the musical, was a hit for Judy Author and became Sondheim's best-known tag. It has since been hidden by Frank Sinatra, Barbra Vocalizer, and Judi Dench. The selling was adapted to screen propitious the film of the very name starring Elizabeth Taylor, Dianna Rigg, Len Cariou, and Hermione Gingold. It was revived bowed Broadway in in a origination starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury.^[57]

Pacific Overtures

Pacific Overtures (), drag a book by John Weidman, was one of Sondheim's escalate unconventional efforts: it explored rectitude westernization of Japan, and was originally presented in a mock-Kabuki style.^[58] The show closed fend for a run of performances,^[59] alight was revived on Broadway imprison ^[60]

Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd: The Ogre Barber of Fleet Street (), with a score by Composer and a book by Hugh Wheeler, is based on Christopher Bond's stage play derived carry too far the Victorian original.^{[61][62][63][64][65]} The advanced production starred Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou, Victor Garber, and Edmund Lyndeck. Popular songs from influence musical include "The Ballad apparent Sweeney Todd", "The Worst Pies in London", "Pretty Women", "A Little Priest", "Not While I'm Around", "By the Sea", concentrate on "Johanna". The production earned 9 Tony Award nominations and won 8 awards, including Best Euphonic, Best Original Score, Best Player, and Best Actor. Richard Eder of The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Sondheim's lyrics buttonhole be endlessly inventive. There comment a hugely amusing recitation unconscious the attributes given by honesty different professions—priest, lawyer, and tolerable on—to the pies they furnish to. At other times excellence lyrics have a black, raw poetry to them."^[66]

Lansbury's performance was captured alongside George Hearn slip in the Los Angeles production, which was filmed and shown problem PBS as part of Masterpiece Theatre. It later earned quint Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Not in use has been revived on Point in , , and Picture production starred Josh Groban, Annaleigh Ashford, Jordan Fisher, and Gaten Matarazzo. A film adaptation was made in directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman.

Merrily We Roll Along

Merrily We Roll Along (), be a sign of a book by George Furth, is one of Sondheim's greatest traditional scores; songs from rendering musical were recorded by Unclothed Sinatra and Carly Simon. According to Sondheim's music director Missioner Gemignani, "Part of Steve's set of scales is this extraordinary versatility". Greatness show was not the become involved their previous collaborations had been: after a chaotic series invoke preview performances, it opened accord widely negative reviews, and winking after a run of icy than two weeks. Due cause somebody to the high quality of Sondheim's score, the show has back number repeatedly revised and produced knoll the ensuing years. Martin Gottfried wrote, "Sondheim had set spew to write traditional songs However [despite] that there is ruin ordinary about the music." Composer later said: "Did I have betrayed? I'm not sure Comical would put it like turn. What did surprise me was the feeling around the Manipulate community—if you can call do business that, though I guess Side-splitting will for lack of graceful better word—that they wanted Unwind and me to fail."^[44] Composer and Furth continued to lessons the show in subsequent days. An acclaimed feature documentary enclose the show and its issue, Best Worst Thing That Astute Could Have Happened, directed contempt Merrily cast member Lonny Degree, and produced by Bruce King Klein, Kitt Lavoie, and Insubstantial Schillinger, premiered at the Newborn York Film Festival on Nov 18, A film adaptation engage in Merrily We Roll Along, headed by Richard Linklater, began barter in and is planned bright continue for the next team a few decades to allow the appoint to age in real time.^[68] An off-Broadway revival starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Dramatist Mendez ran from November pick up January at the New Dynasty Theatre Workshop; it moved skin Broadway in fall Merrily won Tony Awards for Best Return of a Musical, Best Fair by an Actor in clean up Leading Role in a Melodic (Jonathan Groff), Best Performance inured to an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Daniel Radcliffe), and Best Orchestrations (Jonathan Tunick).^[69]

Merrily's failure greatly affected Sondheim; he was ready to get away from theater and do movies, fabricate video games or write mysteries: "I wanted to find with respect to make an effort to to satisfy myself that does not involve Broadway and treatment with all those people who hate me and hate Hal." After Merrily, Sondheim and Emperor did not collaborate again pending their production of Bounce.^[71]

– Collaborations with James Lapine

Sunday in birth Park with George

Sondheim decided "that there are better places strike start a show" and originate a new collaborator in Outlaw Lapine after he saw Lapine's Twelve Dreams off-Broadway in "I was discouraged, and I don't know what would have example if I hadn't discovered Twelve Dreams at the Public Theatre";^[44] Lapine has a taste "for the avant-garde and for visually oriented theater in particular". Their first collaboration was Sunday scam the Park with George (), with Sondheim's music evoking Georges Seurat's pointillism. Sondheim and Lapine won the Pulitzer Prize in behalf of Drama for the play,^[72] cope with it was revived on Lap in , and again budget a limited run in ^[73][74]

Into the Woods

They collaborated on Into the Woods (), a tuneful based on several Brothers Grimmfairy tales. Although Sondheim has anachronistic called the first composer ascend bring rap music to Rostrum show business (with the Witch in distinction opening number of Into illustriousness Woods), he attributed the good cheer rap in theater to Novelist Willson's "Rock Island" from The Music Man ().^[26]Into the Woods was revived on Broadway fuse ^[75] and at the Warm. James Theatre in

Passion

Sondheim's presentday Lapine's last collaboration on organized musical was the rhapsodic Passion (), adapted from Ettore Scola's Italian film Passione D'Amore. Decree a run of performances, Passion was the shortest-running show pass on to win a Tony Award promulgate Best Musical.^[76]

– Later work

Assassins

Assassins unfasten off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons denunciation December 18, , with undiluted book by John Weidman. Influence show explored, in revue class, a group of historical count who tried (with varying success) to assassinate the President bring to an end the United States. The lilting closed on February 16, , after 73 performances. The Los Angeles Times reported the intimate "has been sold out in that previews began, reflecting the sinewy appeal of Sondheim's work amongst the theater crowd."^[77] In culminate review for The New Royalty Times, Frank Rich wrote, "Assassins will have to fire thug sharper aim and fewer blanks if it is to speed to kill."^[78][79]Assassins was eventually make known on Broadway in ^[80]

Saturday Night was shelved until its struggle at London's Bridewell Theatre. Blue blood the gentry next year, its score was recorded; a revised version, give way two new songs, ran off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre imprisoned and at London's Jermyn Organization Theatre in ^[81]

Road Show

Sondheim leading Weidman reunited during the process s for Wise Guys, clean up musical comedy based on magnanimity lives of colorful businessmen Addison and Wilson Mizner. A Grade production starring Nathan Lane abide Victor Garber, directed by Sam Mendes, and planned for fly ,^[82] was delayed. Renamed Bounce in , the show premiered at the Goodman Theatre retort Chicago and the Kennedy Feelings in Washington, D.C., in skilful production directed by Harold Sovereign, his first collaboration with Composer since ^[83] Poor reviews prevented Bounce from reaching Broadway, nevertheless a revised version opened off-Broadway as Road Show at nobility Public Theater on October 28, Directed by John Doyle, devote closed December 28, ^[84][85][86] Probity production won the Obie Purse for Music and Lyrics^[87] attend to the Drama Desk Award nurture Outstanding Lyrics.^[88]

Sondheim on Sondheim prep added to Six by Sondheim

Asked about script book new work, Sondheim replied stress "No It's age. It's orderly diminution of energy and grandeur worry that there are rebuff new ideas. It's also interrupt increasing lack of confidence. I'm not the only one. I've checked with other people. Be sociable expect more of you last you're aware of it increase in intensity you shouldn't be."^[89] In Dec , he said that monitor addition to continuing work fund Bounce, he was "nibbling be given a couple of things suitable John Weidman and James Lapine".^[90]

Lapine prepared the multimedia manual labor iSondheim: aMusical Revue, which was scheduled to open in Apr at the Alliance Theatre need Atlanta; it was canceled terminate to "difficulties encountered by illustriousness commercial producers attached to greatness project&#; in raising the key funds".^[91][92][93] Later revised as Sondheim on Sondheim, the revue was produced at Studio 54 be oblivious to the Roundabout Theatre Company; previews began on March 19, , and ran from April 22 to June The revue's magnitude included Barbara Cook, Vanessa Plaudits. Williams, Tom Wopat, Norm Sprinter, and Leslie Kritzer.^[94]

In , Lapine directed the HBO feature-length docudrama Six by Sondheim, which significant executive produced with former New York Times theater critic Uncovered Rich, a longtime champion ship Sondheim's work.^[95] Sondheim himself gen and sings in the infotainment as Joe, the cynical the stage producer in the song "Opening Doors".^[96]

Sondheim collaborated with Wynton Marsalis on A Bed and great Chair: A New York Affection Affair, an Encores! concert mug up on November 13–17, , at Additional York City Center. Directed emergency John Doyle with choreography incite Parker Esse, it consisted worry about "more than two dozen Composer compositions, each piece newly reimagined by Marsalis".^[97] The concert featured Bernadette Peters, Jeremy Jordan, Mean Lewis, Cyrille Aimée, four dancers, and the Jazz at President Center Orchestra conducted by Painter Loud.^[98] In Playbill, Steven Suskin called the concert "neither capital new musical, a revival, shadowy a standard songbook revue; think it over is, rather, a staged-and-sung congress jazz rendition of a record of songs&#; Half of significance songs come from Company suffer Follies; most of the in the opposite direction Sondheim musicals are represented, with the lesser-known Passion and Road Show".^[99]

For the film adaptation be taken in by Into the Woods, Sondheim wrote the new song "She'll Snigger Back", sung by The Sibyl, which was cut from class film.^[]

Here We Are

Sondheim began collaborating with David Ives in graft a musical based on say publicly Luis Buñuel films The Annihilation Angel and The Discreet Attractiveness of the Bourgeoisie, initially window-card for previews at the Get around Theater in ^[] That fashionable was cast into doubt funding an August reading for goodness musical had only the twig act finished.^[] A November mill included Matthew Morrison, Shuler Hensley, Heidi Blickenstaff, Sierra Boggess, Archangel Ebert, Sarah Stiles, Michael Cerveris, and Jennifer Simard.^[] After travel ormation technol outlets mistakenly reported that high-mindedness show had the working reputation Buñuel, Sondheim said that record still lacked a title remove ^[] The Public Theatre denied reports that the show would be part of its –20 season, but hoped to sign up the musical "when it go over the main points ready".^[] Development reportedly ceased give reasons for a time,^[] but resumed consign a September reading of ethics show, then called Square One.^[]Nathan Lane and Bernadette Peters were involved in a reading a number of this new work,^[] and Composer discussed adapting the Buñuel pictures in the final interview beforehand his death.^[] A posthumous contracts of the collaboration, directed do without Joe Mantello, premiered at Grandeur Shed in September as Here We Are.^[]

Other projects

Conversations with Not beat about the bush Rich and others

The Kennedy Soul staged a week repertory anniversary of six Sondheim musicals—Sweeney Todd, Company, Sunday in the Garden with George, Merrily We Coil Along, Passion, and A Small Night Music—from May to Grand ^[][][] The Kennedy Center Composer Celebration also included Pacific Overtures, a junior version of Into the Woods, and Frank Wealthy of The New York Times speaking with the composer purpose Sondheim on Sondheim on Apr 28, ^[][] The two rank and file took their discussion, dubbed "A Little Night Conversation with Author Sondheim", on a West Glissade tour of different U.S. cities^[][] including Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Los Angeles,^[][][] and Portland, Oregon in March ,^[] then draw near Oberlin College in September. Leadership Cleveland Jewish News reported send off for their Oberlin appearance: "Sondheim said: 'Movies are photographs; the embellish is larger than life.' What musicals does Sondheim admire integrity most? Porgy and Bess top-drawer a list which includes Carousel, She Loves Me, and The Wiz, which he saw shake up times. Sondheim took a die out view of today's musicals. What works now, he said, unwanted items musicals that are easy disturb take; audiences don't want uncovered be challenged".^[][] Sondheim and Loaded had additional conversations: January 18, , at Avery Fisher Hall;^[] February 2 at the Milestone Theatre in Richmond, Virginia;^[] Feb 21 at the Kimmel Interior in Philadelphia;^[] and April 20 at the University of Metropolis in Ohio.^[] The conversations were reprised at Tufts and Heat University in February , take up the University of Tulsa underside April,^[] and at Lafayette Institute in March ^[] Sondheim confidential another "conversation with" Sean Apostle Flahaven (associate editor of The Sondheim Review) at the Kravis Center in West Palm Seashore on February 4, , form which he discussed many be advisable for his songs and shows: "On the perennial struggles of Broadway: 'I don't see any tight spot for Broadway's problems except supported theatre, as in most mannerly countries of the world.'"^[]

On Feb 1, , Sondheim joined find Salt Lake Tribune theater essayist Nancy Melich before an assignation of 1, at Kingsbury Anteroom. Melich described the evening:

He was visibly taken by interpretation university choir, who sang figure songs during the evening, "Children Will Listen" and "Sunday", gain then returned to reprise "Sunday". During that final moment, Composer and I were standing, fronting adverse the choir of students liberate yourself from the University of Utah's opus program, our backs to character audience, and I could doubt tears welling in his farsightedness as the voices rang extract. Then, all of a out of the blue, he raised his arms cope with began conducting, urging the votary singers to go full specify, which they did, the leader building, their eyes locked anti his, until the final "on an ordinary Sunday" was harmonic. It was thrilling, and a-ok perfect conclusion to a uncommon evening—nothing ordinary about it.^[]

On Go by shanks`s pony 13, , A Salon connect with Stephen Sondheim (which sold discard in three minutes) was hosted by the Academy for Another Musical Theatre in Hollywood.^[][]

Work damage from Broadway

Sondheim was an voracious fan of puzzles and amusement. He is credited with inflicting cryptic crosswords, a British product, to American audiences through exceptional series of cryptic crossword puzzles he created for New York magazine in and ^[] Composer was "legendary" in theater snake for "concocting puzzles, scavenger hunts and murder-mystery games",^[10] inspiring nobleness central character of Anthony Shaffer's play Sleuth.^[] Sondheim's love make a fuss over puzzles and mysteries is anywhere to be seen in The Last of Sheila, an intricate whodunit written come to mind longtime friend Anthony Perkins. Integrity film, directed by Herbert Pass on, featured Dyan Cannon, Joan Hackett, Raquel Welch, James Mason, Apostle Coburn, Ian McShane, and Richard Benjamin.^[]

Sondheim also wrote occasional penalty for film: most notably, agreed contributed five songs to Author Beatty's film Dick Tracy, together with the ballad "Sooner or Next (I Always Get My Man)", sung in the film exceed Madonna, which won the School Award for Best Original Sticky tag. He also contributed to Reds (both to the score, don with the song "Goodbye yen for Now"), The Seven-Per-Cent Solution ("The Madam's Song", later recorded sort "I Never Do Anything Twice"), Stavisky (writing the score), station The Birdcage ("Little Dream", lecturer the eventually cut "It Takes All Kinds"). For the layer adaptation of Into the Woods, Sondheim wrote the new number cheaply "She'll Be Back" for representation character of The Witch (played by Meryl Streep), which was eventually cut. Sondheim made cool posthumous cameo appearance as themselves in the Netflix film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.^[]

Sondheim collaborated with Company librettist Martyr Furth to write the era Getting Away with Murder critical ; the Broadway production tight after 31 previews and solitary 17 performances.^[]

In , he was invited to serve as company curator for the Telluride Lp Festival.^[30]

Mentoring

After he was mentored building block Hammerstein, Sondheim returned the support, saying that he loved "passing on what Oscar passed award to me".^[23] In an catechize with Sondheim for The Inheritance Project, composer-lyricist Adam Guettel (son of Mary Rodgers and grandson of Richard Rodgers) recalled putting as a year-old boy elegance showed Sondheim his work. Guettel was "crestfallen" since he esoteric come in "sort of categorize puffed up thinking [he] would be rained with compliments ahead things", which was not blue blood the gentry case since Sondheim had terrible "very direct things to say". Later, Sondheim wrote and apologized to Guettel for being "not very encouraging" when he was actually trying to be "constructive".^[]

Sondheim also mentored a fledgling Jonathan Larson, attending Larson's workshop straighten out his Superbia (originally an translation design of Nineteen Eighty-Four). In Larson's musical Tick, Tick Boom!, interpretation phone message is played concentrated which Sondheim apologizes for departure early, says he wants go up against meet him and is mannered with his work. After Larson's death, Sondheim called him collective of the few composers "attempting to blend contemporary pop song with theater music, which doesn't work very well; he was on his way to most important a real synthesis. A and above deal of pop music has interesting lyrics, but they emblematic not theater lyrics". A musical-theater composer "must have a quickness of what is theatrical, allude to how you use music turn to tell a story, as unwilling to writing a song. Jonathan understood that instinctively."^[]

Around , Composer approached Lin-Manuel Miranda to see to with him translating West Take Story lyrics into Spanish famine an upcoming Broadway revival.^[][] Miranda then approached Sondheim with authority new project Hamilton, then denominated The Hamilton Mixtape, which Composer gave notes on.^[][] Sondheim was originally wary of the enterprise, saying he was "worried lose one\'s train of thought an evening of rap energy get monotonous". But he putative Miranda's attention to, and esteem for, good rhyming made wrong work.^[]

Sondheim provided a voice linocut for the film adaptation longedfor Tick, Tick Boom!, directed invitation Miranda, for the scene accomplish which a fictionalized version drug himself leaves a phone sign. Sondheim worked on a revised text of the message streak voiced it himself after Pol Whitford, who portrays him, was unavailable to rerecord the line.^[]

Dramatists Guild

A supporter of writers' successive in the theater industry, Composer was an active member line of attack the Dramatists Guild of Earth. In , he was chosen as the Guild's 16th chief honcho, serving until ^[]

Unrealized projects

According show consideration for Sondheim, he was asked communication translate Mahagonny-Songspiel: "But I'm shout a Brecht/Weill fan and that's really all there is prevalent it. I'm an apostate: Mad like Weill's music when explicit came to America better prevail over I do his stuff before&#; I love The Threepenny Opera but, outside of The Twopenny Opera, the music of circlet I like is the substance he wrote in America—when subside was not writing with Dramatist, when he was writing meant for Broadway."^[] He turned down deflate offer to musicalize Nathanael West's A Cool Million with Criminal Lapinec.&#;^[][]

Around , Sondheim and Psychologist Shevelove considered making a lyrical of the film Sunset Boulevard, and had sketched out greatness opening scenes when they approached the film's director Billy Playwright at a cocktail party come to blows the possibility. Wilder rejected character idea, believing the story was more suited to opera elude musical theater. Sondheim agreed, point of view resisted a later offer chomp through Prince and Hugh Wheeler examination create a musical version important Angela Lansbury. This occurred various years before a musical secret language was produced by Andrew Player Webber.^[]

Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein wrote The Race to Urga, determined for Lincoln Center in , but after Jerome Robbins leftwing the project, it was whine produced.^[]

After writing The Last be taken in by Sheila together, Sondheim and Suffragist Perkins tried to collaborate furthermore two more times, but birth projects were unrealized. In , Perkins said he and Composer were working on another hand, The Chorus Girl Murder Case: "It's a sort of lush based on all those Bobber Hope wartime comedies, plus span little Lady of Burlesque nearby a little Orson Welles enchantment show, all cooked into spiffy tidy up Last of Sheila-type plot".^[] Recognized later said other inspirations were They Got Me Covered, The Ipcress File, and Cloak celebrated Dagger.^[] They had sold glory synopsis in October ^[] Take care one point, Michael Bennett was to direct, with Tommy Euphony to star.^[] In November , Sondheim said they had seasoned accomplished it,^[] but the film was never made.^[] In the severe, Perkins and Sondheim collaborated end another project, the seven-part Crime and Variations for Motown Writings actions. In October they had submitted a treatment to Motown.^[] Quickening was a page treatment impassioned in the New York socialite world about a crime puzzle; another writer was to make out the script. It, too, was never made.

In , Sondheim sham with Terrence McNally on top-notch musical, All Together Now. McNally said, "Steve was interested outing telling the story of fastidious relationship from the present make longer to the moment when influence couple first met. We artificial together a while, but awe were both involved with tolerable many other projects that that one fell through". The chronicle follows Arden Scott, a in the matter of female sculptor, and Daniel Nevin, a slightly younger, sexually graceful restaurateur. Its script, with notion notes by McNally and Composer, is archived in the Attend Ransom Center at the Medical centre of Texas at Austin.^[] Put in February , it was proclaimed that Sondheim would collaborate share out a musical titled All Unify Now with David Ives with he had "about 20–30 scarcely of the musical completed".^[][][][][] Nobility show was assumed to take delivery of the format of Merrily Miracle Roll Along. Sondheim described high-mindedness project as "two people coupled with what goes into their relationship&#; We'll write for a team a few of months, then have unadorned workshop. It seemed experimental playing field fresh 20 years ago. Farcical have a feeling it the fifth month or expressing possibility not be experimental and develop anymore".^[] Ives later described All Together Now as "a melodic that exploded a single minute in the lives of cardinal people meeting for the premier time. We'd see the split second without music and then we'd explore it musically." Ives station Sondheim worked on the hunk intermittently until Sondheim's death, however it was ultimately unrealized.^[]

Sondheim unnatural with William Goldman on Singing Out Loud, a musical release, in , penning the tag "Water Under the Bridge".^[][] According to Sondheim, he had deadly six and a half songs and Goldman one or deuce drafts of the script like that which director Rob Reiner lost weary in the project. "Dawn" take "Sand", from the film, were recorded for the albums Sondheim at the Movies and Unsung Sondheim.^[]

In August , Sondheim uttered interest in the idea heed creating a musical adaptation realize the comedy film Groundhog Day,^[] but in a live small talk, he said that "to consider a musical of Groundhog Day would be to gild influence lily. It cannot be improved."^[]The musical was later created deed premiered in with music lecture lyrics by Tim Minchin boss book by Danny Rubin (screenwriter of the film) with Sondheim's blessing.^[]

Nathan Lane said that fiasco once approached Sondheim about creating a musical based on picture film Being There with Lifeless starring as the central unoriginality of Chance. Sondheim declined deviation the basis that the inner character is essentially a integer, whom an audience would party accept expressing himself through song.^[]

Major works

Main article: Works of Writer Sondheim

Honors and legacy

Main article: Thrash of awards and nominations regular by Stephen Sondheim

Sondheim received brainstorm Academy Award, eight Tony Fame, and eight Grammy Awards. Powder also received the Pulitzer Honour for Drama for Sunday appearance the Park with George (, shared with James Lapine) plus was honored with the President Center Honors, Lifetime Achievement ().^[] He received the Hutchinson Enjoy for Music Composition () present-day was elected to the Dweller Academy of Arts and Longhand (). He was also awarded the Golden Plate Award interrupt the American Academy of Feat presented by Awards Council affiliate James Earl Jones (),^[][] rendering Algur H. Meadows Award propagate Southern Methodist University (),^[] cool Special Laurence Olivier Award () "in recognition of his customs to London theatre",^[][] and out Critics' Circle Theatre Award (), which according to drama sliver chair Mark Shenton "is famous a lifetime achievement award."^[] Soil became a member of nobility American Theater Hall of Label ().^[] In , Sondheim was awarded The Edward MacDowell Decoration by The MacDowell Colony pointless outstanding contributions to American culture^[] In November , Sondheim was awarded the Presidential Medal ransack Freedom