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Who Was Stephen Sondheim?
Stephen Sondheim was a groundbreaking figure in American musical theater, renowned for his mastery of both lyricism and composition. His career was shaped by the mentorship of Oscar Hammerstein II, one of Broadway’s most influential lyricists. Sondheim’s early work in the 1950s, including his contributions to West Side Story and Gypsy, earned him recognition as a rising star. Known for the complexity and depth of his music and lyrics, his major works include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George, and Into the Woods.
Early Life and Musical Interests
Born on March 22, 1930, in New York City, Sondheim was the son of Herbert and Janet (née Fox) Sondheim, both of whom worked in the garment industry. After their divorce in 1942, Sondheim moved to Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with his mother. He began studying piano and organ early in life, and his passion for music led him to experiment with songwriting during his time at the George School.
Learning from Oscar Hammerstein
During his time in Pennsylvania, Sondheim formed a lasting friendship with Oscar Hammerstein II’s son, who introduced the young composer to his father. Hammerstein served as both mentor and surrogate father to Sondheim, offering invaluable guidance during the latter’s formative years. Sondheim’s first major work, By George!, a satire about his school, was met with constructive criticism from Hammerstein, teaching Sondheim the importance of revision and refinement. Sondheim also worked as an assistant on the 1947 Broadway production Allegro, a collaboration between Hammerstein and composer Richard Rodgers, an experience that had a profound impact on his approach to musical theater.
Sondheim attended Williams College, majoring in music, and after graduating in 1950, continued his studies under avant-garde composer Milton Babbitt before returning to New York City.
Theater Beginnings: West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened
In the early 1950s, Sondheim moved to Los Angeles, where he wrote scripts for television shows such as Topper and The Last Word. He returned to New York in 1956, composing background music for The Girls of Summer. Through his acquaintance with director Arthur Laurents, Sondheim connected with composer Leonard Bernstein and choreographer Jerome Robbins, who were in search of a lyricist for a modern musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. His lyrics for West Side Story, which opened in 1957, became a defining moment in Broadway history.
Sondheim’s next project, Gypsy (1959), partnered him with composer Jule Styne. The show, starring Ethel Merman, became one of Broadway’s most successful productions. Sondheim’s musical contributions continued with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), a farce that earned critical acclaim and won a Tony Award for Best Musical.
Broadway Hits: Company and Sweeney Todd
Sondheim’s collaboration with producer/director Harold Prince led to some of his most celebrated works. In 1970, Company premiered, offering a complex meditation on marriage and commitment in contemporary society. Follies (1971), a tribute to early Broadway, followed, along with A Little Night Music (1973), which included the iconic song “Send in the Clowns”. The 1979 musical Sweeney Todd, a dark and operatic tale of a vengeful barber, became a Broadway and later cinematic sensation.
Sondheim was known for his ability to blend witty, conversational lyrics with innovative musical compositions. His work on Pacific Overtures (1976), which drew inspiration from Japanese Kabuki theater, and Merrily We Roll Along (1981), an adaptation of a George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart play, showcased the diversity of his artistic vision.
More Successes: Sunday in the Park and Into the Woods
Throughout the 1980s, Sondheim collaborated frequently with playwright/director James Lapine. Their partnership produced Sunday in the Park with George (1984), inspired by Georges Seurat’s iconic painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, and Into the Woods (1987), a clever fusion of classic fairy tales. The latter was adapted into a 2014 film starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, and Anna Kendrick, further cementing Sondheim’s legacy as one of the most influential composers and lyricists in musical theater history.
Later Works and Revivals: ‘Passion’ to ‘Follies’
Stephen Sondheim continued to push the boundaries of musical theatre in the 1990s, blending diverse musical styles with his signature sharp, insightful lyrics and exploring unconventional subject matter. Although some of his works during this period received mixed critical and popular reception, they nevertheless showcased his unparalleled talent. Assassins (1990), for example, delved into the lives of nine American presidential assassins, offering a dark, satirical look at the nation’s history. Passion (1994), a collaboration with director James Lapine, presented a poignant, melodramatic love story based on the Italian film Passione d’Amore.
Sondheim’s extensive body of work also inspired numerous revues, including Side by Side by Sondheim (1976), Putting It Together (1992), and Sondheim on Sondheim (2010), which celebrated his music and lyrics. Meanwhile, classic Sondheim musicals continued to grace Broadway stages, with notable revivals such as the 2009 productions of West Side Story and A Little Night Music—the latter starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury. In 2011, Follies made a triumphant return to Broadway, featuring a cast led by Bernadette Peters.
Awards and Honors
Sondheim’s extraordinary contributions to musical theatre earned him numerous accolades, including a record-breaking eight Tony Awards and eight Grammy Awards. In 1985, he shared the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with James Lapine for Sunday in the Park with George. He also won an Academy Award for the song “Sooner or Later,” one of five tracks he penned for the 1990 film Dick Tracy, starring Warren Beatty and Madonna.
In recognition of his unparalleled influence on the arts, Sondheim received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2015. In 2017, he became the first composer-lyricist to be awarded the PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award, which honors a writer whose body of work deepens our understanding of the human condition. Previous recipients of the prestigious prize include literary giants such as Salman Rushdie and Toni Morrison.
Death
Stephen Sondheim passed away on November 26, 2021, at the age of 91 in Roxbury, Connecticut. His death marked the end of an era in musical theatre, leaving behind an indelible legacy that continues to inspire artists and audiences around the world.