Sondheim, Stephen Joshua

Sondheim, Stephen Joshua, 1930-, American composer and lyricist, b. New York City. As a young man, he studied lyric writing with Oscar Hammerstein 2d, and early in his career he wrote lyrics for Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story (1957) and collaborated with Jule Styne in the writing of Gypsy (1959). Later he composed his own music and lyrics for such musicals as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), and Merrily We Roll Along (1981). His later works include Sunday in the Park with George (1984; Pulitzer Prize), Into the Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994), and Road Show (2008). Widely regarded as the most important figure in the American musical theater of the late 20th cent., Sondheim has expanded the boundaries of lyric writing and subject matter, introduced complex characters and situations, brought a mordant wit and sophisticated lyricism to his words and music, and in the process reinvented the Broadway musical.

(born March 22, 1930, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. composer and lyricist. He studied piano and organ and at age 15 wrote his first musical under the tutelage of the musical comedy author Oscar Hammerstein II, a family friend. After studies with composer Milton Babbitt, he made his first mark on Broadway as lyricist for West Side Story (1957) and later Gypsy (1959). He wrote both music and lyrics for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962, Tony Award), A Little Night Music (1973, Tony Award), Sweeney Todd (1979, Tony Award), Sunday in the Park with George (1984, Pulitzer Prize), and Into the Woods (1987), among other works. His stage works are known for their intellectuality, musical complexity, and frequently dark tone.

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The Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, opened December 7-10, 2007, located with the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center in Fairfield, Iowa. The Center opened with 7 notable Broadway stars, including Liz Callaway and Richard Kind, all of whom had something to do with one of the many musicals of Stephen Joshua Sondheim. His most famous scores include (as composer/lyricist) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins, as well as the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy.

The center is the first one in the United States named after Stephen Sondheim.

External links

• Official Site
• Fairfield Arts and Convention Center
• Iowa Source Article
• Opening Press Release

In January 2008, Sondheim Center produced A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Richard Kind Starring. In Feb. 2008, a new work called Edges was produced for on weekend. To close their spring season, Randal K. West directed a completely new vision of Godspell. Orchestrations were completely changed by Justin Hill the musical director. It starred Ryan Gaffney as Jesus, Mason Davis and Judas, Alison Axelrad as "Mary" singing "By My Side" and Stephen Crisp as an apostle singing "All Good Gifts" and "Beautiful City".